Japan, MFMR Boost Provincial Fisheries with Refrigeration Training
Honiara, 28 October 2025 — The Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources (MFMR), through its Provincial Fisheries Division’s Refrigeration Section, in partnership with the Overseas Fishery Cooperation Foundation of Japan (OFCF), successfully concluded a week-long Refrigeration Workshop on Friday, 24 October 2025, at the Rock Haven Conference Room in Honiara.
The training brought together Provincial Fisheries Officers and the Honiara-based Refrigeration Team to enhance their skills in the operation, maintenance, and servicing of ice-making machines that support fisheries centres across the country.
Facilitated by two OFCF engineers from Japan — Mr. Murakami Masaharu and Mr. Nohara Toshikazu — the workshop focused on strengthening technical capacity to ensure the reliable performance of refrigeration systems, a key element in maintaining fish quality and supporting the Ministry’s cold chain infrastructure in provincial areas.
In his opening remarks earlier in the week, Deputy Director of the Provincial Fisheries Division, Mr. Bennie Buga, highlighted the vital role that refrigeration plays in sustaining fisheries operations and improving livelihoods across Solomon Islands’ coastal communities.
“Our provincial ice machines play an essential role in sustaining fisheries operations and ensuring the quality of fish products,” Mr. Buga said. “This training is a timely opportunity for our technical officers to strengthen their skills in maintenance and repair so that our fisheries centres can continue to operate efficiently and reliably.”
Mr. Buga also reflected on the long-standing partnership between the Government of Japan and the Ministry of Fisheries, noting Japan’s pivotal role since the 1970s in establishing provincial fisheries centres and introducing ice-making technology that transformed small-scale fishing in the country.
He explained that under the OFCF FDAPIN five-year project plan (2025), the workshop was one of several capacity-building initiatives aimed at empowering newly recruited officers who manage and maintain ice machines in the provinces. These officers, he noted, are replacing experienced staff who have since retired or moved on.
“When a centre machine stops working, we often spend large amounts of money on travel to fix issues that could have been easily prevented — such as resetting a button or replacing a fuse,” Mr. Buga said. “This training will help our officers develop the practical knowledge needed to troubleshoot and prevent unnecessary breakdowns.”
Mr. Buga expressed his appreciation to the Government of Japan and the OFCF FDAPIN Project for their continued financial and technical support to the Ministry. He said this collaboration directly contributes to the Government for National Unity and Transformation (GNUT) policy objective of improving food security and supporting small-scale fisheries enterprises in rural communities through public-private partnerships.
“With about 80 percent of our population living along the coast and depending on seafood for their livelihoods, maintaining the quality of fish products is crucial,” he said. “We are deeply grateful to OFCF and the Government of Japan for their continued partnership and investment in this important sector.”
