In this bulletin:
1. B/VILLE — Bougainville Speaker Pentanu disputes PNG Parliament sessional order process
2. TUVALU — Islands threatened by climate change ‘need to be compensated’ by CO2 emitters: Tuvalu PM
3. SOL — Solomon Islands says China security pact to remain secret
4. PACIFIC — Taiwan seeks to maintain “development partner” role at Pacific Islands Forum despite China pressure
5. MARSH — Marshall Islands declares emergency following destructive fire on Ebeye
6. FIJI — Suspected drugs package washes ashore on Komo Island
7. AUST — As Tuvaluans move to Australia, a radio show keeps their culture alive
8. PACIFIC — Pacific immigration leaders mark 30 years of regional cooperation
9. PACIFIC — PINA mourns the loss of Papua New Guinea media leader Genesis Ketan
10. PACNEWS BIZ — Pacific Forum Taskforce develops regional response framework for Middle East crisis
11. PACNEWS BIZ — PM Rabuka launches Fiji Airways inagural direct flight to Gold coast
12. PACNEWS BIZ — Redirecting of K1billion fuel relief a concern: PNG Manufacturing Council CEO
13. PACNEWS BIZ — UNDP Pacific Resident Representative visits FFA
14. PACNEWS IN FOCUS — How Tuvalu is rewriting the rules of statehood
15. PACNEWS DIGEST — Reading the sky: How new automatic weather stations are protecting Pacific Food, families, and futures
16. PACNEWS DIGEST — Tackling the Pacific’s observational data gap
B/VILLE – INDEPENDENCE STRUGGLE: PACNEWS PACNEWS 1: Fri 12 Jun 2026
Bougainville Speaker Pentanu disputes PNG Parliament sessional order process
BUKA, 12 JUNE 2026 (PACNEWS)—Bougainville House of representatives Speaker Simon Pentanu has challenged claims made in Papua New Guinea’s National Parliament regarding the sessional order on the Bougainville referendum, saying key issues were never agreed upon and discussions between the two Speakers were not formally completed.
In a statement to the House of Representatives, Pentanu said his remarks were prompted by a ministerial statement delivered in the PNG National Parliament earlier this week concerning the sessional order.
Pentanu said that under the Melanesian Agreement, he and the Speaker of the PNG National Parliament were required to engage, draft and agree on the sessional order.
“The Joint Supervisory Body of December 2025 asked us to work in coordination with the National Minister of Bougainville Affairs and the ABG Minister for Independence and to report back to the JSB.”
He said the two Speakers, parliamentary clerks and officers travelled to Fiji on 21 April 2026, to work on the draft sessional order.
According to Pentanu, the National Parliament team tabled the draft sessional order in Fiji for discussion.
“We had a lengthy discussion on the draft sessional order.
“We were unanimous in agreeing to on the procedures relating to tabling of the referendum result, tabling of the post-referendum consultation report; and to the procedure for debate once the statement is made by the Minister for Bougainville Affairs,” he stressed.
He said agreement was not reached on two critical issues.
“However, we did not reach agreement on the voting majority on the motion to be put to the Parliament.
Our views differed and it is around this that most of our discussions revolved. First; the motion or the question to be put to the National Parliament, second; the voting threshold,” he emphasised.
Pentanu said his delegation argued that the motion before the National Parliament should reflect the objectives being pursued by both governments through the Melanesian Agreement and the Melanesian Framework.
He said the motion ultimately adopted by the National Parliament was different from the draft discussed in Fiji.
“I will also point out that the question or the motion now adopted by the National Parliament in the Sessional Order, was not the question that was in the draft Sessional Order, tabled in Fiji for discussion. It is totally a different question.”
“It is a direct question on the referendum result. The motion adopted states, ‘That the National Parliament accepts the Referendum Results.’ This is not what was discussed or agreed,” he explained.
On the issue of voting requirements, Pentanu said previous engagements between the two parliaments had seen both sides agree on a simple majority.
“In regards to the voting threshold, in our previous parliamentary engagements between the two Parliaments, starting in Lae and in Port Moresby, both sides were in agreement on a simple majority,” he stated.
He said the proposal for a three-quarter absolute majority remained contentious.
“The 3/4 absolute majority is always going to be a point of contention. If it is advanced as a legal argument this ignores what has really been a political negotiation throughout the consultation by both governments on the results of the Bougainville Referendum,” the Bougainville Speaker said.
Pentanu said the three-quarter majority threshold was raised during discussions in Fiji but his delegation opposed it.
“When the draft sessional order was tabled in Fiji, 3/4 absolute majority was put on the table. My officers and I did not agree on the voting threshold of 3/4 absolute majority,” he said.
Pentanu said the Bougainville side argued that neither Section 342(2) nor any other provision of Part XIV of the PNG Constitution or the Bougainville Peace Agreement prescribed such a majority.
“Our team advanced the discussions that the voting majority should be a simple majority because there is no prescribed majority in section 342 (2) or anywhere in Part XIV of National Constitution or even the Bougainville Peace Agreement”
“This is also a conventional parliamentary practice, when there is no prescribed majority, the parliament should always apply a simple majority in any matter before the House,” he said.
Pentanu said his delegation maintained that any constitutional amendments arising from the motion would later be subject to the prescribed constitutional voting requirements.
“In this case, our position was that this motion will trigger the constitutional amendments which have prescribed majority in law. In amending the constitution, there are prescribed majorities required to amend the constitution; for these reasons we did not agree on the 3/4 absolute majority in Fiji,” he said.
He said that because no agreement was reached in Fiji, both Speakers agreed to hold another meeting in Port Moresby with the Minister for Bougainville Affairs and the Vice President, who is also Minister for Bougainville Independence Mission Implementation.
“We agreed for the continued meeting to take place in Port Moresby on the 6th of May 2026.”
Pentanu said that meeting never took place.
“This meeting did not eventuate and we are surprised that the sessional order has found its way into the National Parliament,” he said
He said he was disappointed by how the process had unfolded.
“It is disappointing to be misrepresented in the manner in which the crafting of the sessional order has been handled.”
“It is also disappointing because we have not formally completed the work required of the Speakers pursuant to the Melanesian Agreement and the JSB,” Pentanu emphasised.
Pentanu said his statement was not intended as criticism of proceedings in another parliament but was necessary to correct what he described as a misrepresentation.
“It is not in order for me as Speaker, presiding in this House to criticise proceedings in another House over which I have no say or control.”
“And this statement is not a criticism; however, when I am mentioned as Speaker and I am misrepresented in a statement in another Parliament, it is in order for me to correct this,” he explained.
He said consultations had been conducted in good faith.
“I believe the consultations at the formal and informal level were carried out in good faith, with honesty and integrity at our leadership level. This should also have been how the matter of the sessional order was managed” Pentanu said.
Pentanu expressed hope that discussions would continue.
“As Speaker my hope is that the ongoing consultations will still continue in good faith,” he said…. PACNEWS
TUVALU – CLIMATE CHANGE: THE MAINICHI PACNEWS 1: Fri 12 Jun 2026
Islands threatened by climate change ‘need to be compensated’ by CO2 emitters: Tuvalu PM
TOKYO, 12 JUNE 2026 (THE MAINICHI) — Tuvalu Prime Minister Feleti Teo, a Pacific Island nation facing the threat of submersion due to climate change-induced sea level rise, said that the International Court of Justice (ICJ)’s July 2025 advisory opinion affirming every nation’s obligation to address climate change was “a milestone achievement.”
He stressed that island states with minimal greenhouse gas emissions but extreme vulnerability to the effects of climate change “need to be compensated for damages that we suffered.”
Teo visited Japan to attend the Island States Ocean Summit held in Tokyo on June 3-4.
The ICJ opinion characterises climate change as an “existential problem of planetary proportions that imperils all forms of life,”and states that nations failing to take action could bear legal responsibility.
The United Nations General Assembly, comprising 193 member countries, also adopted a resolution in May 2026 in support of the opinion by a large majority.
“So the conversation has kind of shifted from moral obligations to a legal commitment,” Teo said in an exclusive interview with the Mainichi Shimbun.
He argued that countries responsible for causing climate change must provide aid or “be held accountable for their actions in causing climate change.”
Although neither the ICJ opinion nor the UN resolution is legally binding, Teo said that they will “hopefully be the basis of a future treaty” establishing binding international measures.
Regarding the U.S administration of President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw from the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, Teo said, “It’s a very major setback.”
He added that “countries like Tuvalu have always looked to the U.S to set the example,” and continued, “I hope that bigger players like Japan and other European countries will be able to convince the U.S to … have a relook at their current policies on climate change.”
Calling the introduction of renewable energy “one of the top priorities” for resource-import-dependent Tuvalu, Teo said, “We’re hoping that Japan can help us be a more energy secured economy.”
Tuvalu’s government has been raising coastal land and taking other adaptive steps to cope with global warming, while also advancing a plan to move the nation’s governmental functions, culture and identity into the online virtual space known as the metaverse.
Teo described this as “planning for the worst-case scenario,” explaining that one of the objectives is to preserve Tuvalu’s sovereignty as a digital nation even if its physical territory is submerged. ….PACNEWS
SOL – DIPLOMACY: AFP PACNEWS 1: Fri 12 Jun 2026
Solomon Islands says China security pact to remain secret
HONIARA, 12 JUNE 2026 (AFP)—The controversial deal struck in 2022 rattled Washington and Canberra because of concern it opened the door to a permanent Chinese military presence in the South Pacific.
Speaking last week in Australia, the Solomons’ new Prime Minister Matthew Wale said his cabinet would review the deal, which he admitted he had not seen until just before his visit.
On Wednesday, Wale said his government cannot publicly disclose the details of the deal because of legal restrictions.
“Unfortunately, the China Security Agreement includes a non-disclosure provision,” Wale told reporters in the Solomons capital Honiara after returning from Australia and New Zealand, in comments carried by local media.
“It is legally binding and was entered into by the previous government.
“We are unable to disclose its contents,” he said.
His office confirmed to AFP on Thursday that the deal would have to remain secret.
The agreement was signed under one of Wale’s predecessors, Manasseh Sogavare, who was seen as Beijing’s staunchest ally in the South Pacific.
Elected prime minister last month pledging change, Wale as opposition leader had called for the agreement to be made public.
At the press briefing in Honiara, he said any future international treaties should have parliamentary oversight.
He said previously strained relations with Australia and New Zealand had been improved on his visit.
“The Solomon Islands will not be the source of uncertainty and instability for the region when it comes to security,” he said……PACNEWS
PAC – DIPLOMACY: RTI PACNEWS 1: Fri 12 Jun 2026
Taiwan seeks to maintain “development partner” role at Pacific Islands Forum despite China pressure
KOROR/TAIPEI, 12 JUNE 2026 (RTI)—Taiwan will strive to maintain its participation in the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) as a “development partner,” Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim said whilst visiting Palau, the host of this year’s forum.
Speaking to traveling media on Wednesday, Hsiao said Taiwan has long actively engaged in the PIF but is expected to continue facing various forms of obstruction and oppression from China.
Despite these challenges, she expressed confidence that Taiwan will retain its established mode of participation and gain support from like-minded countries.
“I think we will work hard to maintain past practices.
Many of our like-minded partners, including the United States, have shown signs in recent years of withdrawing from certain international organisations and platforms under the Trump administration, but that has not affected their continued advocacy in the forums where they do participate, that Taiwan should have meaningful participation,” she said.
Last year’s forum in the Solomon Islands barred Taiwan and other dialogue and development partners from attending under pressure from China. This year, however, Palau – one of Taiwan’s allies – is hosting the event.
Hsiao noted Palau’s strong backing, citing President Surangel Whipps Jr’s stance that all countries, regardless of size, deserve respect.
She said Taiwan hopes to use the forum to highlight cooperative achievements with Palau.
Vice Foreign Minister Baushuan Ger added that Taiwan joined the PIF in 1992 as a Development Partner under the name Taiwan/Republic of China, and said support from the forum remains strong despite ongoing pressure from China. …PACNEWS
MARSH – STATE OF EMERGENCY: RNZ PACIFIC PACNEWS 1: Fri 12 Jun 2026
Marshall Islands declares emergency following destructive fire on Ebeye
MAJURO, 12 JUNE 2026 (RNZ PACIFIC)—Marshall Islands President Hilda Heine signed an executive order declaring a state of emergency for Ebeye, enabling a fast-track government response to last Saturday’s devastating fire on Ebeye Island.
Ebeye is home to about 8000 people next to the US Army’s missile testing range at Kwajalein. The fire left over 100 homeless and destroyed two major businesses on the island.
As it did in the wake of fire that destroyed the parliament last August, the Marshall Islands Cabinet moved quickly this week to declare the emergency, paving the way for access to assistance for those who lost their homes as well as the businesses that were destroyed.
Finance Minister David Paul, who is one of three Kwajalein representatives in Nitijela (parliament), said earlier this week that the national government is committed to acting quickly and working with the Kwajalein Atoll Local Government to respond to the disaster.
One of the first orders of business, Paul said, will be to clear the debris from the fire so that the area can be rebuilt.
In an interview, the Finance Minister indicated that contractors already mobilised on Ebeye, including Australian-based Hall Contracting and Marshall Islands firm Pacific International Inc, will be engaged by the national government to use their heavy equipment to clear the fire site.
“It’s important to demonstrate to the public that the government will make a fast response to mobilise and rebuild,” he said.
“President Heine is 100 percent committed to rebuilding Ebeye.”
The fire is estimated to have destroyed at least 10 homes, displacing at least 100 people who are now staying temporarily with other family members or at the public elementary school, which has opened classrooms temporarily to house families whose houses burned last Saturday.
It also burned down the large warehouse and all the inventory of Lucky Start store and razed the iconic Anrohasa Ebeye Hotel, the largest and one of the oldest hotels on Ebeye Island.
Fire fighters on Ebeye together with local residents were ultimately able to contain the blaze with the assistance of the Hall construction crew from Australia that is building a circle island seawall.
On the day of the fire, U.S Army Garrison, Kwajalein Atoll Commander Col Matthew Cannon opened the Army’s Emergency Operations Centre to assist the local government.
He shortly thereafter dispatched a team to Ebeye to meet Mayor Hirata Kabua and assess the situation, according to a social media post from USAG-KA. Ebeye is three miles away from the Army based headquartered on Kwajalein Island.
Also on Saturday, USAG-KA sent a vessel with needed supplies and one fire engine with crew to stay on site in the event the fire were to flare up, according to the Army’s social media post.
Cannon thanked the USAG-KA community for coming together quickly to donate supplies for those families that lost their homes to the fire.
Heine’s executive order issued Tuesday followed a Cabinet decision Monday to issue the emergency declaration for Ebeye. The executive order is effective for 90 days unless it is extended.
Among other actions, the executive order allows the government to:
*Suspend procedures, rules and regulations that might otherwise delay action needed for the emergency response for Ebeye.
*Direct the National Disaster Council to conduct regular meetings and to monitor progress and recovery operations with the Kwajalein Atoll Local Government and the Kwajalein Atoll Disaster Committee.
*Establish a memorandum of understanding between the Ministry of Finance and the Kwajalein Atoll Local Government related to emergency response funding.
In a social media post Sunday, Minister Paul said that the national government would be working together with the local government to respond quickly to Ebeye needs in the wake of the fire disaster.
He emphasised that the entirety of Ebeye’s leadership – the four traditional chiefs for the atoll, Mayor Hirata Kabua and the KALGov Council, all three Nitijela Members including Drile Kili Kabua and Kitlang Kabua, and the Kwajalein Atoll Development Authority – will be working together to ensure recovery from the fire….PACNEWS
FIJI – DRUGS FIGHT: FIJI SUN PACNEWS 1: Fri 12 Jun 2026
Suspected drugs package washes ashore on Komo Island
SUVA, 12 JUNE 2026 (FIJI SUN) —Komo Island villagers in Fiji’s Lau group were shocked after a suspicious package believed to contain illicit narcotics washed ashore Thursday, raising fears for the safety of their community.
The package, wrapped in distinctive “TESLA” branding, was spotted floating near the shoreline around midday before an elder retrieved it.
Residents say the discovery has caused concern across the island, particularly among families with young children who regularly use the beach.
Local resident Koroi Laisa said it was the first time the community had encountered such an incident.
“This is the first time we have come across something like this,” he said.
He added that the discovery has already created concern among families, particularly for children who regularly swim along the village shoreline.
“This has brought fear into our homes, especially our children who swim on our beach every day,” Koroi Laisa said.
“The drugs are now with the village headmen. We fear that one day our children might start consuming it.”
Authorities have not yet confirmed the origin or composition of the substance, but the packaging has been linked in reports to highly potent and chemically unpredictable compressed narcotics often associated with synthetic cutting agents.
The latest discovery adds to a worrying pattern of suspected drug wash-ups across the Lau Group in recent weeks, with similar incidents reported on islands including Ogea, Moce and Moala.
Communities in these maritime areas have increasingly raised concerns that coastlines may be used as drop-off points or drift zones for transnational drug trafficking routes across the South Pacific.
In several earlier cases, villagers and local leaders reported finding sealed packages or parcels of suspected narcotics washed ashore, prompting Police attention and heightened awareness campaigns in affected communities.
Security and maritime authorities are expected to continue monitoring Lau waters as island communities remain on alert over what residents fear could be a continuing trend rather than isolated incidents….PACNEWS
AUST – RADIO PROGRAMME: PMN PACNEWS 1: Fri 12 Jun 2026
As Tuvaluans move to Australia, a radio show keeps their culture alive
BRISBANE, 12 JUNE 2026 (PMN)—With a microphone, a Facebook Live stream and a playlist of traditional fatele, a small broadcasting team in Brisbane is helping keep Tuvaluan culture alive across the globe.
Launched in early May, Te Leo o Tuvalu is a fortnightly radio programme connecting the global Tuvaluan diaspora.
Airing across 11 time zones, the show is quickly becoming a cultural meeting place for a diaspora that is growing faster than ever.
The programme comes at a significant moment for Tuvalu.
Under the Australian-Tuvalu Falepili Union, signed on 28 August 2024, up to 280 Tuvaluans can move to Australia each year through the Falepili Mobility Pathway.
Interest has been strong, with more than 8700 applications lodged in 2025 from a country of just over 10,000 people.
For producer Saele Teaukai, the radio show is about entertainment but also keeping people connected as communities spread across different countries.
“We were very blessed to have been asked to start a Tuvaluan show for our people,” producer Saele Teaukai tells PMN Tuvalu.
Alongside Salepa O’Hanlon and announcer Uofatimatie Peifaga, Teaukai produces the one-hour programme every second Thursday on the Pasifika TV & Radio Facebook and YouTube pages.
The show mixes community news, prayer, interviews and music, creating a space where Tuvaluans can hear familiar voices and stay connected to events at home and abroad.
Teaukai says he is already seeing the effects of migration on the ground.
“I’ve seen it in Brisbane, a lot of new faces around. It’s good to see,” he says, hoping his show will act as a port of call for migrating Tuvaluans.
“Just to have this platform where we can share information is a good thing, I think it helps a lot.”
Te Leo o Tuvalu starts at 5pm local time (NZST 7pm), the lineup features a prayer, celebratory notices, and interviews. Recent airings featured interviews with a local entrepreneur and a digital security expert.
“Just in our last show, a few of our people here received their Australian citizenship,” Teaukai says.
But Teaukai says the programme has a deeper goal: protecting the Tuvaluan language for future generations.
“The main purpose was just to get the stories around, not only to Tuvaluans in Brisbane, but to Tuvaluans anywhere,” he says.
“We just want to keep them updated and also I think one of the most important things is for the language. Just to keep our language alive. Keep it going.
“As I see it now, it’s dying. Even with me, I can barely speak Tuvaluan, I understand perfectly.”
Music has become one of the strongest ways of keeping that connection alive. Traditional fatele songs regularly feature on the programme, prompting messages from listeners worldwide.
“The show we had [recently] we played like six fatele,” he says. “People were messaging me, ‘Thank you for the fatele! We enjoyed it, we danced’.”
Teaukai believes the Tuvaluan youth play a key role in helping “keep the culture alive”, wherever they live.
“Speak your language, speak Tuvaluan, if you don’t know how to speak Tuvaluan, the Bible is there. The best way to learn it is to speak, practice, don’t be shy. Fakamalosi.”
As more Tuvaluans begin new lives overseas, Te Leo o Tuvalu will continue its mission to ensure their heritage isn’t lost in transit…..PACNEWS
PAC – PIDC MEET: ISLANDS BUSINESS PACNEWS 1: Fri 12 Jun 2026
Pacific immigration leaders mark 30 years of regional cooperation
SUVA, 12 JUNE 2026 (ISLANDS BUSINESS)—Pacific governments are tightening cooperation on border security and labour mobility as regional migration, crime and security pressures intensify, with immigration leaders meeting in Suva this week to mark 30 years of the Pacific Immigration Development Community (PIDC).
The 30th PIDC Regional Annual Meeting opened in Fiji, where Immigration Minister Viliame Naupoto said the region now faces “migration pressures, economic uncertainty, international conflicts and emerging security threats.”
He said Pacific states need modern border management systems, stronger legislation and faster information sharing to protect communities while keeping travel and trade moving.
PIDC, established in Fiji in 1996, has grown into a key forum for cooperation, information sharing and partnership among Pacific immigration agencies.
This year’s theme, “Innovation, Security and Partnerships for a Secure Pacific Border,” reflects the balance Pacific governments are trying to strike between open movement and tighter border control.
Naupoto also linked immigration cooperation to the wider 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent, saying that immigration agencies are central to trade, tourism, labour mobility, and educational opportunities across the region.
He pointed to Fiji’s recent hosting of the Pacific Heads of Police Meeting as evidence of growing coordination with law enforcement against transnational crime.
The meeting brought together immigration leaders and practitioners from across the Pacific and ended with a renewed call for stronger partnerships, secure borders and a safer, more connected region…..PACNEWS
PACIFIC – OBITUARY: PINA SECRETRIAT PACNEWS 1: Fri 12 Jun 2026
PINA mourns the loss of Papua New Guinea media leader Genesis Ketan
SUVA, 12 JUNE 2026 (PINA SECRETARIAT) —The Pacific Islands News Association (PINA) is very sad to hear about the death of Genesis Ketan, a well-known journalist and media leader from Papua New Guinea, who passed away on Monday.
Ketan was a strong leader for media freedom. She was an executive member of the Media Council of PNG and one of the founders of the PNG Women in Media network. She worked very hard to support women journalists, help young reporters, and protect the freedom of the press.
With her passing, PNG and the Pacific media family have lost a true champion who fought for media freedom and for women to be treated fairly and kept safe at work. She has left a lasting mark on Pacific journalism.
Her work reached far beyond PNG. At the 7th Pacific Media Summit in Niue in 2024, Genesis led a group of PNG women journalists to share their stories and experiences with other women media workers from across the Pacific.
Remembering her work, the PINA Manager and Women in Media Fiji co-founder Makereta Komai said: “Genesis was part of a core group of women journalists in Papua New Guinea that set up the women in media network because of the need to provide that safe space for women to find their voice to raise their issues and be recognised for their work in the media industry.”
“Her death feels like unfinished business because she was taken from us far too soon.
However, we choose to remember and celebrate the great work she did. Her courage and leadership will continue to inspire Pacific journalists for a very long time, said Komai.
“Our thoughts and deepest prayers are with her husband, her four young children, her friends, and all our media colleagues in PNG. We share your sadness and honour a remarkable woman who gave so much to her country and her profession.
May she rest in peace,” she said. ….PACNEWS
PACNEWS BIZ
PAC – FUEL CRISIS: PACNEWS/PIFS PACNEWS BIZ: Fri 12 Jun 2026
Pacific Forum Taskforce develops regional response framework for Middle East crisis
SUVA, 12 JUNE 2026 (PACNEWS/PIFS) —The Pacific Islands Forum’s CROP Taskforce on the Middle East Crisis has advanced work on a regional framework to help Forum members respond to challenges arising from the ongoing crisis.
The Taskforce held its fourth meeting virtually Thursday, focusing on identifying appropriate regional response mechanisms to assist Forum members in navigating the complex challenges linked to the crisis.
The meeting was co-chaired by the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat (PIFS) and the Pacific Community (SPC).
Technical Working Groups (TWGs) updated the Taskforce on their findings related to the region’s energy crisis, emerging risks, and proposed actions that could be taken to address some of the challenges ahead for Forum members.
According to the Forum, the work and insights of the TWGs will contribute to the development of regional triggers and escalation thresholds.
The Taskforce has established TWGs on fuel supply and logistics and economics, while health and food security are also being considered.
The Forum said all work undertaken by the TWGs will ultimately lead to the formulation of a proposed regional trigger and escalation threshold framework for the Blue Pacific Continent…..PACNEWS
FIJI – AIRLINE: FIJI GOVT/FIJI TIMES PACNEWS BIZ: Fri 12 Jun 2026
PM Rabuka launches Fiji Airways inagural direct flight to Gold coast
NADI, 12 JUNE 2026 (FIJI GOVT/FIJI TIMES)—Fiji’s national airline, Fiji Airways, this morning launched its inaugural direct service between Nadi and the Gold Coast, Australia.
Launching this significant milestone, Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka described the new route as more than just an additional air service, calling it “a new gateway of opportunity” that will strengthen ties between Fiji and one of Australia’s fastest-growing regions.
Speaking at the departure ceremony of Flight FJ981, Prime Minister Rabuka said this is a gateway that strengthens our people-to-people ties, expands economic engagement, and reflects the deepening of the renewed and elevated Vuvale Partnership, which continues to guide cooperation between Fiji and Australia across trade, investment, tourism, labour mobility and sustainable development.
“This moment is also aligned with Fiji’s long-term development direction under Vision 2050, which seeks to build a more competitive, resilient and globally connected economy—anchored in strong international partnerships and expanded market access,” he said.
He highlighted the Gold Coast’s significance as one of Australia’s most vibrant urban economies, renowned for its tourism sector, sporting culture, innovation ecosystem and growing infrastructure investment ahead of the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Prime Minister Rabuka said the direct service would simplify travel for passengers while creating new opportunities for tourism, trade, investment and business growth.
The route will add more than 53,000 seats annually between Fiji and the Gold Coast market, further supporting Fiji’s tourism industry, which remains a key pillar of the national economy and a major source of employment and livelihoods for thousands of Fijians.
“Australia remains Fiji’s largest visitor market and one of our most important economic partners. These additional seats represent opportunities for tourism operators, small businesses, investors and stronger people-to-people connections,” he said.
The Prime Minister also reaffirmed Fiji’s ambition to strengthen its position as the Pacific’s leading aviation hub, noting that the new route enhances connectivity through Nadi International Airport to destinations across Fiji, the Pacific, North America and beyond.
At the outset, Rabuka commended Fiji Airways for its continued growth and strategic expansion under the leadership of Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Paul Scurrah.
“Our national airline is more than a carrier. It is a global ambassador for Fiji, promoting our nation as a destination for tourism, investment and opportunity,” he said.
He also acknowledged the contributions of Queensland Airports Limited, Gold Coast Airport, Tourism Fiji, the Queensland Government and other stakeholders whose collaboration helped make the new service possible.
“As this inaugural flight prepares for departure, we are not only launching a new service—we are opening a new chapter in the Fiji–Australia relationship,” he concluded.
Meanwhile, Fiji’s aviation sector recorded stronger passenger and cargo utilisation rates in the March quarter of 2026 compared with the same period last year, according to the latest aircraft statistics released by the Fiji Bureau of Statistics.
The report, which covers regular domestic and international airline operations, showed improvements in both passenger and freight load factors despite some seasonal declines from the previous quarter.
For international flights, airlines utilised 75.2 percent of the total available seat kilometres of 2.83 billion during the March quarter. While this represented a slight decline of 0.4 percentage points from the December 2025 quarter, it was 4.2 percentage points higher than the March quarter of 2025.
The figures indicate that international carriers were able to fill a larger proportion of available seats compared to a year ago, reflecting continued strength in overseas travel demand.
Cargo performance also improved. International flights utilised 55.9 percent of the total available tonne kilometres of 489.8 million during the quarter. This was 0.5 percentage points higher than the December 2025 quarter and 4.2 percentage points above the level recorded in March 2025.
Domestic aviation also posted significant year-on-year gains.
Passenger load factors on domestic routes reached 68.7 percent of available seat kilometres, an increase of 8 percentage points compared with the March quarter of 2025. However, domestic passenger utilisation was down 5.9 percentage points from the December quarter, reflecting softer demand following the peak holiday travel period.
Domestic freight operations recorded a load factor of 68.9 percent, representing an increase of 11.1 percentage points compared with the same quarter last year. Compared to the December 2025 quarter, the figure was down by 3.1 percentage points.
The statistics suggest that while aviation activity experienced the usual seasonal slowdown following the busy end-of-year travel period, both international and domestic airlines continue to carry more passengers and freight than they did a year earlier.
The improved utilisation rates come amid continued growth in visitor arrivals and increasing demand for air connectivity across Fiji and the wider Pacific region…..PACNEWS
PNG – FUEL SUBSIDY: THE NATIONAL PACNEWS BIZ: Fri 12 Jun 2026
Redirecting of K1billion fuel relief a concern: PNG Manufacturing Council CEO
PORT MORESBY, 12 JUNE 2026 (THE NATIONAL)—While businesses are operating as normal buoyed by the Papua New Guinea Government’s relief package to cushion the global fuel price hike, businesses are concerned about the redirecting of the K1 billion(US$228 million).
On top of that, there is also the forgone revenue as a result of the waiving of fuel taxes.
Manufacturing Council chief executive officer and Business Peak Body representative Chey Scovell told The National that for manufacturers, there would probably be greater confidence if resources of that scale were being applied to some of the structural problems holding back production every day.
Scovell said that the power supply situation in provincial centres was bad particularly in Lae.
And, in Port Moresby, the “looming” water supply crisis had impacted businesses.
He said that these were not occasional disruptions.
He said they directly affect production, jobs, investment and the cost of doing business.
“We do note and appreciate that retail fuel prices in PNG are being heavily softened through direct State intervention,” he said.
“That effort is appreciated, because fuel prices affect every household and business.
“Appreciating that our Government has to balance immediate cost-of-living pressures with the need to fix the systems that keep the economy running.
“Short-term relief is important, but it should not come at the expense of investment in reliable power, water and other essential infrastructures.
“Businesses are still operating, but the Middle East conflict is adding another layer of cost and uncertainty.
“Freight, insurance, fuel and imported inputs are all exposed, and manufacturers have very limited ability to absorb repeated increases without eventually passing some of that cost on.
“Like other nations, we are seeing significant cost increases throughout the supply chain, as well as direct scarcity (products not even available despite heavily inflated costs).”
Meanwhile, on the impact of the Government’s decision on Bougainville would have on the economy, Scovell said that it was a sensitive matter.
He hoped that the matter was handled peacefully, carefully and by using the proper constitutional processes…PACNEWS
PAC – DIPLOMACY/FISHERIES: FFA PACNEWS BIZ: Fri 12 Jun 2026
UNDP Pacific Resident Representative visits FFA
HONIARA, 12 JUNE 2026 (FFA)—The Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) UNDP Pacific Office in Fiji, Mukkhtuya (Tuya) Altangerel, visited the Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA) headquarters in Honiara Wednesday.
Altangerel met with FFA Director-General Noan David Pakop and acknowledged the significant work being delivered through the Oceanic Fisheries Management Project 3 – OFMP3, which is funded by the Global Environment Facility, implemented by United Nations Development Programme – UNDP and executed by FFA.
Their discussions covered a range of emerging and ongoing priorities for the region, including efforts to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, the potential applications of artificial intelligence in fisheries management, practical approaches to implementing the BBNJ Agreement, amongst other areas of mutual interest.
The visit concluded with a tour of FFA’s Regional Fisheries Surveillance Centre (RSFC), where Altangerel gained further insight into the regional cooperation and monitoring efforts that support sustainable fisheries management across the Pacific.
FFA values its strong partnership with UNDP and looks forward to continuing to work together to strengthen ocean governance and support Pacific Island countries in safeguarding their fisheries resources for future generations….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
How Tuvalu is rewriting the rules of statehood
By Olya K-Mehri
FUNAFUTI, 12 JUNE 2026 (THE DIPLOMAT)—On a narrow strip of coral in the central Pacific, residents of Tuvalu are confronting a question no country has ever had to answer: What happens to a nation if its land disappears?
The issue has taken on new urgency in 2026 as United Nations member states negotiate a landmark Declaration on Sea-Level Rise, scheduled for adoption by the General Assembly in September. The declaration is expected to address the scientific, economic, and legal consequences of rising seas, including questions surrounding statehood and maritime rights. In May 2026, as formal negotiations began in New York, Tuvalu’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Tapugao Falefou, reaffirmed the country’s position that sea-level rise cannot extinguish statehood, sovereignty, or international legal personality. For Tuvalu, the negotiations represent more than a diplomatic process. They are an opportunity to help shape international norms that could determine the country’s future for generations to come.
The low-lying island nation of about 11,000 people has become a symbol of the global climate crisis. Rising seas are flooding roads, contaminating freshwater supplies and eroding coastlines across the country’s nine atolls. Scientists project that much of Tuvalu could become increasingly difficult to inhabit during this century as sea levels continue to rise.
But rather than accepting a future of disappearance, Tuvalu is pursuing an ambitious legal and diplomatic strategy to ensure that its sovereignty survives even if climate change transforms its physical territory.
At the centre of that effort is a simple but groundbreaking argument: a nation should not cease to exist because of a climate crisis it did little to create.
In 2023, Tuvalu amended its constitution to declare that the country’s statehood and maritime boundaries would remain permanent regardless of sea-level rise. The constitutional changes assert that Tuvalu will continue to exist “in perpetuity” even if climate change affects its physical territory.
The move represents one of the most significant legal experiments in modern international relations.
For centuries, statehood has generally been tied to territory, but Tuvalu is now helping lead an international effort to establish that sovereignty, citizenship and maritime rights can endure even as coastlines change. At recent United Nations negotiations, Tuvalu’s representatives reiterated that sea-level rise cannot extinguish a nation’s legal existence.
Tuvalu has also been a prominent voice in negotiations surrounding the proposed U.N. Declaration on Sea-Level Rise. During consultations earlier this year, the country called for stronger recognition of the continuity of statehood, the preservation of maritime rights, and greater international cooperation to address the existential threats facing low-lying island nations. The declaration could become one of the most significant international political statements yet on the legal implications of sea-level rise.
The country’s campaign has already achieved notable successes.
Under the Falepili Union treaty, Australia formally recognised Tuvalu’s continuing statehood and sovereignty despite the impacts of climate-related sea-level rise. The agreement also created a special migration pathway allowing Tuvaluans to live, work and study in Australia, when the treaty entered into force in 2024.
The urgency of that effort is increasingly apparent. Under Australia and Tuvalu’s Falepili Union treaty, more than 90 percent of Tuvaluans applied for the visa scheme in 2025. The overwhelming response reflected both concern about climate risks and a desire for greater economic opportunities, underscoring the difficult reality facing many Tuvaluans as they weigh opportunities abroad against the prospect of remaining in one of the countries most vulnerable to sea-level rise. Yet while many citizens are exploring options beyond Tuvalu’s shores, the government is simultaneously working to ensure that the nation itself remains.
Tuvaluan leaders reject the idea that migration means surrender.
Government officials have repeatedly emphasised that relocation and statehood are separate issues. Citizens may move, they argue, but the nation itself endures. That principle underpins efforts to preserve maritime boundaries, diplomatic recognition and cultural identity regardless of future climate impacts.
Tuvalu is also investing in adaptation. Under the Tuvalu Coastal Adaptation Project, funded by the Green Climate Fund, Funafuti island was selected for major coastal protection infrastructure because it contains the country’s highest concentration of economic, social, political and institutional assets. The project includes land reclamation and shoreline protection measures aimed at creating higher and more resilient areas for housing, infrastructure and public services as sea levels continue to rise.
At the same time, the country is pursuing one of the world’s most ambitious experiments in digital sovereignty. In 2022, the government announced plans to create the world’s first digital nation in the metaverse, preserving government functions, public records, cultural heritage and national identity in a virtual space, should climate change one day render parts of the country uninhabitable. The initiative reflects a broader goal that runs throughout Tuvalu’s climate diplomacy: ensuring that statehood can survive even if geography changes.
For many Tuvaluans, however, the issue extends beyond law, diplomacy or engineering.
The debate is ultimately about whether a people can remain connected to their homeland when the physical landscape that shaped their identity is changing before their eyes.
The implications extend far beyond Tuvalu’s shores. Other low-lying island nations, including Kiribati and the Marshall Islands, are closely watching efforts to preserve statehood and maritime rights in the face of rising seas. A successful case for the continuity of statehood could establish an important precedent in international law, ensuring that countries threatened by climate change do not lose their sovereignty, United Nations membership, or control over vast maritime resources simply because their territory becomes uninhabitable. As sea-level rise accelerates, the legal principles being tested by Tuvalu today may help shape how the international community responds to climate-related displacement and territorial loss in the decades ahead.
For Tuvalu, however, the debate is not merely a legal matter. As more citizens explore opportunities abroad and rising seas continue to reshape the islands they call home, the government is pursuing a bold vision of national survival, one that seeks to preserve sovereignty, identity and statehood regardless of what happens to its territory. In doing so, Tuvalu is forcing the international community to confront a question that may define the century ahead: can a nation endure even when the land beneath it is disappearing?….PACNEWS
PACNEWS DIGEST
The views expressed in PACNEWS are those of agencies contributing articles and do not necessarily those of PINA and/or PACNEWS
Reading the sky: How new automatic weather stations are protecting Pacific Food, families, and futures
By Patricial Mallam abd Je Eun Lee
ABAIANG, 12 JUNE 2026 (ISLANDS BUSINESS)—On the low-lying atoll of Abaiang in Kiribati, the margin between a normal day and a dangerous one can be measured in millimetres of rain. On Tongatapu, a fisher heading offshore at dawn is making a decision that depends entirely on weather information they may or may not have. In Samoa, a farmer watching the sky over Aleipata knows the wet season is changing, but until recently had no way of knowing exactly how.
Across these three Pacific Island countries, through the European Unionfunded Climate Services and Related Applications (ClimSA) programme, a network of new Automatic Weather Stations (AWSs) is quietly changing their daily decision-making process by putting precise, real-time weather and climate data into the hands of the people and services that need it most.
Why Weather Data Matters for Pacific Food Security
In the Pacific, food security and weather are deeply connected. Root crops, coconut, breadfruit, and fisheries are all vulnerable to cyclones, drought, flooding, and saltwater intrusion. When a farmer loses a taro crop to an unexpected dry spell, or a fisher is caught offshore by a sudden squall, the consequences are immediate and felt by the wider community.
Agriculture and fisheries underpin most livelihoods in Pacific Island countries, where three-quarters of the population lives rurally and relies heavily on these sectors. Around 80% of Pacific Islanders depend on subsistence or smallholder farming for food, while coastal fisheries support over 50% of households with nutrition, income, and cultural value. The difference between a forecast using real-time local data and distant modelling can mean a harvest saved or lost. An AWS records soil moisture, temperature, and rainfall conditions in real time, that information flows to the national meteorological service and is translated into agricultural advisories and severe weather warnings. Those products reach the farmers and fishers who depend on them for daily decisions about planting, harvesting, and heading out to sea.
Technology Built for the Pacific
An Automatic Weather Station looks very ordinary, with just a solar panel, a mast and a cluster of sensors. But what it delivers is anything but ordinary. Each station measures air temperature, humidity, wind speed and direction, rainfall, atmospheric pressure, solar radiation, soil temperature, soil moisture, and air quality. These datasets are captured every minute of every day, without the need for anyone to be physically on-site.
The stations run entirely on solar power with a 14-day battery backup, and transmit data via cellular or satellite link. If the cellular network drops during a cyclone, the system switches to satellite automatically, meaning nothing is lost and nothing is delayed. That data flows to each country’s national Meteorological Service in real time, feeding into forecasts, warnings, and the global observation systems that underpin international weather models.
Three Countries, One Mission
The agricultural value of this data is significant. Soil sensors at depths of 10, 20, 30, and 100 centimetres track moisture and temperature in the root zone where crops grow. Solar radiation and sunshine duration sensors measure the energy driving plant growth. Combined with rainfall, humidity, and wind data, this gives met services the information they need to issue planting advisories, drought alerts, and irrigation guidance that is grounded in measured, local conditions rather than regional estimates.
In Kiribati, the ClimSA programme is providing three new Automatic Weather Stations, procured and installed by contractors Earth Sciences New Zealand (ESNZ). The latest of these has just been commissioned at Tuarabu Airport on Abaiang, a milestone for the Kiribati Meteorological Services and for the islands’ observation coverage. Four additional stations are already operational on Maiana, Marakei, Abemama, and Nonouti, with equipment for Kuria, Nikunau, and Abaiang installations underway. The expanded network is transforming Kiribati’s ability to monitor conditions across the widely dispersed Gilbert Islands, where previously entire island groups could go without a single operational station.
For a country where most atolls sit barely two metres above sea level, accurate localised forecasts are a matter of survival. The data also supports copra and breadfruit farmers who rely on seasonal rainfall patterns, and fishing communities making daily decisions about whether conditions are safe to head offshore.
In Tonga, ClimSA is providing four new Automatic Weather Stations. Two have been installed, one at Fua’amotu International Airport in the vicinity of the main runway and another at the new Tonga Meteorological Service (TMS) office at Matatoa. The remaining two are planned to be installed Ha’apai and Vava’u islands with the actual site location to be confirmed, which will further expand the current real-time automatic weather station coverage and network of Tonga into the outer islands.
Director of Meteorology Laitia Fifita recently welcomed the EU Ambassador for the Pacific, Her Excellency Barbara Plinkert, to the TMS offices, where he outlined the positive impacts that the new stations are having on forecast quality, operations and early warning capability. To highlight, one of the stations being installed has the capability of detecting and analysing air quality in Tonga. An enhanced feature of the automatic weather station supported and funded by ClimSA that makes their services more efficient and supports effective decision making and planning.
The stations form part of a broader suite of 11 ClimSA-supported activities in Tonga, including drought preparedness, climate data rescue, strengthened community early warning systems, and training in agriculture and maritime safety. For Tongan farmers managing root crops and livestock through increasingly unpredictable wet and dry seasons, the soil moisture and temperature data from these stations provides the evidence base for better agricultural planning.
In Samoa, ClimSA is providing four new AWS, with eight stations now operational across Upolu and Savaii. The programme also funded the installation of three AWS previously purchased through the Green Climate Fund, addressing a critical gap where equipment had been procured but lacked the resources for deployment.
A further 10 existing weather stations have been refurbished with new sensors and automated rain gauges, restoring capacity that had deteriorated over time. The Samoa Meteorological Division is using the expanded network to sharpen forecasts and strengthen community early warnings. For Samoa’s agricultural sector, the soil temperature and moisture sensors at multiple depths are providing subsurface information that was previously unavailable, and now helping farmers decide when to plant, when to irrigate, and when to hold off.
A Pacific Investment
The AWS programme represents an investment of nearly USD 700,000 by the European Union through ClimSA, delivering 11 new stations across three countries: four for Samoa, four for Tonga, and three for Kiribati. Every station was designed to a single standard specification developed collaboratively by the World Meteorological Organisation’s (WMO) technical staff, ClimSA, national met service representatives, and the technical contractor ESNZ, ensuring consistency and interoperability across the region.
The investment was designed as a complete package, not just equipment. It included a two-week training programme at the ESNZ facility in Christchurch, New Zealand, where two technicians from each country (six in total), undertook hands-on training linked directly to factory testing and installation procedures. Those trained technicians then led installations in their home countries after ESNZ conducted a pilot installation in each location. The package also covered all installation costs, including funding to secure and prepare each AWS site, and a full set of spare parts for every country to ensure long-term operational sustainability.
All 11 stations measure identical parameters to WMO standards, ensuring data is comparable across the region and feeds into the WMO Information System (WIS 2.0). For three countries that have historically struggled with sparse, ageing observation networks, the impact is tangible: more stations producing higher-quality data means more accurate forecasts, earlier warnings, and stronger evidence for the climate adaptation decisions that affect food production, water security, and community safety.
What the technical specifications do not capture is how these stations are installed in the culturally rich and diverse Pacific landscape. Across the Pacific, communities allocate prime land for the installations, which is cleared with care to minimise environmental disturbance.
Before a single sensor is mounted, permission is sought from traditional landowners, and in many cases a ground-breaking ceremony is held to honour the land. It is an act of welcome, carried out as if seeking the land’s blessing to bring modern instruments into a space that has been read by traditional knowledge for generations. Technology does not replace that knowledge, but compliments the generations of traditional knowledge. Three countries, one network and a Pacific that honours its past while being better prepared for what nature concocts….PACNEWS
PACNEWS DIGEST
The views expressed in PACNEWS are those of agencies contributing articles and do not necessarily those of PINA and/or PACNEWS
Tackling the Pacific’s observational data gap
HONIARA, 12 JUNE 2026 (SPREP)— Pacific hydromet and geological service directors, regional and technical partners and meteorological services are returning to their respective homes with an improved understanding of how to close the USD$80 million Pacific’s weather and climate data gap in the Global Basic Observation Network (GBON).
The work to address this gap matters.
“Reliable observations are the foundation of every forecast and early warning the Pacific relies on them,” said ‘Ofa Fa’anunu, Weather Ready Pacific Programme Manager.
“Weather Ready Pacific and the Systematic Observations Financing Facility (SOFF). are working together looking for ways to ensure regional ambition turns into sustainable action on the ground, and we are looking forward to continuing to work closely with SOFF and our Pacific Met Services to support the successful establishment of new and renovated meteorological monitoring stations that will strengthen forecasting and early warning systems across our region.”
On 03 June in Honiara, Solomon Islands, a session co-facilitated by the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP), through its Weather Ready Pacific (WRP) Programme, and SOFF focussed on closing the Pacific’s weather and climate data gap. The session followed the WRP Steering Committee Meeting, which brought the same community together, and built on a partnership the two organisations signed at COP29.
The session gave an overview of SOFF’s support in the Pacific, where 12 countries are now in the programme and four are already investing in new and renovated stations, including in Solomon Islands, the host country.
Discussion also covered how countries might work together as a region, and the future of financing, including a proposed new finance tool, the Systematic Observation Impact Bond, designed to bring funding forward so countries can move from planning to delivery sooner. The marine observation gap was also flagged as an ongoing priority for a region defined by the sea.
“Together with the Meteorological Directors and Weather Ready Pacific, we share an ambitious vision: to strengthen weather and climate observations across the Pacific by joining forces, building regional synergies, and investing not only in data, but in systems that can be sustained over the long term,” said Ms. Olga Miltcheva, SOFF Deputy Director.
“The forthcoming Systematic Observation Impact Bond can help front-load the funding needed to close critical gaps quickly.”
With a lot for services to weigh up, Pacific hydromet directors called for the conversation to continue. There is much still to consider, and the clear request was to revisit these discussions so that decisions can be taken carefully and with Pacific countries in the lead.
The Systematic Observations Financing Facility (SOFF) is a UN fund dedicated to helping countries with the greatest data shortfalls, particularly Small Island Developing States and Least Developed Countries, to generate and share the basic weather and climate observations that underpin forecasts, early warnings and climate services worldwide, in line with the Global Basic Observing Network (GBON) standard….PACNEWS
For more information, please contact: ‘Ofa Fa’anunu, Manager, WRP Programme – ofaf@sprep.org
Angelica Salele-Sefo, Communications & Knowledge Management Officer, WRPP – angelicas@sprep.org
