In this bulletin:
1. PACIFIC — PNG PM Marape welcomes Leaders to Melanesian Ocean Summit
2. SOL — Climate crisis costs Solomon Islands US$79M annually, says Ministry of Environment
3. PNG — Timor-Leste president in PNG for bilateral talks
4. PNG — PNG Chief Justice will not face Leadership Tribunal, Sir Gibbs cleared
5. SOL — Cyclone Maila washes up unexploded WWII bombs in Solomon Islands
6. FIJI — Fiji monitors deadly hantavirus outbreak
7. SOL — Solomon Islands monitors possible El Niño
8. PACNEWS BIZ — NZ hosts 142nd Forum Fisheries Committee annual officials meeting
9. PACNEWS BIZ — Pacific leaders push for fair and safe labour mobility in Nadi talks
10. PACNEWS BIZ — Decision soon on proposed EFL fuel surcharge increase
11. PACNEWS BIZ — How Cocoa is changing mornings for families in Paliama, PNG
12. PACNEWS IN FOCUS — When the ocean is sacred: Pacific theology and the governance of deep-sea mining
13. PACNEWS DIGEST — Why the Blue Economy and Coral reefs matter for the Pacific region
PAC – OCEAN SUMMIT: TVWAN PACNEWS 1: Tue 12 May 2026
PNG PM Marape welcomes Leaders to Melanesian Ocean Summit
PORT MORESBY, 12 MAY 2026 (TVWAN) —Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape has welcomed International Leaders arriving in PNG for the inaugural Melanesian Ocean Conference, which will be held at APEC Haus in Port Moresby from 11–14 May, 2026.
Prime Minister Marape described the conference as a historic gathering that would unite Pacific Island Nations and International Partners in a common effort to protect the world’s oceans, strengthen climate resilience, and promote sustainable ocean management.
He said the conference comes at a critical time when rising sea levels, warming oceans, marine pollution, and environmental degradation continue to threaten vulnerable island nations and global ecosystems.
“The Melanesian Ocean Summit is a critical opportunity to turn Pacific leadership into practical action. Our Ocean sustains our food security, cultures, economies and climate resilience,” Prime Minister Marape said.
“By working together, we can protect our marine biodiversity, strengthen sustainable livelihoods, and build an ocean future grounded in partnership, stewardship and shared prosperity.”
Prime Minister Marape said the Oceans are central to sustaining life on Earth and must be protected for future generations.
“Ocean sustains life. The ocean starts the process of the water cycle. The ocean contains marine ecosystems and plays a mammoth role as a carbon sink while producing oxygen that sustains life on Earth,” he said.
The Prime Minister also reflected on the uniqueness of Earth itself, saying the Planet’s water systems distinguish it from all other known planets in the universe.
“When you look at the vastness of the cosmos, there are no other planets like Earth. The difference between our planet and all the others is that we have water — seas, rivers, and oceans, and these are life-sustaining properties,” Prime Minister Marape stated.
“If we destroy this water and the ecosystems within it, then we are destroying the Planet itself.”
Marape said Pacific Island nations are not merely small island states, but custodians of one of the world’s largest and most important Ocean regions.
“We may be seen as small island nations by population and land size, but by the size of our sovereign Ocean space, we are big Ocean states,” he said. He noted that the Pacific Ocean serves as one of the world’s largest carbon sinks and remains essential to global environmental balance.
The Prime Minister said one of the major expected outcomes from the Conference would be stronger Regional commitments towards preserving at least 30 percent of sovereign Ocean spaces from harmful exploitation and environmental damage.
“Our generation must save our Oceans so that our children can continue to enjoy the life-giving properties of the Ocean and preserve our Planet for future generations,” Prime Minister Marape said.
Marape also called on industrialised nations and major carbon emitters to work alongside Pacific countries in supporting Ocean and Forest conservation efforts. “We ask those Nations who hold large carbon footprints to help us save our Oceans and help us save our Forests,” he said.
“Together, these global assets can be managed sustainably for the benefit of all humanity.”
He highlighted Papua New Guinea’s globally significant location within the Coral Triangle, one of the richest Marine Biodiversity Regions on Earth.
“Papua New Guinea is in the heart of one of the most important Reef Systems in the world. We are in the heartbeat of the Coral Triangle,” he stated.
Prime Minister Marape welcomed all visiting Leaders and Delegates to PNG, including Pacific Island Leaders, development partners, and international representatives.
The inaugural Melanesian Ocean Summit 2026 started on Monday with registration and exhibitions.
Regional leaders, scientists, development partners and community organisations are in the country ahead of four days of high level discussions on ocean protection and climate resilience this week.
Delegates gathered at the summit venue as exhibitions showcased marine conservation initiatives, research programmes, and NGO-led projects focused on safeguarding ocean ecosystems across Papua New Guinea and the wider Melanesian region.
The official conference programme starts on today,12 May, with keynote addresses and panel discussions over the coming days.
PNG National Oceans Office Acting Director, Bonaventure Hasola, who also chairs the Summit’s working committee, said the opening day was dedicated to preparatory activities, allowing participants to familiarise themselves with the summit’s scope and objectives.
Hasola explained that the Summit aims to advance the Melanesian Ocean Corridor of Research, a regional initiative designed to strengthen the protection of marine protected areas across Papua New Guinea and neighbouring Melanesian states.
According to organisers, the exhibitions will remain open throughout the week, providing a platform for information sharing and collaboration between governments, researchers, civil society organisations and regional partners.
He also noted that public understanding of the Summit’s purpose remains limited, and highlighted the importance of continued outreach and awareness raising around ocean issues affecting the Pacific.
The Melanesian Ocean Summit will provide a platform for developing declarations and policy frameworks aimed at strengthening ocean governance, while reinforcing the critical role oceans play in regulating climate and supporting livelihoods across the region.
Papua New Guinea is hosting this year’s Summit, positioning itself as a regional hub for dialogue on ocean conservation and climate resilience. Leaders and participants are expected to examine pathways for coordinated regional action as Pacific nations continue to face the impacts of climate change and environmental degradation. …PACNEWS
SOL – CLIMATE CHANGE: INDEPTH SOLOMONS PACNEWS 1: Tue 12 May 2026
Climate Crisis costs Solomon Islands US$79M annually, says Ministry of Environment
HONIARA, 12 MAY 2026 (INDEPTH SOLOMONS)—The Solomon Islands is losing an estimated US$79 million every year to climate-related loss and damage, equivalent to nearly nine percent of its annual GDP, according to new government data revealed during the Solomon Islands National Loss and Damage Media Training.
David Hiriasia, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Environment, Climate Change, Disaster Management and Meteorology (MECDM), addressed local media.
He characterised the country’s intensifying climate crisis as a profound human and economic ordeal rather than a simple environmental concern.
“Today is not just another workshop, but it is a call to action,” Hiriasia told journalists.
“For us in the Solomon Islands, and across the Pacific, climate change is not a theory, it is our lived reality.”
The training highlighted alarming figures from the draft Solomon Islands Climate Loss and Damage Evidence Base Report (MECDM, 2026), which quantifies the ongoing economic toll on the nation.
A core focus of the summit was educating the media on “Loss and Damage” (L&D), an emerging issue in the global climate agenda that is treated distinctly from mitigation and adaptation efforts and carries its own separate funding modalities.
The Pacific region has long championed this cause, with Vanuatu first raising the issue on behalf of Small Island States in 1991. These decades of advocacy culminated in the recent establishment of the Santiago Network in 2019 and the global Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage in 2022.
However, PS Hiriasia said that accessing these critical international mechanisms requires the Pacific’s voice to be heard loudly on the global stage, a responsibility that falls heavily on local journalists.
“The media has the power to transform statistics into human narratives, to amplify the voices of those on the frontline,” Hiriasia stated.
“Radio, television, newspapers, and digital platforms are not just channels of communication, they are instruments of change.”
The media training workshop is part of a broader effort to unify Pacific climate reporting. It was organised through a partnership between the Media Association of Solomon Islands (MASI) and the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP), with financial backing from the Government of New Zealand under the Loss and Damage Capability and Capacity project.
Hiriasia said, equipping broadcasters and storytellers with the facts and frameworks surrounding climate loss and damage, the government hopes to mobilise action and hold major global emitters accountable.
“You are not just reporting,” the Permanent Secretary reminded the local media.
“You are shaping the global narrative of climate justice,” he said…..PACNEWS
PNG – DIPLOMACY: THE NATIONAL PACNEWS 1: Tue 12 May 2026
Timor-Leste president in PNG for bilateral talks
PORT MORESBY, 12 MAY 2026 (THE NATONAL) —Timor-Leste President Jose Ramos-Horta has arrived in Papua New Guinea for a three-day visit.
Ramos-Horta will hold bilateral talks with Prime Minister James Marape and attend the opening of the inaugural Melanesian Oceans Summit at Apec House.
Prime Minister James Marape and other cabinet ministers greeted Ramos-Horta at the Jackson International Airport in Port Moresby.
In welcoming Ramos-Horta, Marape said: “The presence of President Ramos-Horta underscores the shared commitment of our nations to regional cooperation and ocean stewardship.
“We welcome him warmly as we begin important discussions on our partnership and our common future in the Blue Pacific,” Marape said.
The Melanesian Oceans summit marks the first gathering of its kind and will bring together leaders and representatives from acrossthe region to address ocean governance, climate resilience, and sustainable marine development.
Heads of state, ministers, and heads of mission from 13 countries are attending the summit.
Confirmed participants include Fiji, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, Tonga, Timor- Leste, the Cook Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, the Philippines, Palau, Nauru, Australia, New Zealand, and the Solomon Islands.
The summit will run through the week in Port Moresby….PACNEWS
PNG – CHIEF JUSTICE: THE NATIONAL PACNEWS 1: Tue 12 May 2026
PNG Chief Justice will not face Leadership Tribunal, Sir Gibbs cleared
PORT MORESBY, 12 MAY 2026 (THE NATIONAL) — Papua New Guinea Chief Justice Sir Gibbs Salika has been cleared of any wrongdoing as evidence provided by the Ombudsman Commission to refer him to a Leadership Tribunal is “insufficient”, says acting public prosecutor Helen Roalakona.
“We have declined to refer the leader to the National Executive Council for the appointment of a Leadership Tribunal,” she said.
“We have declined to refer the leader to the National Executive Council for the appointment of a Leadership Tribunal,” she said.
“The decision was done through careful and close assessment of the material given to us by the Ombudsman Commission.
“We have considered all the evidence in its entirety and have arrived at the decision that there is insufficient evidence, and therefore we have declined to refer the matter.”
Sir Gibbs was referred to the Office of the Public Prosecutor by the commission on 09 March, over the 50 allegations of failure to declare incomes from unknown sources, contrary to Section 27 (1) of the Constitution, and Section 4 of the Organic Law on the Duties and Responsibilities of Leadership.
He was alleged to have failed to declare in his annual statements the source of additional income he received between 2018 and 2024, amounting to K1.6 million (US$368,000), and his wife’s income between 2019 and 2023, amounting to K460,000(US$105,000).
It was determined in the assessment of evidence that most transactions consisted of a pattern of cash withdrawals from Sir Gibbs’ primary salary account which were deposited on the same date into his savings account.
The amounts were additional income and were declared by Sir Gibbs as his net income in his annual statements for those years.
Upon assessment, Roalakona discovered that the additional allowances that were received in Sir Gibbs’
accounts were payments done by the National Judicial Staff Services through internet banking, and were registered under transactions numbers, and was declared as his additional income.
It was also determined that the income received by his spouse during the alleged periods were traced to be monies deposited from Sir Gibbs’ primary salary account, and were declared by him in the annual statements.
“The determination on the evidence is that there is insufficient evidence that is not credible or cogent to warrant the referral of the Leader to the appointing authority for a Leadership Tribunal,” Roalakona said.
So pursuant to Section 177 (b) of the Constitution, Roalakona declined to bring a proceeding under the Leadership Code against Sir Gibbs over misconduct in office…..PACNEWS
SOL – WWII BOMBS: ABC PACIFIC PACNEWS 1: Tue 12 May 2026
Cyclone Maila washes up unexploded WWII bombs in Solomon Islands
HONIARA, 12 MAY 2026 (ABC PACIFIC)—The destructive force that was Tropical Cyclone Maila claimed lives and destroyed homes and critical infrastructure, but when the storm struck Solomon Islands, there were other consequences too.
Powerful waves and tidal surges exposed hundreds of UXOs, unexploded devices left over from World War II.
Such discoveries are nothing new in the Solomons, and the battle to make the country safe more than eight decades after the conflict ended has still not been won.
And Inspector Clifford Tunuki from the country’s Explosive Ordnance Disposal Unit says the haul unearthed by the cyclone serves as a stark reminder of the clearance work that has still to be done.
“Most of them are artillery projectiles, mortars, hand grenades, and also anti-aircraft rockets,” he said.
“So far, no aerial bombs have been found,” he said…. PACNEWS
FIJI – HEALTH: FIJI SUN PACNEWS 1: Tue 12 May 2026
Fiji monitors deadly hantavirus outbreak
SUVA, 12 MAY 2026 (FIJI SUN) — Fiji’s Ministry of Health and Medical Services is closely monitoring a hantavirus outbreak linked to the Hondius cruise ship, now anchored off Tenerife in Spain’s Canary Islands.
The Fiji Centre for Disease Control understands that eight cases had been identified so far, including three deaths.
Health officials stressed that no cases had been reported in Fiji and none of the cruise ship passengers were from Fiji.
“The risk to Fiji from this cruise ship outbreak is very low,” the ministry said.
The ministry said strict health inspection and declaration protocols remained in place for all vessels entering Fiji’s ports to prevent the spread of infectious diseases.
“As part of standard protocols, in line with international requirements, all ships at international ports of entry in Fiji are subject to strict health declaration and inspection requirements before clearance for entry,” the ministry stated.
These include Ship Sanitation Certificates, which contain de-ratting information, and Maritime Declarations of Health identifying any sick passengers on board.
Environmental Health Officers also board vessels for inspections, with further action taken under contingency plans if required.
The ministry said surveillance systems were also in place to monitor infectious diseases, alongside protocols for isolation and treatment through the Border Health Protection Unit in Nadi if needed.
Hantavirus is a rare but serious disease transmitted through exposure to the urine, faeces or saliva of infected rodents such as rats and mice.
While the virus is not easily spread between humans, health authorities noted that the Andes strain linked to the cruise ship outbreak has previously shown transmission among close contacts…PACNEWS
SOL – WEATHER WATCH: ISLAND SUN PACNEWS 1: Tue 12 May 2026
Solomon Islands monitors possible El Niño
HONIARA, 12 MAY 2026 (ISLAND SUN)—The Solomon Islands Meteorological Service (SIMS) says the country is currently experiencing neutral weather conditions but is closely monitoring signs of a possible shift towards El Niño.
Principal Meteorological Officer Martin Togumana said the current ENSO-neutral conditions mean rainfall and wind patterns across the country are expected to remain normal for now.
However, he warns that climate indicators are showing a gradual movement towards an El Niño phase in the coming months.
“In terms of the El Niño Southern Oscillation, we are going towards El Niño,” Togumana said.
He explained that El Niño conditions in the Solomon Islands are usually associated with drier than normal weather, which can increase the risk of drought across parts of the country.
Togumana said warmer than average temperatures and lower sea levels are also common impacts experienced during El Niño periods.
He said that severe tropical cyclones can also occur during El Niño events, posing additional risks to communities and infrastructure.
The Meteorological Service is continuing to monitor the situation closely and will provide updates to the public as conditions develop.
Togumana encourages the public to follow updates through the Meteorological Service’s social media platforms and official website….PACNEWS
PAC – FISHERIES: FFA PACNEWS BIZ: Tue 12 May 2026
NZ Hosts 142nd Forum Fisheries Committee Annual Officials Meeting
WELLINGTON, 12 MAY 2026 (FFA)—The 142nd Annual Officials Meeting of the Forum Fisheries Committee (FFC) opened in Aotearoa New Zealand, this morning, bringing together senior fisheries officials and delegates from across the Pacific region for a week of high-level regional discussions on the future of Pacific fisheries.
Hosted by the Government of New Zealand, the meeting began with a traditional Māori pōwhiri at Te Papa Tongarewa, New Zealand’s national museum. The formal welcoming ceremony brought together Members, delegates and participants in a powerful expression of partnership, respect and shared purpose.
The pōwhiri ceremony marked the start of the weeklong Annual Forum Fisheries Committee (FFC) Officials 142nd Meeting in Wellington, New Zealand. Photo: New Zealand Ministry for Primary Industries
The pōwhiri, which included traditional speeches and waiata from both hosts and visitors, welcomed delegates onto the marae and into the meeting space. The ceremony reflected the deep cultural connections between Pacific peoples and the ocean, and the shared responsibility of stewarding the region’s fisheries resources for future generations.
Associate Deputy Director-General for Trade and International Relations at the NZ Ministry of Primary Industries (MPI), Diana Reaich, welcomed delegates on behalf of the New Zealand Government and acknowledged the outgoing Chair, Niue’s Poi Okesene, for his leadership over the past year.
“I am sure you will all agree that his leadership has been instrumental in fostering unity, constructive dialogue, and a clear focus on outcomes that serve the long-term interests of Pacific fisheries and Pacific communities,” Reaich said.
She noted that the successful adoption of the South Pacific albacore management procedure and seabird conservation measure at last year’s Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) meeting demonstrated what could be achieved through regional cooperation and collective commitment.
“As you all know, fisheries are central to the economic security, food security and livelihoods of our region,” she said.
“They underpin national revenues, support local communities, and are integral to the broader resilience and sustainable development of Pacific Island countries and communities.”
Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA) Director-General Noan David Pakop thanked the Government of New Zealand for hosting the meeting and acknowledged the significance of the traditional welcome.
“We are particularly honoured by the traditional pōwhiri welcome this morning, which reflects the spirit of partnership, respect and shared stewardship that underpins our regional fisheries cooperation,” Pakop said.
He said the meeting comes at an important time for the region as Pacific countries continue navigating increasing geopolitical interest, climate change impacts, growing pressure on ocean resources and evolving regional priorities.
“Today, tuna continues to be the common currency of the Blue Pacific,” Pakop said.
“The Pacific region collectively manages one of the largest and most valuable tuna fisheries in the world, and the strength of our cooperation over many decades remains globally recognised as one of the great success stories of regionalism.”
Pakop said Members would spend the week discussing issues central to the future of regional fisheries cooperation, including the FFA Strategic Plan review, implementation of the KPMG Review recommendations, regional fisheries management priorities and preparations for upcoming WCPFC negotiations.
Outgoing Chair Poi Okesene of Niue reflected on the significance of gathering at Te Papa Tongarewa.
“It is especially fitting that we gather here at Te Papa Tongarewa, where the stories of land and ocean are connected and preserved with care,” Okesene said.
“Te Papa honours and celebrates Pacific and Māori heritage, and reminds us that the moana is not simply a resource, but a relationship that connects us all.”
Okesene also highlighted key achievements during his term as Chair, including the adoption of the South Pacific albacore management procedure, progress on conservation and management measures, strengthened regional monitoring and surveillance cooperation, and advancements in treaty negotiations.
“These achievements are the result of countless months of hard work, long days, late-night conversations, and the willingness of members to compromise for the greater good,” he said.
Outgoing FFC Officials Chair, Poi Okesene of Niue Fisheries, hands over a paddle to Heather Ward of the New Zealand Ministry for Primary Industries, symbolising the handover of the FFC Chair from Niue to New Zealand for the next 12 months. Photo: New Zealand Ministry for Primary Industries
Incoming FFC Officials Chair, Heather Ward, Manager of International Fisheries at the New Zealand Ministry for Primary Industries, paid tribute to Niue’s leadership and acknowledged the challenges ahead for the region.
“We must also confront the complexities of mixed fisheries management as we continue work on developing a management procedure for bigeye tuna,” Ward said.
“This week, members will also consider other priorities ahead of the annual WCPFC meeting, including strengthening the management of transshipment and progressing toward a practical electronic monitoring programme within the WCPFC framework.”
Ward also acknowledged the wider global environment affecting Pacific fisheries, including rising fuel prices and broader economic pressures impacting fisheries operations across the region.
“At the same time, we continue to grapple with ways to increase the value derived from our tuna fisheries,” she said.
The new Chair officially declared the 142nd Annual Officials Meeting of the Forum Fisheries Committee open.
Over the coming days, Members will deliberate on a broad range of regional priorities, including strategic planning, climate change implementation, monitoring, control and surveillance cooperation, market access, the East New Britain Initiative, and strengthening the collective coastal State position on key fisheries issues.
The Forum Fisheries Committee remains the region’s premier technical and policy forum for fisheries cooperation, bringing together Members of the Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency to collectively manage and protect one of the world’s largest tuna fisheries for the benefit of Pacific peoples….PACNEWS
PAC – LABOUR MOBILITY: FIJI SUN PACNEWS BIZ: Tue 12 May 2026
Pacific leaders push for fair and safe labour mobility in Nadi talks
SUVA, 12 MAY 2026 (FIJI SUN)—Senior labour officials from across the Pacific have gathered in Nadi this week to strengthen protections for Pacific workers accessing employment opportunities abroad, as labour mobility schemes continue to expand across the region.
Hosted by the Ministry of Employment, Productivity and Workplace Relations, the Senior Labour Officials Meeting is being held under the theme “Designing our Destiny: A Just and Resilient Future of Work for the Blue Pacific.”
The meeting brings together government representatives, employers, workers’ organisations and development partners to address key labour challenges facing Pacific nations.
Opening the meeting, permanent secretary for Employment Maritino Nemani said the discussions were timely, as increasing numbers of Pacific Islanders seek overseas employment through formal labour mobility pathways.
“This meeting is timely as it comes at a critical moment for our region as Pacific Island countries continue to face a range of interconnected challenges, including the impacts of climate change, economic recovery pressures, demographic transitions, informality in employment, skills shortages, technological revolutions and the growing need for stronger social protection systems,” Nemani said.
Nemani stressed the importance of ensuring these opportunities remain safe, fair and rights-based, while also delivering long-term benefits to sending countries.
“With labour mobility continuing to grow, it is critical that we strengthen labour governance and ensure our workers are protected, valued and supported, whether they are working at home or abroad,” he said.
Discussions this week are expected to focus on improving labour standards, worker welfare, and cooperation between Pacific sending countries and destination markets, particularly Australia and New Zealand.
The meeting includes representatives from regional unions, private sector organisations, the International Labour Organisation (ILO), International Organisation for Migration (IOM), and other regional and international partners….PACNEWS
FIJI – FUEL SURCHARGE: FIJI TIMES PACNEWS BIZ: Tue 12 May 2026
Decision soon on proposed EFL fuel surcharge increase
SUVA, 12 MAY 2026 (FIJI TIMES)—The Fijian Competition and Consumer Commission (FCCC) says it is in the final stages of assessing Energy Fiji Limited’s proposed interim fuel surcharge adjustment, with a decision expected to be announced soon.
In a statement, the FCCC confirmed it had substantially completed its assessment and regulatory deliberations on the proposed surcharge increase submitted by EFL.
EFL has proposed an interim fuel surcharge adjustment of about 11 cents(US$0.5cents) per kilowatt hour, citing rising fuel-related electricity generation costs caused by volatility in international fuel markets and broader geopolitical developments affecting global energy supply chains.
As part of the review process, the FCCC said it undertook targeted consultations with key Government stakeholders, consumer advocacy groups and private sector representatives.
The Commission said discussions included the Consumer Council of Fiji, Fiji Council of Social Services and the Fiji Commerce and Employers Federation, among other relevant stakeholders.
The consultations focused on the possible impact the proposed surcharge could have on households, businesses and the wider economy.
“While not all stakeholders made formal submissions, FCCC has carefully considered all concerns and feedback raised throughout the consultation process,” the statement said.
The Commission said its assessment process aimed to balance consumer affordability, business costs and the need to maintain the sustainability and reliability of EFL’s operations and electricity supply services.
“FCCC has now substantially completed its assessment and is in the final stages of its regulatory deliberations. A final determination on the matter will be announced soon,” the statement noted.
The Commission also stressed that its decision-making process remained evidence-based, transparent and guided by the broader public interest….PACNEWS
PNG – COCOA INDUSTRY: EU- STREIT PNG PACNEWS BIZ: Tue 12 May 2026
How Cocoa is changing mornings for families in Paliama, PNG
WEWAK, 12 MAY 2026 (EU-STREIT PNG)—In Paliama Village, some mothers from cocoa-farming families now leave home at around 6.30 in the morning with a small bilum bag, not a heavy load of garden produce.
They walk to the highway, catch a public motor vehicle to Wewak, and buy what their families need. Two years ago, Jonathan Krisawa says, that same walk often started at 4 a.m., when many mothers had little choice but to carry vegetables to sell at the roadside market and later go to nearby market to buy the daily needs from the money earned from the vegetable sells. This was because income from cocoa was too low and unreliable to cover household needs. That change reflects what Ramangs cocoa is helping families do: more choices for how to earn, save and meet their needs.
“The biggest change for us,” says Jonathan Krisawa, lead farmer and director of the Ramangs Cocoa Development Project, “was moving from informal cocoa farming to a structured, quality-driven system; our farmers now understand quality, work together, and sell with confidence to reliable markets.’
Ramangs brings together 710 cocoa growers from 10 villages across inland Sepik, including foothill communities and a nearby island. When he began, “people were not serious in cocoa farming.” Wet beans were sold to middlemen at low prices. Fermentation and drying were unpredictable. “Before, farmers dried cocoa directly on fire after fermentation,” he explains. The result was inconsistent beans, low prices, and no real market power. Annual production remained low, at 1–3 tonnes.
In 2021, the EU-STREIT PNG Programme began supporting Ramangs through training, technical and material assistance, improved post-harvest practices and market-linkage support. Jonathan himself became a Trainer of Trainers (TOT).
“The Programme assisted me by training me as a TOT, so that I can come back and train the farmers,” he recalls. The Programme introduced fermentation boxes, raised solar drying beds, and an enhanced protocol for bean quality, adaptable to buyers’ needs.
Recently, they adopted a cycle of 48 hours of fermentation, 48 hours of sweat-box, 24 hours fire drying, 24 hours sun, followed by 5–7 days of slow sun drying. This new standard came straight from an international chocolate maker in New Caledonia. “This is our part in producing and supplying quality-assured cocoa beans that meet premium buyer requirements.”
Jonathan credits EU-STREIT PNG support, particularly training, improved post-harvest practices and buyer linkages, with helping Ramangs strengthen cocoa quality, increase farmer confidence and improve market access.
He says the group’s cash flow has now reached PGK 263,000, a 100 percent increase from the earlier level. In late 2025, Ramangs and three neighbouring groups shipped 32 bags, equal to 2,032 kilograms of dried cocoa straight to a niche market buyer in New Caledonia.
“This is the first time for the group to take part in direct overseas export,” Jonathan says. Already, another premium buyer in Australia is engaged and waiting for a consignment of quality dried cocoa beans to ship.
“Overseas buyers reported improved bean uniformity, moisture control and flavour quality,” Jonathan says.
He adds that buyers now trust the consistency of supply from Ramangs. That trust was built through stricter quality control across eight fermentaries, using the same fermentation and drying protocol and sharing daily production records through a social messenger group.
The cooperative communicates with overseas buyers by email, and a webpage is under construction. A new youth empowerment programme started in 2025 ensures that bud-grafting, nursery work, and fermentary management will be carried forward by the next generation, while three women serve on the executive, shaping decisions and field plans.
Women in the group also describe how cocoa is changing life at home. Lineth Hrafe, who manages a one-hectare cocoa block along the Sepik Highway, says the new skills she applied on her block have improved productivity, with every tree now producing. She and her family now put two percent of their cocoa sales into a bank account as they save to build a permanent house.
Trisha Akia, a Ramangs farmer, placed second in a hot chocolate competition at the Greater Sepik Cocoa of Excellence and Trade Expo 2026. “We rely on our cocoa blocks now as our main source of income,” she says, “and it is improving our living.”
Jonathan sees similar changes across the wider Ramangs network. “Three farmers in our network were able to use income from improved cocoa sales to pay school fees for their children and start building a permanent house. Previously, income from cocoa was too low and unreliable, but now it provides consistent support for daily family needs like food, transport, and healthcare.” Families who once relied mainly on aid posts are now better able to visit private doctors and buy medicine from chemists when needed. Houses are going up with roofing iron instead of bush materials.
“Mothers no longer have to rely mainly on carrying garden produce and walking to the highway market at 4 a.m.,” Jonathan says. Cocoa now gives them a steadier income, so that early‑morning trek is no longer the only way to bring in cash.
Through training, post-harvest support, financial links and market connections, EU-STREIT PNG helped Ramangs become more organised, improve cocoa quality and earn more reliably.
For Jonathan, that progress is also helping families save, build, and plan for the future. “We want to help our farmers save money, build good houses, pay school fees and meet the needs of their children,” he says. “Through the sale of cocoa, this project will remain strong, and we can sustain the group now and into the future”
From a network of cocoa growers largely dependent on middlemen, Ramangs has grown into a more organised, quality-focused cooperative with stronger links to higher-value markets. The change shows not only in cocoa sales, but in daily life. For some mothers, the day no longer has to begin at 4 a.m. to earn cash for their families…. PACNEWS
PACNEWS In Focus
The views expressed in PACNEWS are those of agencies contributing articles and do not necessarily those of PINA and/or PACNEWS
When the ocean is sacred: Pacific theology and the governance of deep-sea mining
By Jaap Timmer, Emilka Skrzypek and Nicholas Bainton
CANBERRA, 12 MAY 2026 (DEVPOLICY.ORG)—Regulatory frameworks for deep-sea mining (DSM) treat the ocean as a space to be measured, governed and economically valued. DSM proponents claim that this form of mining avoids many of the negative impacts associated with terrestrial extraction (such as displacement or land use changes), working from an assumption that deep seas are largely inert or empty spaces.
What such frameworks, and proponents’ views, fail to accommodate is an ocean that is already inhabited. Not merely by ecosystems, but in many Indigenous contexts by ancestors, by spirits and by God, and thus by moral obligations that predate any regulatory regime. This is not a problem of cultural inclusion. It is an ontological conflict. It is a profound disagreement over what kind of being the ocean is before it is rendered legible in regulatory systems.
The distinction matters. DSM governance frameworks can include cultural representatives, require community consultation or mandate Indigenous participation — and yet still operate with a fundamentally different account of what the ocean is. Across a range of Pacific religious and ethical traditions, articulated in diverse and sometimes contested ways, responsibility to the sea is not just responsibility for the ocean, as a resource to be managed. It is responsibility to the ocean, as a morally inhabited world that humans enter already indebted.
In October 2025, this tension became visible at a climate talanoa in Sydney. Uniting Church leaders welcomed Climate Minister Chris Bowen and Pacific counterparts with a clear message: harm to the ocean is not merely a policy failure, but a moral and spiritual violation. Drawing on Pasifika theology, church leaders called for climate leadership grounded in care and justice. There are other examples. Also in 2025, Methodist leader Reverend James Bhagwan condemned proposed seabed mining leases in American Samoa, framing DSM as a moral and spiritual violation rather than a neutral technological option, invoking a sacred responsibility understood by many Pacific people and churches for and to the ocean.
This framing was sharpened at a recent workshop at Macquarie University on DSM and Enchanted Ecologies. Prominent Pacific theologian Reverend Dr Cliff Bird and regional scholars, including the authors of this blog, reflected on the ways the unknowability of the seabed mirrors the mystery at the heart of encounters with God, ancestors and spirits. What emerged from this workshop is a concept we term spiritual responsibility: the obligation that arises from living within a world populated by humans, ancestors, spirits, non-human beings and God, bound together in enduring relation.
Different Pacific theological traditions develop this notion through several overlapping concepts. Reweaving the Ecological Mat (REM) advances a relational theology that decentres human dominance and situates responsibility within an ecological Aiga (household) in which land, sea and air are not resources, but storied, sacred spaces shaped by ancestral presence and obligation. Practices such as tabu and rahui, which set aside areas for regeneration, exemplify spiritual responsibility as restraint rather than mastery. Concepts such as vanua or fonua name the inseparability of people, place and spiritual power, though they are interpreted and articulated differently across communities, denominations and islands.
Within such cosmologies, responsibility is prior to choice. People do not decide whether to be accountable to land or sea in the way one might adopt a policy position; accountability is a condition of their being. Ancestors are not merely remembered; they remain morally present. Spirits are not symbolic; they are attached to lands and waters, such that environmental harm becomes a form of relational violation. God too, within many Pacific Christian theologies, is not a distant arbiter but an active participant in sustaining the moral coherence of the world.
This is not an argument that Christian theology should be embedded in environmental governance everywhere, nor that other belief systems are less deserving of recognition. Rather, it reflects the specific historical and institutional context of DSM governance in the Pacific, where Christian churches remain among the most influential moral, social and political institutions. In many Pacific states, churches operate as key interlocutors between communities and governments, shape public ethics and articulate moral limits to development in ways that carry political weight. Elsewhere, different religious or ethical traditions may warrant similar attention. The claim here is context-specific rather than universal: in Pacific DSM governance, Christian theologies are already operative in shaping public reasoning about the ocean, whether or not governance regimes acknowledge their role.
We are also not trying to imply that Pacific states, communities and church positions on DSM are uniform or politically innocent. Rather, we draw attention to the strong and growing theological current across the region that treats DSM as categorically different from the regulatory calculus that governs it.
Considering all this, DSM governance bodies should move beyond technical regulation and risk management as the sole basis for decision-making. This does not mean substituting spiritual considerations for scientific expertise. It means recognising that these are not competing ways of thinking about the same thing — they are different accounts of what the ocean is, and what obligations follow from that. Again, we emphasise the importance of the distinction.
Following through on this would require institutional changes, with procedural consequences. These could include establishing advisory mechanisms that integrate Pacific theological and cosmological traditions as legitimate sources of ethical authority, rather than merely as “cultural context”, requiring ethical and spiritual assessments to run alongside environmental impact assessments, and explicitly identifying where regulatory categories fail to capture spiritual responsibilities. Findings of ethical indeterminacy, where a regulatory or governance mechanism cannot satisfactorily adjudicate moral claims, should be considered a basis for delaying, reshaping or stopping licensing processes, rather than, as at present, merely generating “social licence” risks to be managed.
Such arrangements would have analogues in existing mechanisms — for example, regimes that allow resource projects to be constrained or prohibited on the grounds of Indigenous spiritual significance — while recognising that Pacific theological claims often extend beyond site-specific heritage to oceanic relational worlds. These changes would require sustained, targeted investment in Pacific-led theological and ethical capacity building within governance institutions.
This points to forms of support that are both feasible and, depending on the specifics, appropriate for governments, regional organisations, universities or churches. Such investment could include:
•support for interdisciplinary training programs linking Pacific theologians, ethicists, scientists and policymakers
•resourcing for Pacific universities and theological colleges to develop applied expertise in environmental and governance ethics
•funding for governance institutions to employ or consult specialists capable of translating theological and cosmological claims into decision-relevant ethical analysis without instrumentalising them
•additional support for the existing role of Pacific churches in functioning as intermediaries between communities and states.
International churches need to contribute, but secular and donor agencies should also consider doing so insofar as the focus is on environmental governance reform rather than religious advocacy.
In the end, Pacific theologies are not local barriers to global governance. They are sources of insight with global relevance, especially as new technologies and environmental crises force urgent questions about how humans can live responsibly within an interconnected and morally consequential Earth.
If the ocean is sacred, then governing deep-sea mining is not simply a technical task. It is a moral reckoning with how we choose to live in a world already shaped by spiritual responsibility…..PACNEWS
Jaap Timmer is an Associate Professor in the Macquarie University School of Communication, Society and Culture. His expertise draws on decades of ethnographic research in the Southwest Pacific and Southeast Asia.
Emilka Skrzypek is the Deputy Director of the Centre for Energy Ethics at the University of St Andrews. With a regional focus on Oceania, her work explores broadly conceived resource relations and interdependencies.
Nick Bainton is a Professor in the ANU School of Regulation and Global Governance (RegNet), where he leads the Extractive Systems Laboratory which examines the planetary pressures and future trajectories of resource extraction in an overheated world.
PACNEWS DIGEST
The views expressed in PACNEWS are those of agencies contributing articles and do not necessarily those of PINA and/or PACNEWS
Why the Blue Economy and Coral Reefs Matter for the Pacific Region
By Munkhtuya Altangerel, UNDP Pacific Office in Fiji Resident Representative, and Nicholas Booth, UNDP Papua New Guinea Resident Representative
SUVA, 12 MAY 2026 (UNDP)—What if the most powerful piece of climate infrastructure in the Pacific is not a seawall, a solar panel, or an early warning system, but a coral reef?
For Pacific Island Countries, where coastal ecosystems buffer communities from storm surge, sustain fisheries that feed families, and underpin economies that have no viable inland alternative, protecting nature is not an environmental choice, it is a climate finance and resilience decision. And it is one the Pacific has been making, at community level, long before the global development community caught up.
As Pacific leaders prepare to gather at the Pacific pre-COP in Fiji this October as well as the Melanesian Oceans Summit in Papua New Guinea this May, the Pacific’s message is this: nature-based solutions are not a complement to climate action. They are climate action. The question is no longer whether to invest in them. It is whether global finance mechanisms will move fast enough, and reach deep enough, to match the scale of what is already being built on the ground.
Global frameworks are part of that architecture. The Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction agreement represents an important step toward protecting the high seas ecosystems that regulate ocean health, sustain migratory fish stocks, and support the reef and coastal systems Pacific communities depend on. But frameworks alone do not protect a reef or finance a community marine area. What does that is investment: patient, blended, and locally grounded, of the kind that the UN Development Programme (UNDP) and its partners are helping to build across Fiji and Papua New Guinea.
The blue Economy: Linking Global Protection with Local Prosperity
The blue economy is often framed as an economic opportunity. In the Pacific, it is something more fundamental than that, it is a climate resilience model. Healthy oceans are not a precondition for prosperity somewhere down the line. They are the precondition for survival now. Every reef-positive livelihood, every community-led marine area, every sustainable fishery is simultaneously a climate investment, absorbing risk, buffering coastlines, and keeping food systems intact when everything else is under pressure.
Across Fiji, community stewardship is proving that nature protection and climate resilience are the same investment. The Shark Reef Marine Reserve shows what this looks like in practice, a community-led model where conservation generates sustainable revenue through eco-tourism while actively safeguarding the marine biodiversity that coastal livelihoods depend on. Protection and prosperity, financed together.
That model is being deepened through the recently established Beqa Adventure Divers Dive, Research and Conservation Compound in Pacific Harbour, bringing together tourism operations, marine science, and conservation under one roof. The compound houses the Fiji Shark Lab, the country’s first biological field station dedicated to shark and ray research, conservation, and education. Science, economy, and ecosystem health treated not as competing priorities but as a single system.
Beyond Beqa, the Investing in Coral Reefs and Blue Economy programme, supported by Global Fund Coral Reefs (GFCR) and Joint SDG Fund, is operationalising Fiji’s first dedicated Blue Lending Facility with the Fiji Development Bank, putting climate-resilient finance directly in the hands of reef-positive businesses and coastal communities. These are not pilot projects. They are the architecture of a nature-based economy that can be financed, replicated, and scaled. Global frameworks like BBNJ reinforce this work at the governance level — but it is locally grounded investment that turns ecological protection into lived resilience.
Papua New Guinea: Scaling Nature Based Climate Finance from Reef to Market
In Papua New Guinea, where reef ecosystems sit at the crux of food security, coastal protection, and local economies, investing in ocean health is a climate resilience strategy aligned with both COP31 priorities and the BBNJ agenda. This approach is operationalised through the GFCR-supported Gutpela Solwara, Gutpela Bisnis (Good Oceans, Good Business) programme, embedding reef protection directly into enterprise development.
Under the Blue Economy Enterprise Incubation Facility, 11 community based reef positive businesses are supported through a Blue Accelerator Approach, combining technical assistance, catalytic start up grants, and conservation conditionality. Supported enterprises operate across sustainable fisheries, eco tourism, and marine value chains, delivering livelihoods while safeguarding coral reefs and coastal ecosystems critical for climate adaptation.
The programme functions as a bridge to blended finance. Establishment of a loan guarantee facility with Women’s Micro Bank – Mama Bank – will de risk lending and crowd in domestic capital for reef positive enterprises. These businesses demonstrate that nature based solutions are not peripheral to climate action; they are investable, scalable, and already delivering resilience on the ground.
UNDP’s work across the region shows that protecting the ocean is not a barrier to development, it is a prerequisite for it. Nature protection is a climate finance priority, it is a resilience investment, and COP31 has explicitly recognised it as such.
The Pacific is not asking to be included in that conversation; it is already demonstrating what this looks like in practice….PACNEWS
