PINA

The waters of the Pacific Islands countries (PICs) are home to numerous aquatic species that are listed in the CITES Appendices, and which support livelihoods and economic opportunities for communities in over a dozen Parties to the Convention. The sustainable use of these species and the regulation of their trade is of paramount importance for their conservation. To support national...

Power, flair and courage. They are three words coach Aaron Mauger hopes will become synonymous with Moana Pasifika as the new Super Rugby Pacific franchise looks to quickly make a mark on the competition. While players were gradually revealed over the last six weeks, Monday marked another major milestone for Moana Pasifika as their first ever squad was confirmed, with...

Rugby sevens’ second Olympic appearance at Tokyo 2020 proved to be hugely impactful for the sport in reaching and inspiring new, younger and more diverse fans across the globe. As the sport prepares to return to HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series action with the 2022 Series kicking off in Dubai on 26-27 November, new independent research insights from Nielsen highlight...

Pacific Elders’ Voice have urged the French President to respect the wishes of indigenous leaders in New Caledonia who have called for the deferral of the third independence Referendum due to a spike in COVID related deaths. “We understand that the proposed third Referendum under the Noumea Accord, scheduled for 12 December, is not supported by the indigenous peoples of...

Fiji’s next general election should not become a battle of dividers, of people who pit province against province, religion against religion, or ethnicity against ethnicity, says newly-appointed President Ratu Wiliame Katonivere. While opening the 2021-2022 session of Parliament Monday, he said voters deserved better. “We should not only ignore candidates and party leaders who engage in that sort of politicking, but...

Efforts to reform global pandemic preparedness and response are happening too slowly, the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response said on Monday. Presenting the findings of a six-month accountability report, Co-chairs Helen Clark, former President of New Zealand, and Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, former President of Liberia, warned that “uneven” progress in addressing the COVID-19 pandemic...

Fijian President Ratu Wiliame Katonivere says some Parliamentarians are blinded by political ambition to accept the threat climate change poses on communities around Fiji. Ratu Wiliame while opening a new Parliament session Monday said that he is worried that some have lost sight of what is happening at the grassroots level due to climate change. He said people will need to...

By Akka Rimon, PhD Student, Australian National University and Anote Tong, Distinguished Global Leader-in-Residence, University of Pennsylvania Despite the progress and momentum of the COP26 climate conference in Glasgow, we are still not moving fast enough to avoid the worst of climate change. It is heartening that more than 190 countries and organisations agreed to rapidly phase out coal power and...

New data released by The Lowy Institute has predicted only a third of Papua New Guinea's adult population will be fully vaccinated by 2026 as the island nation battles to stay ahead of the pandemic. Lowy Institute researcher Alexandre Dayant said the analysis “revealed a region divided”, placing nations like Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu and Solomon Islands well behind neighbours...

Fuiono Tenina Crichton is the new Samoa Member of Parliament for Falealupo following the Supreme Court decision Monday to disqualify Tuitogamanaia Dr. Peniamina Leavai from the by-election. The Fa’atuatua ile Atua Samoa ua Tasi (FAST) party candidate filed a petition questioning the eligibility of his rival and Human Rights Protection Party (HRPP). Chief Justice, Satiu Simativa Perese and Justice Niava Mata...