China’s plan to build a fish processing facility in the Torres Strait raises alarm over fishing, border security

Community leaders in North Queensland fear China’s plan to build a fish processing facility on their doorstep will jeopardise border security and the commercial fishing sector.

China’s Ministry of Commerce has announced that Fujian Zhonghong Fishery Company has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Papua New Guinea Government to build a $204 million “comprehensive multi-functional fishery industrial park” on the island of Daru under its Belt and Road Initiative.

Daru is one of the few Torres Strait Islands that are governed by Papua New Guinea rather than Australia.

Former PNG government adviser Jeffrey Wall said it was a lot of money to spend in a small community not known for commercial fish stocks.

“We should be…