Islands Business July 2021 edition

Islands Business July Issue

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We need art now more than ever

By Ariela Zibiah The cultural and creative sectors are among the most affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. For many artists in Fiji, this means many are relying on one meal a day and doing what they can to plant and grow

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Independence leader takes top job in New Caledonia

By Nic Maclellan After months of delay, New Caledonia finally has a new leader. Louis Mapou was elected as President of New Caledonia on 8 July, the first time in nearly 40 years that a Kanak independence leader will

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Science in a different dialect

By Ariela Zibiah The Pacific region has relied on traditional knowledge from time immemorial to predict bad weather. Across our ocean of islands, sightings of low-flying frigates, or an abundance of breadfruit in a

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Debt traps and doing business

By Samantha Magick Tourism may be the poster child of the Pacific’s post-COVID economic crisis, but it’s not the only sector that has suffered. A stark example of the challenges that border closures are causing came

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USP’s regional students struggle to study

By Leila Parina Regional students studying at the University of the South Pacific’s Laucala campus in Fiji have had another difficult semester. The COVID-19 outbreak which began in April this year and has claimed over

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Nauru determined to back Deep Sea Mining

By Netani Rika With the COVID-19 Pandemic maintaining its crippling grip on the Pacific, legislators have struggled to find alternative sources of income to buoy national economies. On the rocky outcrop of Nauru in the

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Fiame prevails: “It’s a new day”

By Samantha Magick “Can I offer my deepest gratitude to you, the people of Samoa, and in particular acknowledge the dignity with which you have waited with patience and forbearance, peacefully and respectfully, for

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‘Tiny’ but tasty: Aelan’s global success

By Samantha Magick Vanuatu chocolate maker, Aelan hopes to launch a regional chocolate and cacao competition this year as a way of promoting high-quality chocolate from across the Pacific Islands region.  “We're

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A note from the editor

After more than two months and infinite patience on the part of voters, Samoa finally has a new Prime Minister, Fiame Naomi Mata'afa. We’re yet to see what Fiame’s ascendancy will mean for regional

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Virtual leadership- a new norm?

By Dennis Rounds During times of national crisis, people look to their government for political leadership, meaningful financial and welfare assistance, and general reassurance. The COVID-19 pandemic might not be a war

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Fiji real estate: A buyer’s market

By Samantha Magick The pandemic has flattened Fiji’s real estate industry, with the Reserve Bank reporting that commercial bank lending to real estate had plummeted 31.3% (or F$24million) for the year ending March

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Pleass Global: Celebrating 25 years of innovation

Sponsored From supplying Fiji cinemas with frozen soft drinks 25 years ago,  Pleass Global Limited has grown into a diverse company that is looking to new markets, new products and new opportunities. Co-founders

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Inclusivity is expedient for PACER Plus

I wrote: ‘Re-Negotiated PACER Plus for Post-Covid-19 Pacific Regionalism’ for the July 2020 Island Business issue. This was pitched particularly at strengthening Pacific regionalism (Pacific Islands Forum) as a

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Mia Kami: Harnessing the power of music to decolonise the mind

By Rowena Singh “Performing is more than just me standing up and singing a song in front of people; it is a chance for me to share a vision and a mission,” says Tonga’s Mia Kami. Kami’s original songs are full

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“We are lagging behind quite poorly”

By Samantha Magick In 2020 as shops and markets all over the world were forced to close due to the coronavirus, people shopped from home, with e-commerce seeing exponential growth in many markets. And the trend will

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“We can’t just sit back and wait for the tourists to come”

By Samantha Magick Banz Kofi’s online business was transformed when owner Patrick Killoran negotiated a significant reduction in freight rates.  Last year during COVID, while regular sales out of the company’s

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Now is the time for an independent Pacific think tank

By Dr Anthony Bergin and Dr Transform Aqorau Good foreign policy, diplomacy and sound national security in the Pacific Islands doesn’t just require solid ideas and good plans. It needs robust evidence of what works

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View from the West: High and dry in “new normal” Fiji

Here, in what some call the “burning West”, a pub with no beer is to some parched human throats what a dry river is to a herd of thirsty cattle. Due to COVID lockdowns, Fijians walked for close to two months in the

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Behind the story: The prodigal son returns

Ruben Vulawalu returned to his village of Drue, Kadavu after 20 years for his story, Between a rock and a hard place on page 34. He writes about the experience of seeing the devastation caused by Keni and Cyclone

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We Say: COVID awareness needs to speak our languages

By Samisoni Pareti When I suggested to a friend on Facebook that we should host a live session on the social media platform about COVID-19 and vaccinations, I absolutely had no idea what we were getting into. Seven days

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How did my husband die?

By Bernadette H. Carreon The Parties to the Nauru Agreement ( PNA) has described them as the "eyes of the sea," who help provide critical data to ensure the sustainability of tuna stocks. But while fisheries observers

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Can electronic monitoring improve observer safety and security?

While collectively, Pacific fishing nations do not appear to be in a rush to send fisheries observers back to sea unless their environment is safe, some national programs have continued to deploy observers on fishing

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The Forum after Dame Meg

Nic Maclellan As Henry Puna takes the reins at the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat, Dame Meg Taylor has ended her term as Secretary General after more than six years in the job. In an interview with Islands Business

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