With the MAF floatplane serving lake and river communities, a new opportunity has arisen: Anglers can sell their catch directly to the plane, providing a sustainable income to isolated families with no other options.
Story by Tajs Jespersen
Linda Kanu has been fishing all her life. Today’s catch of twelve tilapia proves her prowess.
Living in Bosset lagoon in the wetlands of Papua New Guinea, her fishing ability has provided food for her family – but today she is not heading back towards the shore with her catch. Together with three other fishers and their dug-out canoes, she is heading towards the MAF amphibious plane.
“It’s our first time going to the plane,” said Linda. “It’s a big help. In the past, we always saw the MAF planes landing on Bosset airstrip, but it’s been closed for a while now.”
With the airstrip closed, the local fishers don’t have a viable way to bring their fish to other markets, until now.
“Now, we sell it fresh, straight from the water. The fish are flying fresh,” added Linda.
“Before, it was hard. People would travel long distances with dinghies for two or three days. While travelling, the fish would get rotten.”
Before, it was hard. People would travel long distances with dinghies for two or three days. While travelling, the fish would get rotten.
Being able to earn an income from fish sales lightens the burden for the whole family. Stelron Fred, another fisher in Bosset and a farmer of the local staple food, sago, is especially relieved to see the floatplane.
“Our crop of sago spoiled, so now our situation is hard,” said Stelron. “It’s hard to get food now. Before, just on that side, we had sago. But now, we don’t have it. It’s finished.”
Selling the fish gives Stelron a second option to provide for his family.
“I have four children: two boys and two girls,” Stelron added. “This money will go towards paying for school fees, feeding my children, that sort of thing. I feel happy about that. Education is a good thing.”
Just like Linda before him, Stelron is excited that the float plane lands right at his doorstep.
“There is no other way for me to sell this fish,” Stelron said. “In the early morning, I planned to go and throw my net, get some fish, and when the plane arrived, I’d come quickly to sell them.”
The floatplane serves 16 locations in Western Province and aims to expand to 11 more locations later in 2026. MAF works with local partners to bring the fish to markets in larger towns across Papua New Guinea.
The floatplane services are a joint initiative of PNG Sustainable Development Program (SDP) and MAF for Western Province.