In this bulletin:
1. PACIFIC — Pacific governments warned of investor-state dispute risks linked to deep-sea mining
2. PACIFIC — MSG Secretariat and Pacific Fusion Centre sign letter of exchange to strengthen regional peace and security cooperation.
3. PNG — ‘This is a difficult task’: PNG parliament to finally address Bougainville decision
4. SOL — Opposition establishes shadow ministerial team to strengthen government accountability
5. FIJI — Fiji election: Registered voters top 723,000, highest since 2014
6. PACIFIC — Pacific universities turn to indigenous languages to keep culture alive
7. PACNEWS BIZ — Fiji Government relaxes tourism tax rules
8. PACNEWS BIZ — Tourism body challenges Government over new tax
9. PACNEWS BIZ — Maru resigns as Marine Resources head for senior Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries role
10. PACNEWS BIZ — Fiji explores new technology for safer fisheries
11. PACNEWS IN FOCUS — Frontline Pacific: Greening the Earth May Pollute the Oceans
12. PACNEWS IN FOCUS — Australia’s climate finance test at COP31: the need for new pledges and honest accounting
PAC – DEEPSEA MINING: PACNEWS PACNEWS 1: Wed 26 Aug 2026
Pacific governments warned of investor-state dispute risks linked to deep-sea mining
By Sanjeshni Kumar
SUVA, 26 AUGUST 2026 (PACNEWS) — Pacific governments could face costly investor claims if they change environmental or regulatory policies around deep-sea mining, according to a new report warning that existing investment agreements may limit countries’ ability to change course.
The report, Undermining Sovereignty: De-risking the Pacific from Investor-State Disputes in Deep-Sea Mining, launched by the Pacific Network on Globalisation (PANG) Tuesday, examines how Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) mechanisms could be used by foreign investors to challenge government decisions affecting their investments.
The report identifies Papua New Guinea, Tonga, Nauru and the Cook Islands among Pacific countries facing different forms of exposure as interest in deep-sea mining grows.
Its author, Dr Jane Kelsey, said the concern was not only the possibility of large compensation claims, but the potential for the threat of legal action to discourage governments from introducing stronger environmental protections or changing policies.
“We call that the chilling effect,” Dr Kelsey said.
The report identifies five potential pathways for investor-state claims: bilateral investment treaties, contracts between governments and mining companies, sponsorship agreements under the International Seabed Authority (ISA), domestic legislation and potential United States arrangements for deep-sea mining.
“Pacific countries involved in deep sea mining are exposed to at least two of these five,” she said.
PANG Deputy Coordinator Adam Wolfenden said the risks were particularly concerning because deep-sea mining remained an emerging industry, with significant uncertainty over its environmental impacts.
“To tie ISDS to this new industry, this experimental industry, is an enormous liability for the Pacific island countries,” he said.
Kelsey said mining companies could potentially use ISDS to challenge measures including stronger environmental impact assessments, changes to taxation rules, withdrawal of licences and regulations addressing environmental harm.
She said investors could seek compensation not only for losses to existing investments but also for anticipated future profits.
“The goal is really twofold. One is to seek and receive massive compensation awards for what government has done … on the future profits that they expect from the entire 50 or 60 years of operation,” Dr Kelsey said.
The report also points to an existing deep-sea mining dispute involving Odyssey Marine Exploration and Mexico. Kelsey said the company challenged Mexico’s rejection of an environmental impact assessment and was awarded US$37.1 million by an arbitral tribunal.
She said the tribunal also declined to hear evidence from a local fisheries cooperative and environmental groups.
The case, Dr Kelsey said, demonstrated why Pacific governments should consider the legal risks before deep-sea mining projects advance further.
Papua New Guinea’s experience with investor disputes features prominently in the report, including disputes involving the Porgera mine and the Solwara 1 deep-sea mining project.
Dr Kelsey said the cases showed how governments could face significant costs and pressure when disputes entered arbitration.
“Governments get worn down. It costs them a huge amount of money, it’s very uncertain, and there are major, major potential impacts on their sovereignty, on decision making, and on the rights of their peoples,” she said.
The report recommends that governments review existing investment treaties containing ISDS provisions and withdraw where possible. It also recommends that treaties that have been negotiated but are not yet in force should be cancelled.
For Papua New Guinea, the report identifies five bilateral investment treaties containing ISDS provisions with Australia, the United Kingdom, China, Japan and Germany.
In Tonga, civil society concerns centre on whether the country would retain the ability to change its position on deep-sea mining if environmental evidence or public opinion shifted.
Olive Mafi of the Civil Society Forum of Tonga said communities had repeatedly expressed opposition to deep-sea mining during national consultations.
“The overwhelming majority of those people who have taken part in this discussion said no to deep-sea mining,” Mafi said.
She said the issue was ultimately about whether Tonga would be able to act on those views without facing potentially costly consequences.
“What this report shows is that a decision like that now comes with a price tag set by arbitrators in someone else’s country,” she said.
“The seabed isn’t just a line in a budget. It’s our livelihoods. It’s our identity. It’s the thing our young people will expect to inherit.”
Mafi called for Tonga’s sponsorship agreement and related contracts to be made public and subjected to greater scrutiny.
“A sovereignty we cannot afford to use isn’t really sovereignty,” she said.
In the Cook Islands, Te Ipukarea Society Environment Campaign Manager Sieni Tiraa-Ivaiti said the rapidly changing corporate landscape around deep-sea mining was making it difficult for communities to determine who held rights and liabilities.
“Company structures and ownership can change. Ultimate ownership and control are not always clear. Important contracts, agreements, and legal documents aren’t accessible either,” she said.
Tiraa-Ivaiti said the lack of accessible information made it harder for communities and civil society to understand the legal and financial commitments governments may have entered into.
“The Cook Islands must retain the sovereign right to protect our ocean and our people,” she said.
“Our government should be able to pause, strengthen regulation, or change direction without the threat of costly investor claims.”
Samantha Kuman of Papua New Guinea’s Healthy Oceans Network said PNG’s previous experiences should serve as a warning to governments considering deep-sea mining.
“The threat of arbitration or its challenge is not only what happens to our ocean and our land, it’s the threat that also what happens to our sovereignty, our laws, our public finances,” Kuman said.
She said communities and customary landowners continued to face difficulties accessing information about extractive projects and the agreements underpinning them.
Kuman urged PNG to strengthen its legal safeguards before another dispute arises.
“Prevention is cheaper than arbitration and sovereignty is more valuable than a long-term investment promise,” she said.
The Healthy Oceans Network is calling for a legally binding and enforceable moratorium on deep-sea mining in PNG and the cancellation of Mining Lease 154 associated with the Solwara 1 project.
The PANG report recommends that Pacific governments reduce their exposure to ISDS by reviewing or withdrawing from existing investment treaties where possible and avoiding ISDS provisions in future agreements.
It also calls for mining contracts to be made public and governed by domestic law, with disputes subject to domestic courts.
For sponsorship agreements under the ISA, Dr Kelsey recommends revising existing arrangements and the model agreements used for future projects.
The report also recommends changes to domestic legislation to ensure investor protections do not undermine national sovereignty, constitutional requirements, customary law or governments’ ability to regulate in the public interest.
Dr Kelsey said Pacific governments faced a choice over whether to preserve the policy space needed to respond to changing environmental and economic circumstances.
“Not doing so lays states open to potentially crippling lawsuits just for acting in the national interest,” she said…. PACNEWS
PAC – DIPLOMACY: MSG SECRETARIAT PACNEWS 1: Wed 26 Aug 2026
MSG Secretariat and Pacific Fusion Centre sign letter of exchange to strengthen regional peace and security cooperation.
PORT VILA, 26 AUGUST 2026 (MSG SECRETARIAT) — The Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) Secretariat and the Pacific Fusion Centre (PFC) Tuesday signed a Letter of Exchange formalising their commitment to strengthen cooperation and engagement in support of Pacific-led peace and security priorities, marking a further step in deepening collaboration between subregional groupings across Melanesia and the wider Pacific.
The Letter of Exchange was signed in Port Vila by Dr Anna Naupa, Director General of the MSG Secretariat, and Viliame Bovoro, Director of the Pacific Fusion Centre. The agreement reflects a shared commitment to enhanced information sharing, strategic analysis, situational awareness, and capacity development in support of MSG Member Countries and the broader Blue Pacific region
Speaking after the signing, Dr Naupa said the agreement underscored the value both organisations place on Pacific-led approaches to regional security.
“This Letter of Exchange reflects the strength of our shared commitment to a peaceful, secure and resilient Melanesian region – and contributes to furthering an Ocean of Peace. By working more closely with the Pacific Fusion Centre, we are strengthening the tools our Member Countries and communities need to respond to today’s security challenges, while staying firmly grounded in Melanesian principles and respect for peace making systems,” said Dr Naupa.
“The Pacific Fusion Centre is proud to partner with the MSG Secretariat in support of a shared regional outlook. This exchange strengthens the connections between sub-regional and regional institutions, enabling better information sharing and stronger, more coordinated analysis in service of Pacific communities,” said Bovoro.
The Letter of Exchange is guided by the MSG 2038 Prosperity for All Plan and supported by key Pacific regional security frameworks, including the Boe Declaration on Regional Security and its Action Plan, and the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent. Under the agreement, the two organisations intend to cooperate across a range of areas, including information and knowledge exchange that is underpinned by agreed protocols, training and capacity building, policy framework development and review, monitoring and evaluation of capacity-building activities, support to regional meetings and workshops, and regular executive-level engagement.
The signing reinforces the growing importance of collaboration between sub-regional groupings in advancing collective Pacific responses to complex and interconnected security challenges.
The MSG Secretariat reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening partnerships with regional and subregional institutions in support of a peaceful, secure, and resilient Melanesian sub-region, and looks forward to building on this collaboration with the Pacific Fusion Centre in the years to come…. PACNEWS
PNG – DIPLOMACY/POLITICS: RNZ PACIFIC PACNEWS 1: Wed 26 Aug 2026
‘This is a difficult task’: PNG parliament to finally address Bougainville decision
PORT MORESBY, 26 AUGUST 2026 (RNZ PACIFIC) — Papua New Guinea’s prime minister has urged the nation to appreciate the gravity of the decision on Bougainville that parliament is to debate this week.
The PNG parliament resumed on Tuesday and from Thursday MPs will debate whether to ratify the 97.7 percent vote by Bougainvilleans for independence in their 2019 non-binding referendum.
PNG’s national MPs have the final say, in adherence with the 2001 Bougainville Peace Agreement (BPA), which was signed following Bougainville’s civil war and related crisis of the 1990s, and ultimately provided for the referendum.
“The Referendum was legitimate, peaceful and overwhelming in its result, and we respect the voice expressed by the people of Bougainville,” Prime Minister James Marape said in a statement.
As the referendum result is finally to be tabled in parliament, Marape cautioned MPs and the public not to create division over the issue through threats, fear, regionalism or hostility.
“Every member of parliament will have the opportunity to speak. Every member will ultimately have to exercise his or her responsibility according to conscience, guided by the Constitution and the interests of our country.”
“This is a difficult task but duty demands that we do this,” Marape said, while also praying with other MPs for wisdom to guide their deliberations on the issue.
He said Papua New Guineans should appreciate the gravity of the matter because the decisions on Bougainville will have implications for future generations.
“This is not an ordinary parliamentary debate. It concerns our Constitution, our sovereignty, our national identity, the aspirations of the Bougainville people and, above all, the peace that our people have worked so hard to maintain.”
It remains uncertain whether this week’s debate will culminate in a vote on whether to ratify the refendum result as soon as the debate finishes, or whether it will be scheduled at a later point.
Earlier this year, the parliament set a three-quarter majority threshold requirement for ratification.
The Autonomous Bougainivlle Government (ABG) has said it plans to declare independence in 2030, while it works to build prepare for independence in the meantime…. PACNEWS
SOL – POLITICS: SOLOMON ISLANDS OPPOSITION PACNEWS 1: Wed 26 Aug 2026
Opposition establishes shadow ministerial team to strengthen government accountability
HONIARA, 26 AUGUST 2026 (SOLOMON ISLANDS OPPOSITION) — The Parliamentary Opposition Group has established a Shadow Ministerial Team to strengthen scrutiny of Government ministries, decisions, policies and public expenditure.
The new structure will give Opposition Members of Parliament clear portfolio responsibilities and strengthen the Opposition’s ability to hold Government Ministers accountable for decisions made within their respective ministries.
Each Shadow Minister will monitor the work of the corresponding Government ministry, examine legislation and public expenditure, engage communities and stakeholders, and develop constructive policy alternatives.
The Opposition said the structure sends a clear message that Government decisions, policies and expenditure must be open to proper parliamentary scrutiny.
Government holds significant authority over public resources and national policy, and with that authority comes a responsibility to answer to Parliament and the people of Solomon Islands.
“A strong Opposition is an essential part of a strong democracy. The establishment of Shadow Ministers will make our work more organised, focused and accessible to the public,” said Manasseh Sogavare, MP, Leader of the Official Opposition.
“Our purpose is not opposition for its own sake. Our purpose is responsible scrutiny, better policy, and a credible alternative vision for the future of Solomon Islands. Each Shadow Minister will have a duty to listen to communities, analyse government decisions, and advance solutions that place the national interest first.”
The Opposition currently comprises 16 Members of Parliament, while the Government has 24 ministerial portfolios.
To ensure Government is scrutinised across all portfolios, a number of Opposition MPs will carry dual or multiple shadow responsibilities, with related ministries grouped where appropriate.
The Opposition said having fewer MPs will not diminish its responsibility to provide robust oversight of Government.
Through the Shadow Ministerial structure, greater focus will be placed on individual ministries, their policies, expenditure and performance, ensuring Ministers and ministries can be challenged where legitimate questions arise.
The Opposition said parliamentary democracy requires more than a government exercising executive authority. It also requires a strong and organised Opposition prepared to question decisions, scrutinise the use of taxpayers’ money and ensure those entrusted with public office remain accountable.
The establishment of the Shadow Ministerial Team therefore strengthens the Opposition’s commitment to an effective Parliament where Government decisions are properly tested, public resources are protected and alternative ideas are put before the country.
The individual Shadow Minister appointments and their respective portfolio responsibilities will be announced separately…. PACNEWS
FIJI – ELECTION: RNZ PACIFIC PACNEWS 1: Wed 26 Aug 2026
Fiji election: Registered voters top 723,000, highest since 2014
SUVA, 26 AUGUST 2026 (RNZ PACIFIC) — The number of registered voters in Fiji has increased by more than 132,000 people since the country’s first election in 2014.
Latest figures released by the Fijian Elections Office (FEO) on Tuesday show registered voters stood at 723,771 as of 30 June 2026.
The latest total is the highest voter registration figure recorded in the country’s three election cycles since 2014.
Of those registered voters, 362,438 are men and 361,333 are women.
More than four out of every five registered voters are in the Central and Western divisions, which together account for 583,310 voters.
The figure represents an increase of about 22 percent since the country’s first election under the 2013 Constitution, which the Sitiveni Rabuka-led coalition government is seeking to replace with a new constitution.
But while the voter roll has grown over the last three elections, voter turnout has continued to decline over the same period.
Elections chief Ana Mataiciwa said the updated figures would guide the FEO’s preparations for the upcoming general election, the date for which has yet to be announced.
Fijian voters are also expected to have a broader range of choices at the next election, with 11 political parties now registered to contest the polls…. PACNEWS
PAC – EDUCATION: PMN PACNEWS 1: Wed 26 Aug 2026
Pacific universities turn to indigenous languages to keep culture alive
SUVA, 26 AUGUST 2026 (PMN) — Pacific universities are pushing indigenous languages beyond the home and into lecture halls, research and modern technology, as educators warn that losing them could mean losing much more than words.
At Fiji National University (FNU), indigenous languages are being promoted as a way to stay connected to their identity and culture while taking part in modern education.
Dr Kasanita Rayasi, Assistant Professor at FNU’s College of Humanities, Education and Law, says language carries knowledge about people, their history and their communities.
“Our indigenous language carries knowledge about who we are, where we come from and how we relate to one another and to the world around us,” she told PMN News.
“That is why keeping our languages alive is so important. It is about keeping that connection alive for the next generation.”
Her comments come as FNU celebrated its first Vernacular Week last week as part of the global International Decade of Indigenous Languages.
Students took part in debates, poetry, karaoke, original songs, visual arts, cultural performances and seminar in different languages.
Rayasi says the week was about giving students confidence to use and value their languages while learning about the cultures of others.
“The core purpose is to celebrate our vernacular languages and cultures and create a space where students can use and value them with confidence,” she said.
“The activities allow students not only to showcase their own culture but also to experience and appreciate the languages and traditions of others, because it builds respect and understanding across Fiji’s diverse communities.”
She says modern education and indigenous languages do not have to compete.
“We want them to see that they can be modern, educated and technologically connected while still being proud of the language they speak,” she says.
“They can be successful in higher education while still speaking their language, sharing their culture and valuing where they come from.”
Rayasi says universities have a key role in making sure Pacific languages are used beyond the home.
“Universities can also encourage students to see their languages as relevant to education, research, technology and professional life.”
Sera Lockington, FNU Head of Language and Literature, says languages remain at risk of disappearing.
“We must not allow this to happen. We cannot allow our languages to be marginalised. We need to preserve our languages now,” she said during the celebration.
“What this means is decolonising our minds in order to keep our languages, identities and heritages alive.”
The call is also being made outside Fiji.
Viliame Naliva, a senior lecturer at Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology in the Bay of Plenty and Tauranga, says families and communities must also take responsibility.
“It is not a small issue. It is not something that we can take lightly,” he told PMN News.
“Starting from home helps a great deal, but the community also has a role to take a hard look at the issue and help our children because they will fear losing their identities.”
Rayasi says keeping language alive requires daily use, education and commitment across generations.
“Da maroroya na noda vosa, da karona, da vakayagataka ena veisiga. Me mositi keda tiko na noda vosa… e vakamatata taka na noda itovo kei na noda veiwekani ka sa bibi kina na kena vosataki, volai, ka vakauasivi na kena vakavulici e koronivuli. “Let us protect our language, cherish it, and use it every day. We must feel a deep concern for our language. It brings clarity to our customs and our relationships, which is why it is critical that it is spoken, written and, especially, taught in schools.”
Across the Pacific, universities including the National University of Sāmoa, Tonga National University, University of Fiji, and the University of the South Pacific are using indigenous languages in lectures and workshops.
Officials say the push is about making sure Pacific languages are not only remembered but used, taught and carried into the future…. PACNEWS
PACNEWS BIZ
FIJI – TOURISM: FIJI TIMES PACNEWS BIZ: Wed 26 Aug 2026
Fiji Government relaxes tourism tax rules
SUVA, 26 AUGUST 2026 (FIJI TIMES) — The Fiji Government has relaxed the application of its new Tourism Services Tax, confirming that the five per cent levy will now apply only to new bookings made from 01 September 2026.
The decision means tourists who booked their Fiji holidays before 01 September will not have to pay the new tax, even if they travel and use tourism services after the tax takes effect.
The Government announced the change following discussions involving the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation and the Tourism Action Group.
“Bookings made before 1 September 2026 will not be subject to TST, even where the tourism service is provided after that date,” the Government said.
“This provides certainty for visitors and enables tourism operators to honour existing bookings and contractual arrangements.”
The concession represents a significant change in the implementation of the tax following concerns from sections of the tourism industry over its application to existing bookings.
The Tourism Services Tax will still take effect on 01 September and apply to qualifying tourism operators and services under the Tourism Services Tax Act 2026.
It will remain in place until 31 August 2027.
Government said the revised transition arrangement recognised the importance of tourism to Fiji’s economy.
“This practical transition reflects the Government’s recognition of tourism’s vital contribution to Fiji’s economy, employment, businesses and communities,” the statement said.
“It also demonstrates the Government’s commitment to listening to the industry and working collaboratively on policies that support sustainable economic growth.”
The announcement comes amid strong industry concerns about visitors being charged an additional five per cent on holidays they had already booked, and in some cases paid for, before the tax was announced.
The Fiji Hotel and Tourism Association had specifically called on Government to exempt existing bookings, arguing that visitors should not face an additional charge they could not have anticipated when making their travel arrangements.
Government has now effectively adopted that position, drawing a clear line between bookings made before 01 September and new bookings made from that date.
The Fiji Revenue and Customs Service will issue updated guidance and work with tourism stakeholders ahead of implementation.
Government also thanked tourism operators and workers for their contribution to the industry and acknowledged visitors from Australia, New Zealand and other international markets for continuing to choose Fiji.
“Fiji remains open, welcoming and ready to share its renowned hospitality with the world,” the Government said…. PACNEWS
FIJI – TOURISM: FIJI TIMES PACNEWS BIZ: Wed 26 Aug 2026
Tourism body challenges Government over new tax
SUVA, 26 AUGUST 2026 (FIJI TIMES) — The Fiji Hotel and Tourism Association has rejected Government claims that the tourism industry is using “delaying tactics” and risks “sabotaging” the Tourism Services Tax, saying its concerns are focused on protecting visitors who booked their holidays before the new levy was announced.
FHTA chief executive officer Fantasha Lockington said the association supported Government assistance for Fiji Airways and was not calling for the five per cent tax to be scrapped.
However, she said applying the tax to bookings made and paid for before its introduction was unfair to visitors and risked damaging Fiji’s reputation as a tourism destination.
“Put yourself in the position of a family in Australia or New Zealand who booked and paid for their Fiji holiday eight months ago,” Lockington said.
“They budgeted for a set price, in good faith, based on the rules that existed at the time. They now arrive to find an unexpected charge added to their bill, for a tax that didn’t exist when they booked.”
She said the dispute was not about whether Fiji Airways deserved support, but about the treatment of existing bookings.
“This isn’t a debate about whether Fiji Airways deserves support. It’s about Government going back on what it told this industry it would do and then refused to provide the consumer fairness the tax called for.”
FHTA said it had sought an assurance during consultations that bookings already contracted, and in many cases fully paid, would be exempt from the levy.
According to the association, that assurance was initially provided but was subsequently overturned in the final legislation and guidance without explanation.
FHTA also challenged Government’s reference to tourism contributing about five per cent of corporate tax collected nationally.
It argued that corporate tax reflected profits rather than the industry’s overall economic contribution, pointing to Government’s own figures that tourism generated about 40 per cent of Fiji’s economic activity and nearly $3 billion in foreign exchange earnings annually.
The association said members were already experiencing the impact of the tax, including at least one confirmed case involving a multi-room group booking that was cancelled and rebooked to another destination because of the additional charge.
“Every cancelled booking is a passenger who was going to fly Fiji Airways to get here, and now won’t,” Lockington said.
“We want Fiji Airways to succeed. But applying this tax retrospectively to bookings that were already locked in gives visitors a reason to cancel rather than a reason to fly here. That helps no one, least of all the airline.”
FHTA also distanced itself from recent comments attributed to the Tourism Action Group supporting the tax, saying it withdrew from TAG on 04 July 2026, and that the group’s positions no longer represented FHTA’s views.
Lockington said FHTA’s request remained for Government to exempt bookings made and paid for before the tax was announced.
“We support what Government is trying to do for Fiji Airways,” she said.
“We are simply asking Government to keep its word on how this would apply to people who had already booked their holiday. That is not too much to ask,” she said…. PACNEWS
COOKS – FISHERIES: COOK ISLANDS NEWS PACNEWS BIZ: Wed 26 Aug 2026
Maru resigns as Marine Resources head for senior Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries role
RAROTONGA, 26 AUGUST 2026 (COOK ISLANDS NEWS) — Pamela Maru has resigned as Secretary of Cook Islands ministry of Marine Resources, effective 11 December 2026, to take up the role of Deputy Director-General at the Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency in the Solomon Islands.
The Office of the Public Service Commissioner confirmed this, praising Maru’s seven years of dedicated leadership and highlighting her contributions to strengthening the Ministry’s strategic direction, building internal capability, and fostering local and regional partnerships.
OPSC says Maru’s decision to resign as the MMR HOM was primarily a direct result of her successful application for the Deputy Director-General position at the Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA).
Public Service Commissioner Carl Hunter acknowledged Maru’s significant contribution to both the Ministry and the wider Public Service.
“Maru has served the Cook Islands Public Service with professionalism, integrity, and a genuine commitment to our people and our marine resources. She has led with purpose, built strong relationships, and consistently sought opportunities to strengthen the Ministry and support her staff to succeed,” Hunter said.
He said that throughout her tenure, Maru has earned the respect of colleagues locally, regionally, and internationally. Her contribution to fisheries governance and the advancement of Cook Islands interests has been significant, and her leadership will leave a lasting impact on the Ministry and the communities it serves.”
OPSC said that over the past seven years, Maru has provided dedicated and steady leadership to the Ministry, guiding its work through both periods of challenge and significant achievement.
“Under her leadership, the Ministry strengthened its strategic direction and organisational capability through the development of key planning and governance frameworks (the finalisation of MMR’s Strategic Plan, Workforce Plan, Risk Management Plan, and Service Charter), while continuing to deliver on its important responsibilities to the people of the Cook Islands.”
“Maru has been a strong advocate for building and strengthening capability within the Ministry, particularly across science and policy functions, and for fostering partnerships that support effective marine resources management.”
OPSC added that her commitment to strengthening relationships with Island Councils and Executive Officers of the Pa Enua, regional partners, and stakeholders has contributed to a more connected and collaborative approach to the sector.
The recruitment process for a new Secretary for Ministry of Marine Resources will commence shortly…. PACNEWS
FIJI – FISHERIES: FBC NEWS PACNEWS BIZ: Wed 26 Aug 2026
Fiji explores new technology for safer fisheries
SUVA, 26 AUGUST 2026 (FBC NEWS) — Fiji is exploring new technology to strengthen coastal resource management and improve maritime safety.
The Ministry of Fisheries is partnering with the United Nations Platform for Space-based Information for Disaster Management and Emergency Response, UN-SPIDER, under the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs.
The pilot centres on the Triton’s Spear or TS3, a vessel monitoring system developed by a Japanese company Ocean Solution Technology with support from the Japan International Cooperation Agency.
The system is designed for small-scale coastal fleets and operates using solar power without external wiring.
It can provide GPS location updates every 30 seconds, compared to the hourly updates of standard vessel monitoring systems.
The partnership aims to combine remote sensing and space-based technology to support safer and more sustainable fisheries across Fiji and the wider Pacific…. 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
Frontline Pacific: Greening the Earth May Pollute the Oceans
By Kalinga Seneviratne
SYDNEY, 26 AUGUST 2026 (IDN) — In the past year there has been a scramble by the big powers to secure the continuing supply of “rare mineral” that are used in batteries driving electric cars and wind power turbines. There is a looming catastrophe awaiting the Pacific Ocean if countries in the region are not alert to the environmental threats facing the region.
Decades ago, greedy industrialists were polluting the air, and their government’ refused to listen to scientific warnings of a looming climatic disaster, and now the island nations of the South Pacific is facing the brunt of climate change disasters. If the current trends of digging out “rare minerals” from wherever you can find it continues, we will be left with oceans – especially the Pacific – where we cannot swim or fish in the oceans, further threatening the livelihoods of many small Pacific Island nations.
With the scramble for “rare minerals” extending to the deep seabed, a new geopolitical battle is hotting up in the South Pacific, where corruption and divisions among Pacific Island Countries could be fermented by global powers battling to control the “rare mineral” supply chain, with countries like Cook Islands, Kiribati and Nauru on the frontline.
Eliki Drugunalevu, a member of the research team that compiled the Pacific Ocean Climate Crisis Assessment (POCCA) to the COP 29 meeting in Azerbaijan in 2024, warned in an interview with IDN, that inaction by the United Nations to pause the march towards deep sea mining for precious metals would result in a “catastrophic impact” on the Pacific for the long term.
“People on the Pacific islands rely on the ocean not only for their sustenance but also for their economic survival,” he said. “If the fishes are not going to come in, they will have to fish in another community’s fishing grounds, which will have a butterfly effect and create conflict”.
The deep blue oceans are expected to be protected by an autonomous international organisation, the International Seabed Authority (ISA) as the “common heritage of mankind” under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), which was adopted by the United Nations in 1982 and signed and ratified by 168 UN member states, but, the U.S has refused to sign the convention objecting to articles restricting seabed mining.
Now the Trump administration seems keen to provide licenses to American companies to mine the seabed in the Pacific, while the ISA which on 31 July concluded their latest two-week Council and Assembly meetings in Jamaica, are deadlocked in framing commercial exploitation guidelines – known as a Mining Code – for the seabed.
At the meeting, 45 countries called for a moratorium or precautionary pause on seabed mining, with Pacific Island nation Vanuatu proposing that such a pause be in operation until the risks are fully understood and the necessary scientific knowledge is available for a transparent process.
“Deep-sea mining is fraught with immense scientific uncertainty, (so) caution and common sense prevailed at this session, with member states rejecting a rushed adoption of the mining code,” noted Simon Candon, International Media Manager of Lisbon based Oceano Azul Foundation in an interview with IDN. With the U.S trying to undermine the UNCLOS and ISA, he added that “many countries used the Assembly to unite against unilateral mining, agreeing that bypassing the ISA for commercial operations threatens ocean governance and the common heritage of humankind. But consensus could not yet be found on Vanuatu’s proposal.”
Profesor David Schoeman, of the Ocean Futures Research Center at Queensland’s University of the Sunshine State argues that the onus should be on prospective seabed miners to provide empirical evidence that their activities will not cause harm to the ocean ecosystem. “In terms of the type of evidence that could be provided, the gold standard would be a before–after, control–impact (BACI) study of simulated (small-scale) mining operations at select locations, with appropriate sampling of biotic and abiotic elements of the ecosystem over periods covering the anticipated recovery time of the system”.
Clarion Clipperton Zone (CCZ) – a high seas area stretching over 4500 km between Hawaii and Kiribati across to Mexico – is poised to become the first commercial seabed mining operation in the world if the U.S subsidiary of the Canada based The Metals Company (TMC) succeed in getting an U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, license to mine, in contravention of the UNCLOS. Their application is currently under review.
Dr Felix Mallin, Senior Researcher of the Italian National Research Council told IDN that a test done in CCZ a few years ago with one machine alerted the scientific community to the damage to marine life in the deep oceans. “While any commercial operation would be orders of magnitude bigger. Even if the scars left by modern technology were smaller, we would be looking at a much bigger aggregate damage across vast tracts of ocean floor,” he warns. “For the Pacific, the fisheries link and the impact it might have on economic life is the one that should worry people most. Some modelling has projected tuna biomass in CCZ rising in coming decades, by up to about a third for skipjack, as global warming pushes stocks east, right into the zone where mining might take place. So, if we are unlucky, we could be industrialising the water exactly where the region’s most valuable renewable resource is heading.”
While the ISA Mining Code negotiations drag on, Mallin argues that what is needed is an environmental harm independent baseline study in the Pacific, “which no one wants to fund”. He notes that the prospective seabed mining companies have plugged enormous financial resources into developing technology and lobbying, and if commercial returns are not forthcoming quickly, the investors could flee. Thus, they are exercising enormous pressure on small Pacific Island states.
Nauru, a nation of 12,00 people, which was exploited by phosphate miners in the 1990s resulting in an environmental disaster to the land, has now been targeted by the seabed miners. In 2021, Nauru said it would grant a commercial-scale seabed mining approval in their Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) – granted under the UNCLOS – to a subsidiary of TMC, which rang alarm bells at ISA, and triggered an urgency to come up with a Mining Code.
The ISA called for a pause while the Code has been negotiated, another arm of the UN has come up with another treaty, the Boundaries Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) agreement which came into effect in January 2026. This agreement is designed to plug gaps in the UNCLOS, to safeguard seabeds outside a nation’s EEZ.
A controversy is currently brewing in the Cook Islands over U.S corporate designs to mine the sea-bed that belongs to the Pacific Islanders. While Cook Islands has 240 square km of land, it owns just under 2 million square km of sea. Under UNCLOS it exercises full sovereign rights to explore, exploit, and manage the natural resources of the seabed and subsoil within its expansive EEZ.
Another Pacific Island, Kiribati’s EEZ covers over 3 million square kilometers via its far-flung islands, making it one of the largest oceanic territories in the world. They generate significant economic revenue through fishing access agreements with foreign nations to this zone. It is believed that China is wooing Kiribati to gain future access to seabed mining in their EEZ.
It will be lucrative for such island nations to sell mining rights to the ocean seabed under their EEZ’s, but the problem is, no one knows what would be the long-term impacts of such mining on marine resources like fisheries, and the ocean environment in general.
“My fear is that places like Kiribati and the Cook Islands (with their small populations) will simply be bought off by U.S miners,” warns Michael Field, Auckland based editor of South Pacific Tides. “Pacific states will get just licensing money out of mining (as they do with fishing) but undersea minerals will not provide much in the way of jobs or revenue. Minerals, for example, extracted in the Cook Islands, will have to be refined, probably in Asia. The profits will come elsewhere but the environmental risks will be the exclusive property of Pacific people” …. PACNEWS
Kalinga Seneviratne is a Sri Lankan-Australian journalist and international communication scholar. He is a consultant to the journalism programme at the University of the South Pacific in Fiji and authored a number of recent books on international communications, including “GeoPolitics and the Media in Asia and the Pacific: Pulling in Different Directions”
PACNEWS In Focus
The views expressed in PACNEWS are those of agencies contributing articles and do not necessarily those of PINA and/or PACNEWS
Australia’s climate finance test at COP31: the need for new pledges and honest accounting
By Josie Lee and David Minh Tran
CANBERRA, 26 AUGUST 2026 (DEVPOLICY.ORG) — This year’s oil crisis has sent the costs of energy skyrocketing for many countries, including diesel-dependent Pacific countries, some of which have declared a state of emergency in response to fuel shortages and rising costs.
This crisis has only reaffirmed what we know — that climate finance from developed countries to developing countries and particularly small island developing states is essential to ensure reliable, affordable and locally produced renewable energy to aid their development, protect them from global fossil fuel price shocks and contribute to climate change mitigation. As we head into an anticipated “Godzilla” El Niño period, and see heatwaves across much of the world, we are reminded that climate finance is also essential for low-income countries and communities to prepare for and recover from increasingly severe climate impacts.
At this critical time, new analysis by Oxfam shows that developed countries’ climate finance provisions remain overstated, and the chasm between the climate finance reported and what is delivered to developing countries remains staggeringly large.
Countries report their climate finance provision using methodologies agreed for reporting under UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) processes, which are also reflected in OECD reporting. The issue is that these accounting rules were designed to quantify financial flows without taking into account the actual value of the financial effort from an accounting and climate perspective. A major concern is that loans are generally counted at their full-face value, even when much of the money loaned will have to be repaid. Another issue is that the costs of projects whose primary objectives are not climate-related, but are asserted to have some secondary climate objectives, may be reported wholly or partly as climate finance.
To arrive at a more accurate picture of the support provided, Oxfam uses a measure called Climate-Specific Net Assistance (CSNA), which estimates the actual financial effort made by donor countries. CSNA measures loans in grant-equivalent terms. It also accounts for the actual climate significance of projects.
In 2024, developed countries reported providing A$207 billion (US$136.7 billion) in climate finance. However, according to Oxfam’s methodology, the real financial effort was only around one-quarter to one-third of that amount — in the range of A$49.6 billion (US$32.7 billion) to A$67.7 billion (US$44.7 billion). The adaptation allocation, by our estimation, was only A$22 billion (US$14.5 billion) to A$27.3 billion (US$18 billion). We see similar results for 2023.
The red bars show reported climate finance as compiled by the OECD. The orange and green bars show our estimates of total CSNA. The orange bars use the OECD Development Assistance Committee’s standard discount rates for calculating grant-equivalence: fixed benchmarks of 6 percent, 7 percent and 9 percent depending on the recipient’s income group. These rates trace their lineage to the 10 percent discount rate adopted in 1972 as a rough proxy for the opportunity cost of capital in developing countries; they do not reflect what it costs donors to raise the money. Oxfam argues this inflates the apparent effort behind a concessional loan, because donor borrowing costs are typically far lower. The green bars instead use the OECD’s Differentiated Discount Rates, which are based on each donor’s long-term government bond yield and so reflect the fiscal cost to the donor. Lighter shading indicates the range between low and high estimates.
Our research also found that Australia contributes a relatively small amount. Australia’s Climate-Specific Net Assistance is estimated at between A$500 million (US$330 million) and A$1 billion (US$700 million) in 2024, or roughly A$18 (US$12.89) to A$37 (US$26.50) per person. Using that same per-person measure for ease of comparison, Australia trails the Netherlands (A$863 million (US$618.15 million) to A$1 billion (US$716.29 million), or around A$48 (US$34.38) to A$56 (US$40.11) per person), Germany (A$4.5b (US$3.22 billion) to A$7.7 billion (US$5.51 billion), or A$53 (US$37.96) to A$91 (US$65.18) per person) and the United Kingdom (A$2.8b (US$2 billion) to A$4.3 billion (US$3.08 billion), or A$41 (US$29.36) to A$63 (US$45.12) per person), and is broadly comparable on a per-person basis to Japan (A$1.9b (US$1.36 billion) to A$2.8 billion (US$2 billion), or A$15 (US$10.74) to A$23 (US$16.47) per person). Independent fair-share analyses that adjust for national income and historical emissions place Australia in the bottom group of developed-country donors, well below what its capacity would suggest. Developed countries’ climate finance contributions, on the whole, are also well below what was identified as a US$1 trillion annual need by the end of the decade.
Oxfam’s finding of overestimated support comes at a crucial time in the UNFCCC climate negotiations and at a time when Australia steps into centre stage as the President of Negotiations for COP31 in Antalya in November.
There are several reasons why climate finance is particularly critical to the negotiations this year.
First, the current global volatility in fossil fuel costs is highlighting the need to transition to more secure, affordable and sovereign forms of renewable energy.
Second, the previous US$100 billion climate finance goal for developed countries expired in 2025. While developed countries claim this goal was met and exceeded, recipient countries are not feeling the claimed support and Oxfam’s analysis reveals why. The New Collective Quantified Goal on climate finance of US$300 billion by 2035 was agreed at COP29 but, so far, just a few countries have made pledges beyond the 2025 period.
Third, as a result of the inadequate support provided to low-income and vulnerable countries, climate finance remains one of the most contested issues at the COP negotiations. This year it is threatening to derail the talks unless Australia can steer the ship toward some safe harbour of progress in this area.
Like many other developed countries, the Australian government is yet to announce a new international climate finance commitment to replace its 2020-2025 pledge of A$3 billion (US$2.14 billion), which the government reports it exceeded by nearly A$900 million (US$644.7 million).
A key test, therefore, of Australia’s leadership on climate finance will be the new goal that is set by the government, which could function as an important signal to like-minded countries who genuinely want to see progress made at COP31. Previously, Australia’s commitments have been well below what we consider Australia’s fair share of the previous US$100 billion climate finance goal (A$4 billion (US$2.86 billion) per annum), based on Australia’s historical emissions and its capacity to pay as a developed nation.
Looking ahead, Oxfam, along with other civil society experts and leaders, has been calling on the Australian government to triple its climate finance contributions in line with the tripling of the global climate finance goal from US$100 billion to US$300 billion per annum. We are calling for a new goal of A$11 billion (US$7.87 billion) over 2025-2030, scaling up from the A$1.356 billion (US$971.36 million) provided in 2024-25 to A$2.7 billion (US$1.93 billion) by 2029-30 and hitting over A$4 billion (US$2.86 billion) by 2030-31 — other trajectories are of course possible. This should be delivered primarily as public, grant-based finance, particularly in light of the adaptation and loss and damage priorities of countries in our region.
With the bulk of this funding likely to be drawn from the aid budget, which is projected to be only around $5.6 billion at the end of this decade, the Australian government would need to commit a considerable amount of new and dedicated funding for climate aid to reach this target, or risk displacing other important development priorities. The government currently has a target that 80 percent of aid projects valued at over $3 million must have a climate change objective by 2028. This should bump up our climate finance spending numbers but, according to DFAT, most of this will be met from projects where climate is a secondary (or lower) objective. For context, just 8 percent of Australia’s climate finance between 2014-2023 was spent on projects where addressing climate change was the primary objective, and this proportion could actually get smaller over time to if even more projects are required to “multi-task” in pursuit of the 80 percent target — unless the government commits new and dedicated funding.
It makes sense that climate change is a secondary objective for much of Australia’s current aid spending. We don’t want to see reduced spending on other important aid priorities like health, education and gender equality, and we do want that spending to factor in climate change so as to avoid maladaptation and take advantage of any clear synergies between climate and other development outcomes. But we also need to see the Australian government rise to the huge new challenge that climate change poses and mainstreaming it into the existing aid budget is simply not enough. Nor is hoping that private finance will deliver, particularly in a region where the adaptation and loss and damage needs are high, and there is little commercial return for private investors in these areas.
So, to ensure dedicated funding, alongside the headline A$11 billion (US$7.87 billion), five-year goal, we are calling for a target of 30 percent of ODA-eligible climate finance programmes to have a principal focus on climate change by 2030, with a strong emphasis on locally led and gender-transformative programming.
Oxfam also argues that a requirement for gaining greater trust is adopting better and more transparent climate finance accounting and reporting methods. Reforms in this area must be on the agenda for climate finance negotiations; dollar figures alone should not be the sole focus. If the necessary reforms can be agreed, we will be able to secure a clearer and more credible understanding of the real financial support being delivered — and of progress toward the global goal.
If Australia announces a strong pledge at the start of COP31, with new, dedicated climate finance, and can steer other like-minded developed countries to do the same, then it will have secured one crucial element in building the trust required to help ensure COP31 negotiations progress productively…. PACNEWS
