PINA

The French overseas territory of New Caledonia and the Pacific island nation of Fiji have initiated a jurisdictional approach initiative for their longline tuna fishery. Arlington, Virginia, USA-based non-governmental organisation Conservation International led the effort to form the initiative, signing a memorandum of understanding with the Fiji Fishing Industry Association (FFIA) on 21 November, 2022, and New Caledonia’s Fédération des...

This week at the International Seabed Authority (ISA) headquarters in Kingston, Jamaica, negotiations to agree a ‘mining code’ get into their third week at the Authority’s 28th Council meeting. If adopted, the mining code would give destructive deep-sea mining the go ahead, opening our ocean to the largest mining operation humanity has ever seen. The negotiations have faced increased scrutiny in...

All Blacks wing Sevu Reece won’t play again this year due to a serious knee injury. Reece, who sustained the injury while being awkwardly cleaned out at a ruck by Blues centre Rieko Ioane a fortnight ago, will have surgery to repair his busted anterior cruciate ligament in the coming weeks. Not only does it wipe Reece out for the rest...

Fijian Drua hooker Mesulame Dolokoto is pleading with fans to not only come out and support them but be there for the Rooster Chicken Fijiana Drua too on Saturday. Dolokoto says hopefully Suva will be a sellout just like Lautoka a few weeks ago against the Crusaders in the Super Rugby Pacific. He said the aim is always when they play...

The next phase in the evolution of Moana Pasifika rugby takes place next month when the team will play in Samoa for the first time when they take on Queensland Reds at Apia Stadium. The Auckland-based Super Rugby Pacific team is the realisation of a long-held dream of supporters of Pacific Island rugby, including All Blacks legends Savae Sir Michael...

Last month, twin cyclones tore through Port Vila, the capital of the Pacific nation of Vanuatu. The category-four storms left corrugated iron roofs crumpled like leftover wrapping paper, flooded the streets with waste-ridden mud, cut residents off from water and electricity for several days, and sent many fleeing to hastily established evacuation centres. Devastation of this sort is becoming more common...

While stressing that the so-called treated water from the destroyed Fukushima nuclear plant still contains radionuclides that are not able to be removed, a renowned Japanese environment economist said that we must persistently demand that the Japanese government and the Tokyo Electric Power Co (TEPCO) stop dumping the nuclear-contaminated wastewater into the Pacific Ocean. Kenichi Oshima, professor at Ryukoku University,...

Cook Islands Prime Minister and Forum Chair, Mark Brown has joined a growing list of Pacific leaders to object to the US$250 billion nuclear submarine deal between Australia, United Kingdom and the United States (AUKUS). The AUKUS project, which will allow Australia to acquire upto eight nuclear-powered submarines, has been widely condemned by proponents of nuclear non-proliferation. It has also fuelled...

Big picture conversations about the future of the Pacific islands should be happening, but they are not, said one of the region’s foremost commentators in an interview published this week in the Marshall Islands Journal. Breaking down barriers between Pacific islands to spur economic development, visioning 21st century skills that island youth must have for jobs locally or globally, action...

Vanuatu’s Foreign Minister says it would be “embarrassing” for both China and the United States if they fail to back the Pacific Island nation’s push to get the International Court of Justice to issue a ruling on climate change. The United Nations is expected to vote later this week on the landmark resolution which would ask the ICJ to rule...