Pacific

Destination Gold Coast for South Pacific Tourism Exchange 2016

SPTE organisers, the South Pacific Tourism Organization’s (SPTO) Chief Executive Ratu Ilisoni Vuidreketi said the popular tourist destination was chosen due to the request and feedback from private sector members in the Pacific region.

It’s the third year for the event to be held and coincides with other major events such as the Australian Tourism Exchange that will take place a week prior.

Voices of the Pacific - some regional reflections

The agreement includes several key elements that are of particular importance to the Pacific region, including recognition for pursuing a temperature goal of 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre industrial levels, a strengthened mechanism for loss and damage, and the provision for scaled up and simplified access to climate finance for small island developing states.

Pacific tuna – money earner or crime threat?

In that expanse of ocean much goes on unseen by naval patrols, satellites and aircraft.

Most of that activity is illegal fisheries. According to a 2008 study, as much 11 to 26 million tonnes of fish valued at $USD23billion is lost to illegal operators.

When Indonesian Fisheries Minister Susi Pudjiastuti warned the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission meeting here of the threat of illegal fishing, she called it a trans-national crime.

PACER-Plus deal ‘bad for Pacific’

The paper, released by the Pacific Network on Globalisation (PANG), details the dangers posed by PACER-Plus for Pacific livelihoods and how out of touch with the Pacific reality such free trade agreements are.

Indigenous All Stars to take on World All Stars in February

US give climate change aid to Pacific

The United States says it is providing US$5 million dollars for a Pacific climate change strengthening project.
 
The US Ambassador to Fiji, Judith Cefkin, made the announcement during the Pacific Community Conference underway in Niue.
 

Cyclone shift

Kumar says there is a possibility that the country should expect to have Fiji cyclone season earlier instead of November, the usual month.

He said the official Tropical Cyclone season was from November to April, but records showed cyclones occurred outside the official tropical cyclone season.

“The current El Nino has a potential to change the distribution and frequency of tropical cyclones in the region. Please note that apart from August and September, tropical cyclones have occurred in all other months in the South Pacific,” Kumar said.

Pacific vocational education training: the way forward

The Committee aims to provide a platform for Pacific Island countries to present their gap analysis and training needs assessment under the project, set out their work plans and identify possible development partners and donors for collaboration.  

This regional gathering serves as a follow up to the recently completed in country consultations held in each of the 15 countries in order to identify priority areas needing further educational development as well as identifying partners for possible collaboration.  

France continues continental shelf extension in Pacific

Surveys have been held this year and an application to add the sea shelf beyond the internationally recognised 200-mile Exclusive Economic Zone is expected to be submitted within two years.

This comes just days after France added a total of half a million square kilometres off New Caledonia and its territories in the Atlantic Ocean after a favourable recommendation by the United Nations' Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf.

EU warns Taiwan over Pacific fishing

The EU issued the 'yellow card' after a pirate tuna vessel was busted fishing in Papua New Guinea waters by the NGO three weeks ago.

This means Taiwan, which has the biggest fishing fleet in the Pacific, may face European sanctions and import bans if changes aren't made.

An oceans campaigner for Greenpeace, Karly Thomas, says Taiwan has too many boats flying its flag with too little control.