PINA

Despite border closures and reduced air and sea travel because of COVID-19, Customs administrations in the region say threats in the Pacific remain high from illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing fleets – as well as threats from illegal movements of people, drugs and weapons, which are often facilitated by trusted insiders. The issue was discussed at the Oceania Heads of...

The 16th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention for the Protection of Natural Resources and Environment in the South Pacific Region, also known as the Noumea Convention, officially convened today, with Parties and Observers joining virtually due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemics and subsequent border closures across the Pacific. The Noumea Convention, which entered into force...

The XVII Legislative Assembly will convene in two weeks time on 14 September 2021, says Samoan Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mata'afa. Speaking to the media in a press conference on Wednesday, the Prime Minister said they have seen the 2021/2022 Fiscal Year Budget which will be tabled in the sitting of the Parliament. “We saw firsthand what the budget looks like...

A new coronavirus “variant of interest” named Mu – also known by its scientific name as B.1.621 – is being closely monitored by the World Health Organisation (WHO), the agency has said. In its weekly epidemiological update, published on Tuesday, WHO warned it was becoming increasingly prevalent in Colombia and Ecuador, and showed signs of possible resistance to vaccines. Mu was...

Were the 2014 and 2018 Fiji elections free and fair? This was one of the questions posed by prominent local lawyer and former Supervisor of Elections, Jon Apted said as he labelled Attorney-General Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum’s criticism of counsel who represented politician Niko Nawaikula – and the Supervisor of Elections and the Attorney-General – “baseless and unfair”. He said voters in Fiji,...

Climate change and increasingly extreme weather events, have caused a surge in natural disasters over the past 50 years disproportionately impacting poorer countries, the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) and UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) said on Wednesday. According to the agencies' Atlas of Mortality and Economic Losses from Weather, Climate and Water Extremes, from 1970 to 2019, these...

The Pacific Islands Forum Chair and Fijian Prime Minister, Voreqe Bainimarama Wednesday received a courtesy call from the new Secretary-General of the Pacific Islands Forum PIF, Henry Puna. In his opening remarks, Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama acknowledged Secretary-General Puna for his exemplary leadership and assistance rendered by the Secretariat during the 51st Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting. Reflecting on the successful...

The leaders of Micronesia are holding their annual summit in Nauru, with the dominant subject to be trade and transportation. This comes amid plans by all five members, Nauru, the Federated States of Micronesia, the Marshall Islands, Palau and Kiribati to leave the Pacific Forum. This subject is on the agenda but the Nauru president, Lionel Aingimea urged frank and candid...

Fiji has recorded 290 new cases of COVID-19 and eight new deaths Wednesday, increasing the total number of cases in the island nation to 46,936 and 502 deaths since the outbreak in April. Permanent Secretary for Health, Dr James Fong said 128 cases are from the Western division, 137 cases are from the Central division in Vitilevu, Fiji's main island...

The Fijian Immigration department has announced the appointment of its new director, Amelia Kotobalavu Komaisavai with effect from 13 September 2021. Komaisavai’s appointment was confirmed after a series of selection processes under the Open Merit Recruitment and Selection (OMRS) guideline. Prior to this appointment as the new director, Komaisavai served as the Chief Policy and Research Officer at the Office of...