RD TUNA CORPORATE PROFILE

PNG Ripped Off By K1/9 Billion Tuna Industry November 29 2011

More RD Pollution Images Here (The Little Green Palai Website) November 4 2011

Unwanted PMIZ people left homeless after police burn homes October 20, 2011

Houses burn at the PMIZ site

More than a hundred people living within the area identified for the Pacific Marine Industrial Zone in Madang are now homeless after their houses were burnt to the ground yesterday by police and members of a security company.

More than 50 houses were torched with the assistance of members of the Madang based Savolon Security company.

The policemen arrived in three 10-seater Landcruisers and began physically and verbally assaulting the men, women and children.

“My two girls were scared and tried to run away but the police swore at them and forced them to go into the house and pack our things,” one women said.

Another elderly woman fell when police hurried her into the house to remove her possessions.

Several people also said police and security company people initially tried to force them to burn their own houses but they refused.

The eviction party also brought with them a front loader to demolish the houses. The driver had his face covered with a shirt to hide his identity.

Those who had their houses destroyed were brought in by the Filipino owned fish cannery, RD Tuna, several years ago to work on RD owned plantations. They were laid off without any repatriation plans or promise of work. Later, when RD Tuna sold 200 hectares of land to the government for the controversial PMIZ project, the people were ordered to leave the area.

People watch their homes burn Former workers and their families say they’ve been unfairly treated. “RD didn’t make it clear to us that we were not needed anymore,” said one former worker. “We were told to stand by and wait.”

RD Tuna’s record is less than impressive. In 2010, the company refused to pay its workers the minimum wage set by the government. It was only after a strike that the labor department stepped in to order the company to pay the wages. The people are now caught between a former employer that doesn’t want them, landowners who want them gone and a new government project that has no place for them.

Earlier this year, government representatives paid each family between K200 and K1000 and told them to leave the PMIZ area. Many can’t go home because the cost of airfares and ship tickets exceed the amount of money they were given.

People watch their houses burn at Vidar

September 6 2011: "More heads are expected to roll at the Department of Commerce and Industry following the uncovering by auditors of several executives who are alleged to have siphoned millions of kina from three different programs including the K900 million Pacific Marine Industrial Zone (PMIZ) project in Madang."

August 27 2011: Sum Inland People Declare They Are No Party To The Controversial PMIZ Project

"I will be dying shortly, water is not like gold, nor copper or another mineral dug out from the belly of the ground. Water is forever, I am mindful of all of you my children here present and others not present, I am mindful also of my grand children, great grand children, and generations yet unborn, all of you and all of them will not have water, if you give it away to those people (company) who are urging you to give it away to them... Never give it away, because if you even think about or consider that offer by them (company), that is the beginning of your death and that of your children and generations after you." Chief Yamei Diwag, 20th August 2011

Should there be need for further information, please do contact the two people below: Samuel Tuwol on 71627123 Lazarus Daimas (Caritas Madang) on 7286223

August 26 2011: PNG Minister orders review of million Pacific Marine Industrial Zone

July 2011: New Chinese Investor To Develop PMIZ

June 23 2011: PMIZ Eviction Of Families Not Doing So Well

March 31: Women and Children Fear Eviction (Post Courier Article)

March 18 2011: INDIGENOUS PEOPLE CHALLENGE PMIZ/SEZ IN MADANG PNG. Communities from Kananam, and DapuMabanob have agreed today to STOP PMIZ because they know that the project threatens their livelihood. They want a court injunction to halt progress of the project until their grievances are dealt with as a community. They realise that they need to work together and thus will not try to deal with or talk about landowner issues at this point because they understand that this is complicated. They demand that the government must listen to what they have to say regarding this project. They also agree to join the proposed PMIZ forum that is being organised by the Rempi people. They are supported by the nearby community of Siar.

Friday, March 18, 2011 Kananam Dapu Leaders Say "there will be no PMIZ"

 

December 3rd 2010: RD Tuna Canners Murder Case Cleared

August 9th 2010: RD TUNA-MANAGEMENT at the PRODUCTION SITE Causing PROBLEM for the Loyal Workers.

August 7th 2010: MODERNO WILL PAY K2.29 BUT...

August 1st 2010: RD Tuna disregards workers rights and PNG laws

July 28th 2010: RD Managers Threaten Workers In Their Own Village

RD Tuna site Madang when night shift workers usually arrive. Where are the shift workers? July 25 2010: Stopwork Looms on PMIZ, & No talks, no marine zone

6 RD Tuna Workers Face Murder Charges In Death of PNG Government Official

PNG Official sought to protect dolphins

Six RD Tuna workers - all Filippino - are facing murder charges in the death of National Fisheries Observer, Charlie Lasisi of New Ireland Province.

The incident took place on 29 March of this year on board the RD Tuna vessel FV/Dolores 838 inside the Bismark Seas in Vanimo, along the Indonesian/PNG border.

Police said Mr. Lasisi had been strongly objecting to the fishing of dolphins by RD Vessels. The catching of dolphins, sharks and other prohibited fish has been one of the many criticisms of RD over years.

The summary of facts said it was between 6pm-7pm when he went missing after he left the ship’s mess hall. It said when he left the room, two Filippino crew members - Ramil Lumactod and June Alon left with him, but returned to report he had “gone missing.” The captain searched the area and ship and could not locate Lasisi or the body.

On 31 March a report was sent to the Managing Director of National Fisheries Authority (NFA) Sylvester Pokajam and the National Maritime Safety Authority who sent officers to investigate on “suspicion of murder”. Also charged with murder in addition to Ramil and June were Bonfacio Gelvoko, Franz Olivia Oyao, Jerwin Famini and Francisco Famini.

The six were remanded at Beon jail in Madang for several days until K500 bail each with TEN CONDITIONS were granted by Justice David Cannings. They were released under the care of the senior Vice President of RD Tuna Canners Limited in Madang. Justice Cannings ordered that RD Canners pay surety of K10,000 because they were all foreigners. Cannings said the amount should ensure they six do not escape because not only would the money be forfeited but it would proven bad for the corporate reputation of RD Tuna if the six did not return. The accused will appear again for mention on 30 July.

July 13 2010: Filipinos face murder charges. SIX Filipino fishermen are in remand at the Beon jail in Madang. They appeared for the mention at the Committal Court last Friday ona charge of the murder of a National Fisheries Authority officer. The Government worker, from New Ireland, was an observer abroad the RD Tuna fishing vessel, Dolly 838. He had gone missing between Vanimo and Madang early this year. Police files tendered in court accused the six Filipinos of murder. They said the fisheries officer had objected to the fishing of dolphins. Although police admitted to having only circumstantial evidence, they said they had enough to commit the accused to trial. The accused will appear again for mention on July 30. (Source: The National).

July 5 2010: The Indigenous People within the Madang Lagoon-Rempi, Budup, Midiba and Kananam are angered over Gabriel Kapris and the RD Tuna as Share Holders to the Marine Industrial Zone in Madang Papua New Guinea.

October 15 2009: Over 700 Protest in Madang over PMIZ

Oct 15 2009: International Alert Regarding PMIZ

September 9 2009: Youtube RD Tuna Video Hits the Internet

"Blessed Are the Meek For They Shall Inherit The Earth" Jesus Christ

Site shutdown due to legal threats: November 13-November 15 2007.

RD Tuna attempts further legal action against this website and a similar site April 15 2008 (and again April 2009). RD believe the entire site is defamatory. Does this mean that RD also considers that the above quote by Jesus is also defamatory?

 

Sep 19 2009: Local graffiti outlining concerns about tuna canneries

Sep 09: Original Government/Industry Propoganda

New article regarding PMIZ here

RD Tuna attempts further legal action against this website and a similar site April 15 2008 (and again April 2009).

Feb 08: RD Tuna facility bombed in Philippines

November 2006: Local graffit in Madang targeting RD Tuna

RD Tuna Fails Inspection?

RD Tuna Drops NGO Lawsuit/RD Tuna Concedes Defeat Feb 08

March 2006: Part of the crowd of 3000 people protesting RD Tuna at Vidar Port.

March 2006: 3000 Kananam People Take Action

National Court Orders RD Tuna To Compensate Landowners (December 2004) see here

Three Killed in Boat Fire

Also Dead Fishermen in Freezers

(Above) RD Tuna fishing boats at Vidar on the north coast of Papua New Guinea in the Madang Province.
(Above) The quality of tuna that RD sells to Papua New Guineans themselves, versus to export markets, is clear here. 'Diana' tuna is the RD tuna brand sold to unsuspecting Papua New Guineans... full of red tuna meat (high in mercury levels?) just like the tuna given to cats in developed countries (compare against the Figaro cat food in photo. RD reserves the 'good quality tuna' for developed countries -- see the 'Western Family' tin, full of RD's very best. In fact, even cats in developed countries sometimes get better quality tuna (note the 'Fancy Feast' tin) than Papua New Guineans who unsuspectingly buy the Diana brand tuna.

An Independent Corporate Research Report

 

 

 

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