terns chasing a school of bonito
Sailing in the Kula Gulf today was another lesson of patience, though the KUNA was pushed in the lightest breeze on these flat waters. Yet motoring was unavoidable to go through the harbour town of Noro, home of the Solomon Taio, the national tuna canning factory, which was mostly owned by Japan until recently.
The fishing fleet of Solomon Taio is rotting away tied to the wharf.
The tuna fishing fleet is in a rather advanced stage of delabrement ( these ships are no more than 25 years old but have not been maintained) but the factory is still functioning, employing 700 people (it used to be 3000, mostly women, canning tuna for 100 sol$/week!). The factory explains the unusually large population of Noro.
This philipino fishing boat, distinguished by the double outrigger arrangement, is part of a new initiative providing the local community with a light and less costly to run alternative fishing vessel other than the Solomon Taio fleet. The crew may catch just a few fish a day on single line and deliver to the factory. That's enough to feed their families and provides extra to the cannery. MOst of the Tuna is now exported to Europe.
Noro is the main town in New Georgia, a truck ride away from Munda, which has an airstrip and many large cargo, fishing and logging ships clear customs into the country there.
There is on custom officer (Michael Filao) but he is reputed for his unreliability, being found drunk or on the betelnut and corrupted by malaysian loggers. So if Ghizo immigration is open (which it is not at the moment) a trip there is worthwhile. KUNA did not stop in Noro, but many yacht suggested to raft with the Tuna boats (which don’t go anywhere) and keep someone onboard to prevent people boarding!
There is mobile coverage and broadband internet at the Telekom building in Noro. Internet in Munda is still dial up, as I discovered when I tried to post this blog!!
