In this bulletin:
1. PACIFIC — Pacific must stay united as Climate threat grows, Solomon Islands Minister tells regional meeting
2. PACIFIC — Pacific Climate Ministers advance united regional agenda ahead of COP31
3. PACIFIC — French Polynesia objects to an American seabed mining plan made without its input
4. USA/SOL — PM Wale discusses energy, Bina Harbour and Investment with U.S deputy Secretary of State
5. PACIFIC— Crime gangs snare more than US$88 billion in scams in Asia-Pacific, UN says
6. VAN — First stage of drought declared for Parts of Vanuatu
7. FIJI — $1.2m medical waste hub opens at Lautoka Hospital
8. PACNEWS BIZ — Fiji Sugar Corporation moves to restore sugar supplies in supermarkets
9. PACNEWS BIZ — Fiji launches Development of National MCS strategy to combat IUU fishing
10. PACNEWS BIZ — Driving Sustainable Marine Resource Management: Insights from Fiji’s external stakeholder consultation
11. PACNEWS BIZ — Japan and Fiji launch Phase eight of Fisheries Development Assistance
12. PACNEWS IN FOCUS — Why small island states are driving the fight against climate change
13. PACNEWS DIGEST — ADB, Japan establish New Water Security Fund
PAC – CLIMATE CHANGE MEET: PACNEWS PACNEWS 1: Wed 22 Jul 2026
Pacific must stay united as Climate threat grows, Solomon Islands Minister tells regional meeting
SYDNEY, 22 JULY 2026 (PACNEWS)— Forum Chair representative and Solomon Islands Minister of Environment, Climate Change, Disaster Management and Meteorology Wayne Ghemu has called on Pacific countries to maintain a united front on climate action as the region prepares for a series of key international meetings ahead of COP31.
Opening the sixth Pacific Climate Ministers Talanoa in Sydney Tuesday, which he co-chaired with Australia’s Minister for Climate Change and Energy Chris Bowen, Ghemu thanked Australia for hosting the meeting.
“Since this will be my first time to Co-Chair this Ministerial Talanoa alongside Minister Bowen, allow me to personally express my sincere thank you, Minister Bowen, for your Leadership and to the Government and people of Australia for the warm welcome and for hosting us in your country.”
He also thanked Pacific ministers, the COP31 Senior Officials Taskforce and the Secretariat for advancing work under the Pacific Partnership.
Ghemu said Pacific countries faced mounting global pressures but climate change remained the region’s greatest challenge.
“We gather at a time of significant global pressures that continue to challenge our economic and development aspirations.
“As we carefully manage our way through these difficult times, we must be reminded of the existential threat that climate change continues to pose on our people and communities,” he said.
He said regional cooperation was becoming even more important as the international system faced increasing challenges.
“As the international system becomes increasingly fragmented and the effectiveness of multilateral institutions is tested, the Pacific must continue to demonstrate that regionalism remains one of our greatest strengths. While global consensus may at times falter, our collective resolve must not.”
“Through the Pacific Islands Forum and the COP31 Pacific Partnership, we have shown that when we speak with one voice, we amplify our influence, strengthen our negotiating position and present solutions that are greater than the sum of our individual efforts.
“In an increasingly uncertain world, our regional solidarity is not simply a matter of convenience, it is a strategic necessity,” Minister Ghemu stressed.
Ghemu said regional action must continue to reflect national priorities.
“Our regional agenda must, however, always remain grounded in national priorities.
The strength of our collective voice is derived from the aspirations and needs of our individual countries and communities,” he said.
He noted there were fewer than 100 days before the Pre-COP meeting and other major events, including the Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting in Palau, the United Nations General Assembly and COP31.
“We have less than a hundred days to the Pre-COP and other key events that will be crucial to advance our shared priorities, including the PIF Leaders Meeting in Palau, the UNGA and of course COP31.
We must ensure that we make the most of every space of influence we can get to advance the endorsed priorities under the Pacific Partnership – be it as a collective or through our bilateral engagements with our other partners,” he emphasised.
Ghemu also called for greater participation by communities, civil society and young people.
“I want to also iterate the critical importance of bringing together our vulnerable communities, civil society and young people along with us on this journey.
Addressing the climate crisis should not be confined to a select few. Where we can garner support and forge genuine partnerships, let us do so with intent and a determination to influence change,” he said.
He urged ministers to use the meeting to advance the work mandated by Pacific leaders. …. PACNEWS
PAC – CLIMATE CHANGE: PIFS PACNEWS 1: Wed 22 Jul 2026
Pacific Climate Ministers advance united regional agenda ahead of COP31
SYDNEY, 22 JULY 2026 (PIFS)—Pacific Climate Ministers convened Tuesday for the sixth Pacific Climate Ministers Talanoa, strengthening regional climate cooperation and advancing a united Pacific agenda ahead of Pre-COP31 in the Pacific and COP31 in Türkiye.
The Talanoa was co-chaired by Wayne Ghemu, Solomon Islands’ Minister of Environment, Climate Change, Disaster Management and Meteorology, representing the Pacific Islands Forum Chair, and Chris Bowen, Australia’s Minister for Climate Change and Energy.
The Talanoa focused on delivering ambitious outcomes through the Pacific-Australia partnership, with discussions focused on advancing shared regional priorities through the Pacific Senior Officials Taskforce, including coordination of Pacific positions, preparations for the Pre-COP in Fiji, and the Leaders’ side visit to Tuvalu.
“Through the Pacific Islands Forum and the COP31 Pacific Partnership, we have shown that when we speak with one voice, we amplify our influence, strengthen our negotiating position and present solutions that are greater than the sum of our individual efforts. In an increasingly uncertain world, our regional solidarity is not simply a matter of convenience; it is a strategic necessity,” said co-chair Ghemu.
“Pre-COP will position Pacific voices to shape global climate negotiations, bringing governments and investors to the region,” said co-chair Bowen.
“Today Climate Ministers took forward their important work on regional climate cooperation, which will help deliver real outcomes on the region’s priorities.”
“Our Pacific Islands communities feel the impacts of climate change in their daily lives, so it is imperative that we do everything within our collective power to address this issue. Together, we have a responsibility to ensure Pacific priorities are amplified in the global negotiations that will shape our future,” said Sefanaia Nawadra, Director General of the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme.
“While progressing this work, Senior Officials and the COP31 Secretariat are also very mindful of the current geopolitics and the impacts it will have in how we move forward. Amid current geopolitical uncertainties, alarms have been raised on the potential of an overshoot in the global average temperature, a strong push-back on the centrality of science, a shrinking climate financial landscape, and concerns over the inadequacy of multilateral processes and their ability to respond at the speed needed to address the climate crisis,” said PIF Deputy Secretary General Desna Solofa.
“It is therefore very critical that we are agile and remain ahead of these issues particularly in how we implement the COP31 Pacific Partnership.”
Ministers reviewed progress in Pacific climate diplomacy, including engagement with Türkiye, outcomes from the UNFCCC Subsidiary Bodies meetings in Bonn, and discussions held during London Climate Action Week last month. They also considered upcoming technical engagements that will inform the region’s collective approach to COP31.
The Talanoa also received updates from the COP31 Pacific Climate Envoys on their workplans, international engagements and priorities through to the end of 2026.
The Pacific Climate Ministers Talanoa reflects the region’s commitment to collective climate action, resilience and keeping Pacific priorities at the centre of global climate decision-making.
As preparations for Pre-COP31 meetings and COP31 gain momentum, the Talanoa reinforced the Pacific’s united voice and shared vision for a successful Presidency that delivers meaningful outcomes for the region and the world…..PACNEWS
PAC – DEEP SEA MINING: GRIST PACNEWS 1: Wed 22 Jul 2026
French Polynesia objects to an American seabed mining plan made without its input
PAPE’ETE, 22 JULY 2026 ( GRIST)—The government of French Polynesia plans to challenge an American startup’s proposal to explore the waters just beyond its maritime borders for seabed mining.
“We were approached, but we were not consulted,” Moetai Brotherson, the territory’s president, told Grist.
“We are not remaining passive while industrial activities are proposed immediately next to ecosystems that French Polynesia has chosen to protect,” he said.
As Grist reported last week, a Bay Area investor wants the Trump administration’s approval to explore seabed mining in international waters entirely surrounded by the maritime borders of the Cook Islands, Kiribati, and French Polynesia.
The company, American Deep Sea Minerals, has a permit application pending before U.S regulators and hopes to extract minerals essential to the production of batteries and military technologies. It is one of at least a dozen applications under consideration as President Trump races to make the United States a leader in critical mineral mining.
Negotiators from dozens of countries are meeting this month in Jamaica at the headquarters of the International Seabed Authority(ISA), where they are debating the minutiae of a regulatory framework that’s been in progress for more than a decade.
Last year, the Trump administration invited companies to apply for permits to mine the high seas directly through the U.S rather than wait for the adoption of those rules. That has prompted global outrage from countries who say it flouts international law.
“The deep seabed belongs to no single country and no corporation; it belongs to all of us,” Letitia Carvalho, the secretary-general of the regulatory body, said in Jamaica last week.
“If we lose sight of this, we risk repeating on the ocean floor the same injustices and destruction we still strive to remedy on land.”
French Polynesia doesn’t have a seat at the authority because it remains a French territory whose Indigenous people haven’t been granted political self-determination. And until recently, when environmental nonprofit organisations extended their observer status to Indigenous advocates, the voices of French Polynesians were largely left out of the discussion. Still, Brotherson said he prefers the international regulatory process to recent U.S actions.
“This case therefore goes beyond one company or one licence application,” Brotherson said. It raises a fundamental question, he said, about whether an individual country can unilaterally authorise a new industry in international waters, particularly those adjacent to Pacific island nations and protected marine areas.
According to Brotherson, American Deep Sea Minerals sent a brief introductory email to a government representative; the government replied asking for more information.
“No response was received,” he said.
“Thus, no consultation has taken place regarding this proposal, and the government has not been provided with sufficient information to assess the project or its potential environmental implications.” Under international law, Indigenous peoples have the right to free, prior and informed consent — and to withhold such consent — regarding development and extractive projects on their ancestral territories.
Graham Goulet, the CEO of American Metals, told Grist the company intended to consult the governments of the Cook Islands, Kiribati, and French Polynesia “as the exploration program develops.” Those discussions will, he said, occur under U.S oversight and in accordance with the intentions outlined in its application. The filing notes that it intends to create a benefit sharing agreement with Pacific nations and plans to avoid interfering with fishing.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the U.S government agency overseeing seabed licenses in international waters, is still considering Goulet’s application. It is available for public comment online until 03 August.
The environmental implications of seabed mining have long concerned French Polynesia, which banned the practice in 2022, followed quickly by France in 2023.
Indigenous peoples with longstanding connections to the ocean, such as for traditional navigation, account for 80 percent of the territory’s population. Studies show extraction could harm fisheries, and Indigenous Pasifika leaders from across the region have raised cultural concerns about the significance of disturbing the sea floor.
“As if climate change wasn’t enough, the spectre of deep-sea mining threatens to strip-mine the ocean floor, our sacred place of creation,” said Hinano Murphy, an Indigenous cultural expert from Moorea and Tahiti in a TEDxTalk last year.
Last September, Brotherson added further prohibitions on seabed mining within Tainui Atea, a marine protected area that encompasses nearly all of the islands’ exclusive waters. The preserve sustains 21 species of sharks, 176 species of coral, and more than 1,000 species of fish, according to the United Nations. One survey found more than 92 percent of French Polynesians support Tainui Atea because it honors their traditional cultural practices.
“French Polynesia’s position is therefore not only a political statement. The protection of deep-sea ecosystems is now embedded in our domestic regulatory framework,” Brotherson said.
The waters that American Deep Sea Minerals is eyeing, known as Eastern High Seas Pocket 3, are also a popular tuna fishing spot, as well as a potential conservation area.
In January, the United Nations High Seas Treaty, an international law intended to protect marine ecosystems, took effect, allowing nations to create conservation areas in international waters for the first time. French Polynesia wants to use the law to protect the Eastern High Seas Pocket 3. Doing so could set an important precedent for how effective the treaty is, and how protected the world’s oceans will be in the future, Brotherson said.
If American Deep Sea Minerals’ application proceeds, French Polynesia wants a say in what happens and a thorough environmental review.
Recently, U.S regulators fast tracked the approval process for deep-sea mining applications by halving the number of environmental reviews required for commercial permits.
“We expect the interests of neighboring Pacific countries and territories to be fully taken into account through prior notification, meaningful consultation, and a comprehensive, independent and participatory environmental impact assessment,” Brotherson said.
As part of a U.S application, American Deep Sea Minerals will need to conduct scientific studies of the area and create an environmental impact assessment. Brotherson said that his government supports independent scientific research conducted on deep-sea ecosystems.
“However, we do not regard this particular application as neutral scientific research,” he said. Although the company says it does not yet intend to apply for a commercial license, its application shows that it intends to conduct the research necessary to apply for one, as well as a mining test.
“It is therefore part of a pathway towards potential commercial mining,” Brotherson said. ….PACNEWS
USA – DIPLOMACY: SOL GOVT PACNEWS 1: Wed 22 Jul 2026
PM Wale discusses energy, Bina Harbour and Investment with U.S deputy Secretary of State
WASHINGTON, 22 JULY 2026 (SOL GOVT) — Solomon Islands Prime Minister Matthew Wale has met with the United States Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau at the U.S Department of State in Washington.
The meeting reaffirmed the strong and enduring partnership between the Solomon Islands and the United States.
Prime Minister Wale highlighted the long-standing historical ties between the two countries and reiterated his Government’s commitment to strengthening relations with all international partners.
A key focus of the discussions was Bina Harbour seaport and tuna processing facility in Malaita Province.
The Deputy Secretary conveyed the United States’ keen interest in supporting the project. Both leaders agreed to advance further discussions on the Bina Harbour project going forward.
The Prime Minister also outlined the Government’s key priorities for the next two years. These include opportunities for enhanced cooperation in the energy sector, and engagement under the U.S Development Finance Corporation (DFC) and the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC).
Deputy Secretary Landau welcomed the Government’s renewed approach to international partnerships and emphasised the importance of the bilateral relationship.
He reaffirmed the United States’ readiness to support Solomon Islands through DFC and MCC programmes to expand development opportunities.
He also encouraged Solomon Islands to actively engage with the American private sector to unlock new investment opportunities that deliver tangible benefits for the people of Solomon Islands.
The meeting marks another important step in deepening cooperation and advancing shared interests between the Solomon Islands and the United States.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Matthew Wale also met with the Vice Commandant of the United States Coast Guard, Admiral Thomas G. Allan Jr, during an official visit to U.S Coast Guard Headquarters in Washington.
The Prime Minister was accorded a ceremonial salute, reflecting the significance of the visit and the growing partnership between the Solomon Islands and the United States on maritime security.
During the meeting, Prime Minister Wale paid tribute to Douglas Albert Munro, honouring his extraordinary heroism during the Guadalcanal Campaign.
The Prime Minister acknowledged Munro’s bravery in leading the evacuation of a battalion of U.S. Marines under heavy enemy fire at Point Cruz on 27 September 1942, describing his sacrifice as a lasting symbol of courage and of the shared history between the two nations.
Discussions focused on advancing bilateral cooperation, including the forthcoming signing of the Ship Rider Agreement in Honiara next week. The agreement is expected to strengthen joint maritime enforcement and surveillance.
Prime Minister Wale highlighted the urgent need to enhance security across the Pacific region. He noted the growing threats of drug trafficking, human trafficking, and illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.
He said the Pacific has become a key transit route for illicit activities, and stressed the importance of improved maritime domain awareness and coordinated regional responses.
Admiral Allan briefed the Prime Minister on the U.S Coast Guard’s current and planned initiatives in the Pacific, including efforts to strengthen maritime security and build capacity across island nations.
He reaffirmed the importance of partnerships with Pacific Island countries, particularly through the Pacific Islands Forum, in addressing shared security challenges…..PACNEWS
PAC – SCAMS: REUTERS PACNEWS 1: Wed 22 Jul 2026
Crime gangs snare more than $88 billion in scams in Asia-Pacific, UN says
BANGKOK, 22 JULY 2026 (REUTERS)— Scam gangs defrauded Asia-Pacific residents of at least US$88 billion in 2025, a United Nations office said on Tuesday, with transnational crime groups rapidly evolving tactics to stay ahead of law enforcement.
Criminals in Southeast Asia, an epicentre for cyberfraud by mostly Chinese-origin syndicates, are outpacing crackdowns, diversifying revenue streams, exploiting corruption and harnessing artificial intelligence, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) said in a new report.
The report estimated scam losses across East Asia, Southeast Asia, Australia and New Zealand between US$88.3 billion and US$114.1 billion for 2025, a figure larger than the GDP of several of the nations in the region.
Networks that once operated within specific territories or illicit trades are increasingly expanding across multiple illegal markets while using shared services, said Delphine Schantz, UNODC Regional Representative for Southeast Asia and the Pacific.
“Their operating model looks like corporate franchising: imagine specialised departments for laundering money, trafficking people, smuggling migrants, and harvesting data, all plugged into the same, service-based interconnected network,” she said.
Scam centres in Southeast Asia run illegal online schemes that defraud people worldwide, generating billions of dollars of annual revenue. Many facilities are staffed by trafficked foreign nationals, confined in oppressive environments.
People from at least 80 countries and territories have been identified in scam compounds across the region, with recruitment networks using transit hubs in Asia, the Middle East and Africa, according to UNODC.
Scam operators are increasingly seeking recruits from outside Asia as they expand into new markets, UNODC said.
Recruitment advertisements linked to the industry’s communication channels have targeted people with German, Polish, Dutch, Spanish, Italian, French, Swedish, Norwegian and English language skills, it said.
Recent pressure from law enforcement in the region has displaced but not dismantled operations, UNODC said, with gangs relocating from countries like Myanmar and Laos to East Timor, Pacific Island states, and parts of Africa.
Syndicates engage in “jurisdiction shopping” to find places with weak governance and regulation, the report said, adding that corruption was the “primary enabler” of tech-driven organised crime in the region.
Beyond using generative AI to create content, criminal groups are expected to adopt agentic AI systems to more autonomously identify victims, conduct social-engineering campaigns and facilitate cryptocurrency theft and laundering, the report said.
The scam sector’s rapid growth has fuelled an ecosystem of ancillary criminal services, including money laundering, underground banking and data trading, it said.
“The scale and complexity of this expanding organised crime economy are outpacing existing responses, which were not structured to address such sophisticated criminal activity,” said Inshik Sim, a lead analyst at UNODC……PACNEWS
VAN – WEATHER WATCH: RNZ PACIFIC PACNEWS 1: Wed 22 Jul 2026
First stage of drought declared for Parts of Vanuatu
PORT VILA, 22 JULY 2026 (RNZ PACIFIC)—Vanuatu’s weather service has declared a meteorological drought for some northern parts of the country.
This applies to Torba province, and parts of Sanma, Penama and Malampa provinces.
The Vanuatu Meteorology and Hydro-meteorological Services (VMHS) said a meteorological drought is the first stage of drought, and happens when rainfall has been significantly below the long-term average for an extended period.
The areas have recorded significantly below-average rainfall over the past three months.
It said it serves as an early warning that, if dry conditions continue, more serious impacts, such as agricultural drought, may develop.
El Niño has been declared, and it often leads to dry conditions in the Pacific.
VMHS emphasised that occasional rainfall events can still happen during El Niño.
“However, these rainfall events may not provide enough water to eliminate the accumulated rainfall deficit or bring an end to the meteorological drought. Several weeks or months of near-or above-average rainfall are often required before drought conditions improve,” it said.
“With El Niño expected to continue over the coming months, there remains an increased likelihood of below-normal rainfall across other parts of Vanuatu.
“Communities, government agencies, and stakeholders are encouraged to prepare early and make efficient use of available water resources.”
People are advised to conserve water and monitor household rainwater storage.
Farmers should consider water-saving practices and monitor crops and livestock closely.
Other countries in the region are also on El Niño alert.
PNG Prime Minister James Marape said the government was taking early action to ensure that communities, particularly those in drought-prone and water-scarce locations, are prepared.
Tonga’s National Disaster Risk Management Committee met last month to strengthen preparedness and planning.
Fiji’s minister for meteorological services said the government has set aside money in case of water shortages linked to El Niño conditions…. PACNEWS
FIJI – HEALTH: FIJI SUN PACNEWS 1: Wed 22 Jul 2026
$1.2m medical waste hub opens at Lautoka Hospital
LAUTOKA, 22 JULY 2026 (FIJI SUN) —A $1.2 million (US$600,000) investment in two new medical waste incinerators has established Lautoka Hospital as the main medical waste disposal hub for most of the Western Division.
The two Inciner8 i8-M250 medical waste incinerators, commissioned today at the Aspen Medical-managed Lautoka Hospital, replace a unit that had been in service for about 15 years and had exceeded its operational lifespan.
Acting Permanent Secretary for Health and Medical Services Dr Luisa Cikamatana Rauto said the investment was critical to delivering quality healthcare.
“It represents a commitment to safety. It represents a commitment to environmental responsibility. And above all, it represents a commitment to the people we serve,” Dr Rauto said.
“These state-of-the-art medical waste treatment units are equipped with modern emissions control technology and perform well within international environmental standards. They will strengthen the hospital’s ability to manage healthcare waste safely, efficiently and responsibly.”
Dr Rauto said the safe and effective management of medical waste was essential for infection prevention, occupational safety and public health.
“Government cannot do it alone. Private partners cannot do it alone. Healthcare workers cannot do it alone. Success comes when we work together, guided by a shared vision of delivering safe, quality and equitable healthcare for every Fijian.”
The new facility will strengthen infection prevention, occupational safety and environmental protection by providing a centralised medical waste disposal service for healthcare facilities across most of the Western Division.
Aspen Medical chief executive officer Gavin Whiteside said the facility would provide a centralised solution for medical waste disposal across the division.
“These incinerators will not only serve Lautoka Hospital; they will provide medical waste disposal services for the majority of the Western Division, creating a centralised and highly effective solution for healthcare waste management across the division,” Whiteside said.
“This investment represents far more than new equipment. It reflects our commitment to protecting patients, healthcare workers, communities and the environment through world-class waste management practices.”
Whiteside said each incinerator could process up to 150 kilogrammes of clinical waste an hour and featured automated operation, remote access capability and venturi scrubber technology to reduce emissions.
He said the new systems exceeded Fiji’s environmental standards and would support safer hospitals, healthier communities and sustainable healthcare for years to come…..PACNEWS
PACNEWS BIZ
FIJI – SUGAR INDUSTRY: FIJI SUN PACNEWS BIZ: Wed 22 Jul 2026
Fiji Sugar Corporation moves to restore sugar supplies in supermarkets
SUVA, 22 JULY 2026 (FIJI SUN)—The Fiji Sugar Corporation (FSC) says sugar supplies are steadily improving, with fresh stocks being distributed to retailers after production resumed at all three sugar mills.
In a statement, FSC acknowledged the temporary shortage of sugar in supermarkets and retail outlets, saying it understood the inconvenience caused to consumers.
The corporation said the shortage resulted from an unforeseen delay to the start of the 2026 crushing season, which affected pressure on domestic sugar stocks.
To manage available supplies responsibly and ensure they remained accessible across the country, FSC introduced a temporary rationing system.
“FSC is making all efforts in trying to restore normal sugar supply.”
All three FSC mills are now operating, with Lautoka Mill resuming crushing on 14 July 2026.
As milling activity and production continue to increase, the corporation said fresh stocks were being progressively dispatched through its distribution network.
“Consumers should therefore expect to see supplies gradually returning to supermarket shelves as retailers receive and replenish their inventories over the coming weeks.”
FSC said it had made significant progress in clearing outstanding customer orders.
It said the backlog for retail pack sugar stood at approximately 65 tonnes and was expected to be cleared by the end of this week.
For 25-kilogramme bags, all outstanding orders from June had already been fulfilled, with deliveries now being made against current month orders.
To help meet demand during the transition period, FSC said it had also secured imported sugar.
Initial shipments from New Zealand had already arrived and were being distributed into the local market, while additional consignments from Thailand were expected throughout August.
According to FSC, local milling remains the preferred source of supply and imported sugar will complement local production until domestic output stabilises.
The corporation said it was working closely with customers to facilitate timely distribution and ensure available stocks were shared as equitably as possible across the country.
“We appreciate the patience and understanding shown by consumers, retailers and other stakeholders during this period.”
FSC said that as production continued to increase, outstanding orders were cleared and imported sugar supplemented local supply, sugar availability across retail outlets was expected to continue improving in the coming weeks…..PACNEWS
FIJI – FISHERIES: FIJI FISHERIES MINISTRY PACNEWS BIZ: Wed 22 Jul 2026
Fiji launches Development of National MCS strategy to combat IUU fishing
SUVA, 22 JULY 2026 (FIJI FISHERIES MINISTRY)—Fiji has officially initiated the development of its new National Monitoring, Control, and Surveillance (MCS) Strategy.
The inaugural stakeholder consultation opened Tuesday by the Acting Permanent Secretary for Fisheries and Forestry, Saimone Tauvoli in Suva.
Tauvoli emphasised that the framework is designed to integrate aggressive measures against Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) fishing while protecting national waters using cutting-edge tools.
The strategy aligns with the Fiji National Fisheries Policy and the Forum Fisheries Agency’s (FFA) Regional MCS Strategy.
Stakeholders participating in the week-long desktop reviews and interviews are tasked with addressing several high-priority operational areas:
*Technology Integration: Mapping out the use of emerging technologies, including satellite tracking, automated electronic monitoring (EM) on vessels, and predictive data analytics to spot suspicious vessel behavior before EEZ breaches occur.
*Port State Measures: Scrutinising port controls to ensure Fiji’s regional hub status does not provide a safe haven or market pathway for illicit catches.
*Information Sharing and Inter-Agency Cooperation: Establishing real-time data pipelines across fisheries, naval forces, customs, and international organisations like the FFA.
*Legislative Realignment: Identifying regulatory gaps to ensure existing legal frameworks support advanced MCS tools and allow for swift prosecution of maritime crimes.
Tauvoli said the consultation stresses a shift away from reactive enforcement toward a risk-based approach that anticipates threats, profiles high-risk vessels, and deploys resources efficiently to disrupt illegal operators. Furthermore, he said industry transparency is highlighted as a vital component, aiming to balance strict compliance with operational realities so that honest private-sector operators can thrive.
Participants are urged to produce actionable, measurable outputs without watering down the final strategy document, ensuring Fiji maintains a robust, secure, and sustainable fisheries sector for current and future generations…..PACNEWS
FIJI – FISHERIES: FIJI FISHERIES MINISTRY PACNEWS BIZ: Wed 22 Jul 2026
Driving Sustainable Marine Resource Management: Insights from Fiji’s external stakeholder consultation
SUVA, 22 JULY 2026 (FIJI FISHERIES MINISTRY)—To protect its valuable marine ecosystems, Fiji is actively working on a comprehensive Monitoring, Control, and Surveillance (MCS) Strategy.
Following internal discussions held during the first day of the programme, the Ministry of Fisheries (MoF) convened the Day 2 External Stakeholder Consultation Programme in Suva, bringing together industry experts, government agencies, and key regional organisations.
The primary goal of the consultation is to gather vital stakeholder insights regarding the scope, priorities, implementation frameworks, and desired outcomes of the upcoming Fiji MCS Strategy.
The day’s programme featured structured sessions and collaborative discussions:
*Strategic Overviews: Presentations outlining Fiji’s current MCS arrangements alongside regional strategies provided by partners like the Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA) and MRAG.
*Core Strategy Options: Examining the distinctions between NPOA-IUU (National Plan of Action to Prevent, Deter, and Eliminate Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated Fishing) and broader MCS strategies.
*Breakout Group Discussions: Stakeholders split into collaborative groups to tackle specific high-level objectives and identify priority actions tailored to Fiji’s unique maritime landscape.
*Consensus Building: Afternoon sessions dedicated to compiling group presentations, plenary discussions, and finalizing key recommendations for government consideration.
By the conclusion of the two-day intensive programme, organisers aim to achieve three critical deliverables:
*Validate the current-state assessment of Fiji’s existing MCS system.
*Agree upon high-level goals, objectives, and targeted key actions.
*Secure direct inputs into the draft Fiji MCS Strategy, implementation plan, and ongoing monitoring framework.
This collaborative approach ensures that Fiji’s future maritime governance is practical, inclusive, and robust enough to protect marine biodiversity while supporting sustainable resource utilisation…..PACNEWS
FIJI – FISHERIES: FIJI FISHERIES MINISTRY PACNEWS BIZ: Wed 22 Jul 2026
Japan and Fiji launch Phase eight of Fisheries Development Assistance
SUVA, 22 JULY 2026 (FIJI FISHERIES MINISTRY)—Japan and the Republic of Fiji have further cemented their robust cooperative relationship through the formal signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU).
Signed by Kitazawa Taku, Resident Representative, OFCF Japan Fiji Office and Minister for Fisheries and Forestry, Alitia Bainivalu, the agreement marks the launch of “The Fisheries Development Assistance for Pacific Island Nations Phase Eight” (FDAPIN VIII Project).
Running through 31 March 2030, this multi-year initiative focuses on the restoration of critical fisheries-related facilities, targeted expert training, and enhancing the self-sustained operations of local fisheries organisations across Fiji.
Under the newly agreed Implementation Plan for FY2026, the collaboration zeroes in on practical technical support and maintenance infrastructure:
*Operator Training Programs: Building upon basic training sessions conducted previously, this year introduces hands-on, field-oriented instruction for local operators (known as “Handymans”) stationed across Fiji’s 24 fisheries facilities. The goal is to equip operators with the troubleshooting skills required to address minor faults in ice-making machines.
*Maintenance and Technical Guidance: Led by experts such as Team Leader Kuji Hironobu and Expert Hatano Minoru, alongside Ministry counterparts like Senior Technical Officer Tomasi Peckham and Refrigeration Services Officer Rajesh Mani Naicker, the project provides vital spare parts and wiring modifications to prevent refrigerant leaks in ice-making machines.
*Regional Knowledge Sharing: As part of the broader FDAPIN framework, a Fijian officer will participate in regional refrigeration training in Papua New Guinea, replicating past successes like that of Cheke in Taveuni.
Highlighting the depth of the partnership,Taku announced during the signing ceremony that Lusiana, an officer from the Ministry, has been invited to Japan for an extensive fisheries management training programme.
The comprehensive programme includes:
*Tokyo Studies: Two months of studying Japan’s fisheries systems, visiting Toyosu Market, and undertaking Japanese language and culture immersion.
*Academic Placement: Three weeks at the Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology – noted as the alma mater of Hon. Minister Bainivalu – to design a custom national project, accompanied by educational visits to Yamagata and Chiba.
*Culminating Presentation: Project result presentations at the OFCF Head Office and a cultural exchange visit to Kyoto before returning home.
Taku noted that because the overarching MOU remains valid through the 2029 fiscal year, future collaboration will be streamlined through simple, annual Implementation Plans rather than repetitive administrative procedures.
Both nations expressed high optimism that this efficient framework will ensure the long-term, stable operation of Fiji’s fisheries infrastructure and deepen mutual friendship…..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
Why small island states are driving the fight against climate change
Opinion by Payam Akhavan
TORONTO, 22 JULY 2026 (THE GLOBAL MAIL)—“If you respect nature, nature will respect you.”.
This is the ancient wisdom of the Indigenous people of Tuvalu, a small island state in the South Pacific Ocean with some 10,000 inhabitants.
Those words have particular resonance today because their ancestral home is likely to be submerged within the foreseeable future by alarming sea-level rise and extreme weather events – the catastrophic consequences of global warming.
The main island of Funafuti is just one square mile. It is easy to ignore the existential threats faced by this minuscule nation halfway around the world, but as the air in Toronto and New York becomes too toxic to breathe because of massive forest fires in northern Ontario, or as numerous people die because of unprecedented heatwaves in Paris and London, it becomes clear that climate change will not spare anyone.
At the UN Conference on Climate Change held in Glasgow in 2021, Tuvalu, among the smallest UN members, joined Antigua and Barbuda, Vanuatu, the Bahamas and others, to establish the Commission of Small Island States on Climate Change and International Law, to litigate global warming before international courts and tribunals.
I had the privilege of representing the Commission in these historic proceedings between 2022 and 2025. The turn to binding international law was motivated by frustration that the states most responsible for greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions have failed to make sufficient progress toward their net-zero emission targets. Consistent with the best available scientific evidence, the 2015 Paris Agreement recognised that temperature rise must be kept to within 1.5 C above pre-industrial averages to prevent the most catastrophic impacts of climate change. But based on current policies, the Inter-Governmental Panel on Climate Change has projected an alarming temperature rise of 3.2 C by the end of the century.
This is a death sentence for climate-vulnerable states in the Global South that do not have adequate means for adaptation. It would also result in a dystopian future for the Global North, which would suffer catastrophic impacts far worse than those we are witnessing today.
In its unanimous advisory opinion delivered in 2025, the International Court of Justice at The Hague held that states have legally binding obligations to protect the climate system, limit global warming to 1.5 C, and prevent significant environmental harm. To fail to do so “may constitute an internationally wrongful act which is attributable to that State.”
What is more, the Court also recognised that a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment is a fundamental precondition for the enjoyment of human rights such as the right to life, health and an adequate standard of living. This seminal jurisprudence from the principal judicial organ of the UN supplements that of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea on protection of the marine environment, and that of regional courts, including the European Court of Human Rights, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, and a pending case before the African Court of Human and Peoples’ Rights. It is notable that to the extent these opinions reflect customary international law, they are directly applicable before Canadian courts under the common law doctrine of “adoption.” Indigenous groups have already relied on these precedents, including in the recent case of Lho’Imggin v. Canada before the Federal Courts.
To the extent that we still believe in a rules-based international order, this authoritative statement of binding international law requires a far-reaching transformation of our policy goals and priorities, and audacious initiatives in global governance, however politically inconvenient that may be. It is easy for the sophisticated cynic to dismiss this idea as unrealistic, not least at a time when multilateralism and global respect for human rights have significantly declined. But as the Indigenous Tuvaluans would remind us from their disappearing home in the South Pacific, what we are up against are the laws of nature, and in a contest with Mother Earth, we will certainly lose.
As I concluded before the Court on behalf of Small Island States: “The climate system does not recognise the artificial boundaries that we have created in our political imagination. There is one Earth, one humankind, and one supreme law that none can escape, which is to live in harmony with nature, or to perish.”
The notion of an interdependent planetary civilization and what it demands of us is not naive idealism; it is an inescapable reality that we must embrace sooner rather than later for our common survival. …PACNEWS
Payam Akhavan is a barrister at Twenty Essex Chambers in London and Human Rights Chair at Massey College, University of Toronto.
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The views expressed in PACNEWS are those of agencies contributing articles and do not necessarily those of PINA and/or PACNEWS
ADB, Japan establish New Water Security Fund
TOKYO, 22 JULY 2026 (ADB)— The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Government of Japan today established a new fund to strengthen water security and protect people across Asia and the Pacific from worsening floods, droughts, and other water-related shocks.
Japan will make an initial US$10 million contribution to the fund.
“There is nothing more basic to life, or more decisive for development, than water,” said ADB President Masato Kanda.
“When water systems fail, crops dry out, businesses slow, children miss school, and families become more vulnerable. When water is managed well, communities thrive, investment follows, and economies grow. Water is also a clean, reliable source of hydropower, and in today’s energy markets that matters more than ever. Asia and the Pacific has shown that progress is possible. Now we must move faster, invest smarter, and make water security the foundation of a more resilient future.”
ADB and the Government of Japan created the Water Initiative for Security, Efficiency and Resilience (WISER) Fund. The fund will help ADB developing member countries strengthen water systems, reduce disaster risks, improve water-use efficiency, and apply digital and innovative solutions to water challenges.
Japan’s Minister of Finance Satsuki Katayama said, “Investment in the water sector is indispensable to the sustainable development of the region and to improving people’s lives. Japan highly values the role ADB has played in addressing development challenges, and, with strong expectations for ADB’s further actions, has decided to contribute US$10 million to the WISER Fund.”
“Japan has extensive experience in areas such as reducing water leakage, operating water supply and sewerage systems efficiently, improving sanitation, and responding to water-related disasters,” she said.
“Japan will share this knowledge and expertise with the people of the region through ADB. We hope that the establishment of this fund will build additional momentum for cooperation toward the 2027 ADB Annual Meeting in Aichi-Nagoya, and lead to stronger collaboration between ADB and Japan.”
Asia and the Pacific is the world’s most affected region for floods, storms, and droughts, with more than four in 10 global flood events occurring in Asia. About 220 million people in the region still lack basic water supply, and about 520 million lack basic sanitation.
According to ADB’s latest Asian Water Development Outlook, 2.7 billion people in the region have been lifted from extreme water insecurity since 2013, but hard-won gains could be at risk due to environmental degradation, increased water-related hazards, and a shortfall in infrastructure investments.
The WISER Fund will draw on Japan’s long experience in water-related disaster risk management, resilient and efficient water infrastructure, digital innovation, and capacity development. It will support project preparation, policy reform, technical training, knowledge sharing, and stronger water governance across the region.
From 2021 to 2025, ADB committed US$12.7 billion to the water sector, benefiting about 63 million people. Its work includes support for water sector reforms in Sri Lanka; investment in Maynilad Water Services in the Philippines alongside the International Finance Corporation; the Glaciers to Farms initiative across Central Asia, the South Caucasus, and Pakistan; and wastewater treatment expansion in Fiji to protect marine ecosystems and strengthen resilience.
ADB is aiming to reach 100 million people from 2026 to 2030 with safe water, sanitation, irrigation, greater resilience, and other water benefits as part of Water Forward, a global initiative promoting water security…..PACNEWS
