PINA

Recognised seasonal employer (RSE) workers from the Pacific Islands will be able to return to New Zealand next month, the Government has announced - but only if they've been vaccinated against COVID-19. The return of RSE workers from Tonga, Samoa and Vanuatu will start up again in October, and is the first stage of one-way quarantine-free travel to New Zealand...

A first group of 160 workers have left Solomon Islands Thursday to work in Queensland, Australia under the Seasonal Work Programme (SWP) and the Pacific Labour Scheme (PLS). A statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and External Trade (MFAET) Labour Mobility Unit said they have been working very hard to ensure Solomon Islanders participate in the labour mobility programme,to...

Around 500 scientists from 44 countries have signed a letter urging a moratorium on ocean mining, an activity that researchers say could be adversely affect fisheries, in particular deep-sea catches like tuna. Scientists made the plea recently after an ocean-mining company and its host country, the Pacific island nation of Nauru, touched off a two-year rule with the International Seabed...

People’s Alliance Party leader Sitiveni Rabuka says he is expecting some Social Democratic Liberal Party (SODELPA) supporters to jump ship and join his political party to contest Fiji’s 2022 General Election. The former prime minister and Opposition leader said he would welcome anyone who wished to join his party and they could show their interest by writing to the party. “Understanding...

TALANOA EVENT The Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the UK Government hosted a Talanoa event, titled Climate Finance Effectiveness in the Pacific: Are we on the right track? on Thursday 9 September 2021. This regional dialogue explored whether the US$2.2 billion international climate finance received in the Pacific over the past decade...

The 30th Meeting of Officials of the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) has officially concluded after three days of deliberations. The Secretariat’s 26 Members – comprising of 21 Pacific island and five Metropolitan countries and territories – met virtually over the last three days to discuss strategic, programme and governance issues pertaining to the organisation, and approved...

The Pacific Catastrophe Risk Insurance Company (PCRIC) was recently granted observer status at this year’s Forum Economic Ministers Meeting 2021 (FEMM21) held in mid-July. PCRIC had applied for observership member status with the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat earlier in May. At the FEMM21, the Forum Economic Ministers considered and endorsed the company’s application as an observer at future FEMMs. While participating...

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and Japan have agreed on an initial mission schedule and other arrangements for the implementation of the Agency's multi-year review and monitoring of the safety of the planned treated water release at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station. Japan is expected to start discharging the treated water in 2023. In line with the commitment...

Fiji has recorded 179 new cases of COVID-19 and five new deaths Thursday, increasing the total number of cases in the Pacific nation to 48,502 and 531 deaths since the outbreak in April. Permanent secretary for Health, Dr James Fong said 87 cases are from the Western division, 90 cases are from the Central division in Vitilevu. Fiji's main island...

“The relentless demands we humans have placed on the Earth are driving more than a million species of plants and animals to the brink of extinction. This climate-fueled loss in biodiversity will be irreversible. Once these species are gone, they are gone. There is no turning back the clock.” These were the bold remarks by the Prime Minister, Voreqe Bainimarama...