Tokelau

Whale sharks, which can grow to around 10 metres in length, are slow-moving filter-feeders and pose no threat to humans, but Gulliver sparked alarm in Nukunonu atoll among locals who assumed he was a man-eating shark.

In May this year, a team of Australian researchers arrived in Nukunonu, after being summoned by a local teacher who suspected the animal was a whale shark and hoped to put fears to rest, said Brad Norman, one of the researchers.

By that point, it had been around six months since people in Nukunonu had been allowed to go into the lagoon.

Siopili Perez says at the last general fono the new public service commissioner was asked to investigate bringing the core operation to Tokelau while maintaining a function in Apia.

Mr Perez said the commissioner is due to submit a report at the next general fono in two weeks which will outline recommendations on how to structure the administration.

The ulu said while transport and recruitment would stay in Apia, all other services would eventually move to Tokelau.

New Zealand's Rescue Coordination Centre was alerted on Tuesday afternoon that the men were missing after a squall separated a fleet of small fishing boats.

An Orion flew to Tokelau yesterday and found them after a four-hour search.

The Search and Rescue Mission Co-ordinator Mike Roberts says the men had no lifejackets, flares or food, and a single bottle of water between them.

He says it seems they lost sight of land after the squall and headed in the wrong direction.

They have now been returned to Atafu Atoll.

The country's sports federation says its lack of representation is down to it not having had enough time to prepare for the games, and its athletes not being available.

Tokelau's national legal advisor Lise Suveinakama says the blunder will prove a valuable lesson for the nation, which has a population of about 1400.