More than 50% of children in the rural areas of Papua New Guinea (PNG) suffer from stunting and other health problems due to insufficient protein consumption.
Most rural people in PNG cannot afford to buy protein-rich food but have access to land and water to farm fish. An ACIAR-funded project ($1.6 Million), led by A/Prof. Jes Sammut, in partnership with the National Fisheries Authority of PNG, ANSTO, the Maria Kwin Centre and PNG fish farming communities, is helping to increase protein consumption via fish farming. The project is improving fish husbandry, quality fish fingerling production, feeding strategies and fish feed quality through on-station and on-farm trials.
The project also supports the Fish for Prisons and Fish for Schools programs, and provides training to fisheries researchers, extension officers, farmers and NGOs. The project also involves A/Prof. Suhelen Egan, A/Prof. Debashish Mazumder (Adjunct Associate Professor, ANSTO) and Lara Parata (PhD) student from the CMSI.
