Papua New Guinea is engaged in moves to become one of the world'sleading fish processing nations by processing a larger catch andencouraging other Pacific nations to send fish to its canneries.

Sixtypercent of the world's tuna caught is in the Pacific, and over the pastdecade, fish processing has become a major employer in PNG.

Butthe eight tuna-rich Pacific Island nations, known as the PNA group,have struggled to bring jobs onshore, according to Papua New Guinea'sNational Fisheries Authority managing director Sylvester Pokajam.

He wants to improve the situation.

"Weare looking at the fishery within the PNA of about 1.2 million metrictonnes sustainably harvested every year," he told Radio Australia.

"Wewant to also extend our call to the Pacific, especially the PNAcountries, to earn more from their resources rather than just relyingon the access fees so we try to develop in that are to see how we canall work together as one group to benefit together."

RadioAustralia's Pacific Economic and Business reporter, Jemima Garrett saysPapua New Guinea could still become a rising power in fish-processingeven without the help of other Pacific nations.

Growth in thefish-processing sector in recent years has been driven by the duty-freeand quota-free access PNG gets to the European market as a result ofits interim Economic Partnership Agreement with the European Union.

Theindustry now employs more than 9000 people in Papua New Guinea andexpansion plans at the IFC cannery in Lae will add another 1,200 jobs.

Another 12,000 jobs could be created by three other well-progressed new investments, our reporter says.

ManagingDirector of PNG's National Fisheries Authority, Sylvester Pokajam, saysmost of the new investment is in Morobe Province.

"The Governor of Morobe Province is very supportive and his support is that he wants jobs," Mr Pokajam said.

"Hedoes not want anything else just jobs, jobs, jobs and I think that is avery good approach to it. People are available to be employed so thisis more or less the centre for PNG."

Mr Pokojam says that jobgrowth is forecast to continue, and rejected suggestions that tunafishing over the long term may be unsustainable.

"This is a sustainable industry and the jobs will remain forever," Mr Pokajam said.

"We are looking at direct employment of 30,000."

The development of Papua New Guinea's fish processing sector has not been without criticism.

Incities such as Madang and Wewak there have been complaints about lowpay, poor conditions and pollution by fish processing plants.

Nonetheless,PNG's National Fisheries Authority says there are clear economicbenefits in having tuna caught in the Pacific processed by Pacific,rather than Asian, nations.

Mr Pokajam admits that some Asian canneries may be driven out of business if the industry is directed back to the Pacific.

"Whenyou put more processing plants in PNG that fish will then come to PNGand someone is going to suffer. Its going to be the canneries in Asia,mainly Bangkok and Thailand."

But he says other canneries in the Pacific would benefit from PNG's plan to build up its domestic industry.

"We will work together as a party - we will work with Solomon Islands," Mr Pokajam said.

"I don't want to make it in such a way that my other co-members think that I am greedy."