In this bulletin:
1. PACIFIC — Japan labour shortage opens opportunities for skilled Pacific workers
2. PACIFIC — Pacific risks are human risks, warning must be heeded: Fiji PM Rabuka
3. PACIFIC — Fiji returns to global climate stage nine years after historic COP presidency
4. PACIFIC — COP31 coal ties put Australia, Türkiye under pressure
5. PACIFIC —FIC Pacific Pre-COP31 meetings reflect a legacy of Climate leadership
6. PACIFIC — Climate Action as Pre-COP briefing highlights escalating strains on vulnerable communities
7. COOKS — Cook Islands Police seek legal advice on cocaine disposal options
8. FIJI — Fiji Police probe financial links in $50m cocaine case
9. PACNEWS BIZ — PM Wale calls Pacific natural capital a new investment frontier
10. PACNEWS BIZ — Fiji carrier offers increased seats
11. PACNEWS BIZ — Fiji Government to absorb 22.5 percent bus fare increase
12. PACNEWS IN FOCUS — Security, sacrifice or opportunity: Visions differ over effective climate action
13. PACNEWS DIGEST — Australia cannot buy Pacific influence with more aid
PAC – LABOUR SHORTAGE: PACNEWS PACNEWS 2: Tue 06 Oct 2026
Japan labour shortage opens opportunities for skilled Pacific workers
Reporting by PACNEWS Editor, Makereta Komai in Tokyo
TOKYO, 06 OCTOBER 2026(PACNEWS) — Japan’s ageing population and shortage of workers could open up more opportunities for skilled workers from the Pacific.
At a briefing with journalists from the Pacific and the Caribbean in Tokyo on Monday, Ambassador Toshinori Shigeie, President of the Association for Promotion of International Cooperation (APIC) said the number of foreign residents in Japan has continued to grow.
From the last national census report, non-Japanese foreign workers have increased to 3.84 million.
He said Japan needs to “co-exist with its neighbours and the rest of the world” but this needs to be done in a balanced way.
Japan is facing a serious shortage of workers in several areas, including agriculture.
“There is a labour shortage problem in the agriculture sector and there is an expectation in Japan that we want to have highly skilled people from outside Japan,” Ambassador Shigeie said.
He said Japan also needed to be careful about how it manages immigration.
“Sometimes an over-controlled way doesn’t help,” he said.
Ambassador Shigeie said immigration remains a sensitive issue in Japan.
Some people are concerned that foreign workers could compete with Japanese workers for jobs, while others are worried about the impact on the country’s social safety system.
“I have to mention that some people are sensitive about this. They say it will mean competition for work, and some are worried that social safety will be undermined by foreign workers,” he said.
He said immigration was also raised during Japan’s recent elections, with one political party calling for tighter controls.
The current government of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has imposed tough requirements on foreign workers who wish to obtain permanent residency. The new rules require foreign workers who wish to reside permanently in Japan to prove their annual income is above average and they can carry casual conversations in Japanese.
From Thursday last week, the immigration fees have gone up to 200,000 yen (USD$1,275) from the current 10,000 yen.
“It’s a sensitive issue and the Government is under pressure. Recently some fees for immigration have been raised, to target foreign workers,” he said.
“I think immigration issues need to be dealt with in a socially correct way.”
Opportunities for Pacific workers
Japan introduced its Specified Skilled Worker (SSW) visa programme in April 2019 to bring foreign workers into the country to help address labour shortages.
The programme covers a number of sectors, including agriculture, nursing care, food service, hospitality, manufacturing and construction.
This could provide another pathway for skilled Pacific workers looking for employment opportunities in Japan.
Currently, Pacific Island workers are already taking up employment opportunities overseas, with Australia and New Zealand offering skilled and seasonal work programmes to workers from countries including Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Timor-Leste, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu.
Pacific workers wanting to work in Japan under the SSW programme must meet certain requirements.
They must be at least 18 years old, pass a basic Japanese language test and a skills test for the industry they want to work in.
They must also have an employment contract with a Japanese employer.
The employer then applies for a Certificate of Eligibility before the worker applies for the visa through the Japanese embassy or consulate.
For Pacific Island countries, the programme could provide opportunities for skilled workers to gain international work experience, earn income and develop new skills.
With Japan facing a growing shortage of workers, the demand for workers from outside the country is expected to remain an important issue.
For the Pacific, the question is how their governments can leverage their diplomatic relations with Japan to grant these employment opportunities for skilled workers from the Pacific….PACNEWS
FIJI – PREPCOP31: PACNEWS PACNEWS 2: Tue 06 Oct 2026
Pacific risks are human risks, warning must be heeded: Fiji PM Rabuka
By Sanjeshi Kumar
NADI, 06 OCTOBER 2026 (PACNEWS)—Fiji’s Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka has called on world leaders to heed the Pacific’s warning on climate change, saying the impacts being experienced by island communities are risks that will eventually affect the wider world.
Rabuka made the comments at a traditional welcome ceremony for leaders, ministers, ambassadors, delegates and other guests attending this week’s climate discussions in Fiji.
He said the Pacific should not be viewed simply as a region needing sympathy, but as a frontline indicator of what other parts of the world could face.
“I am asking you to look at us as a bellwether – indicating the scale of the challenges to come,” Rabuka said.
“Frontline communities are where risk becomes visible first.”
He said rising seas, warming oceans, water shortages and food insecurity were already tangible realities for Pacific communities.
“These are not Pacific risks. They are human risks. They are shared risks,” he said.
Rabuka said the impacts of climate change in the Pacific were connected to what happens elsewhere in the world.
The Pacific Ocean covers roughly a third of the planet and is “the engine room of the world’s weather”, he said.
Warming ocean temperatures and El Niño can affect rainfall and harvests, as well as contribute to floods, droughts and fires in different parts of the world.
“What begins in our waters arrives in yours,” Rabuka said.
He said visiting leaders would have the opportunity to see some of those impacts for themselves during the week, including in Tuvalu.
“There, the climate crisis is not a forecast. It is the king tide at the door, the salt in the garden, and the hardest of questions: how long can a community stay?” he said.
Rabuka also used the traditional sevusevu ceremony to draw attention to the relationship between Pacific communities and their environment.
He explained that the presentation of kava represents a request to be received and establishes a relationship between host and guest.
Rabuka said that relationship also reflected the kind of cooperation needed internationally to address climate change.
He also spoke about the Fijian greeting bula, which means life.
Rabuka said the word reflected what was ultimately at stake in the climate discussions.
“Not abstractions, not clauses and brackets, but life. The life of a village. The life of a reef. The life of a nation whose highest ground is only a few metres above the sea,” Rabuka said.
For Pacific people, he said, land, sea and people are interconnected and are understood as the Vanua.
“What harms one part harms all,” he said.
“Island or continent, small or large, we share one ocean, one sky, and one set of consequences.”
Rabuka said traditional Pacific knowledge had long relied on careful observation of the environment, with elders reading changes in the sky, tides, trees and birds to determine when to plant, fish or move to safer ground.
“It was not superstition. It was attention, and attention kept people alive,” he said.
He compared the traditional sounding of the davui, or conch shell, to the warning now coming from the Pacific.
“And when danger came, the davui was sounded. Its call carried two meanings: come together and take heed,” Rabuka said.
“The Pacific Ocean is sounding the davui now. And it is not sounding it for us alone.”
He said the interconnectedness of the world’s countries meant no nation could consider itself isolated from the consequences of climate change.
“It is a strange thing for a nation of islands to say that no one is an island. But it is true.”
Rabuka urged countries to keep the 1.5-degree Celsius temperature goal within reach, improve access to climate finance and give the ocean a greater role in international climate negotiations.
“Keep 1.5 within reach. Make finance reach the communities that need it. And give the ocean the seat at the negotiating table that its role in our climate demands,” he said.
He also called for discussions during the week to follow the spirit of talanoa – open, inclusive and honest dialogue.
“Let us be generous in listening, slow to blame, and focused on finding solutions that serve the common good,” Rabuka said.
The Prime Minister ended the traditional welcome by telling the visiting leaders they were now guests of Fiji.
“You are under the protection of the Vanua, and you are family,” he said….PACNEWS
PAC – PRE COP31: PACNEWS PACNEWS 2: Tue 06 Oct 2026
Fiji returns to global climate stage nine years after historic COP presidency
By Sanjeshni Kumar
NADI, 06 OCTOBER 2026 (PACNEWS)—Fiji has returned to the global climate stage nine years after making history as the first small island developing state to preside over a UN climate conference, with Pacific priorities taking centre stage at the pre-COP31 in Nadi.
Speaking at a press conference on Monday, Fiji’s Minister for Climate Change, Lynda Tabuya, said Fiji’s return to the global climate process was an opportunity to strengthen Pacific leadership ahead of COP31 in Antalya, Türkiye.
“In 2017, Fiji made history as the first small island developing state to preside over a COP and host its pre-COP right here in Nadi,” Tabuya said. “Nine years later, we return to the global stage to send a clear message: the Pacific is no longer just raising the alarm. We are leading the global fight against climate change.”
Fiji is co-hosting the pre-COP31 with Australia, which holds the COP31 presidency of negotiations, and Tuvalu. The meeting brings together climate ministers, negotiators, development partners, civil society representatives and regional and international media to build consensus ahead of the formal negotiations in Türkiye.
Tabuya said Fiji and the wider Pacific would focus on four key priorities: keeping the 1.5-degree Celsius temperature goal within reach, improving access to climate finance, placing oceans at the centre of climate action, and strengthening Pacific leadership.
For Pacific island countries, she said, climate finance must reach communities on the frontline of climate impacts. Fiji is also promoting the Pacific Resilience Facility as a Pacific-led mechanism to support climate resilience.
The ocean is another central priority for the region, with Tabuya stressing its importance to Pacific identity, food security and economic development.
“You cannot solve the climate crisis without protecting the oceans,” she said.
Australian Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen said holding the pre-COP in the Pacific was intended to elevate the region’s concerns in the international climate negotiations.
“The road to Antalya begins here in Fiji, and there’s no better place to begin it,” Bowen said.
He said the pre-COP had attracted around 2,000 stakeholders, 133 stakeholder events and 120 accredited journalists, making it significantly larger than a typical pre-COP meeting.
The Pacific’s concerns will also be brought directly to Tuvalu, where a delegation including 14 heads of state or government is travelling today to highlight the impacts of sea-level rise.
Bowen said Tuvalu’s capital is already under serious threat from rising seas, with sea levels having risen by about 15 centimetres.
The regional focus comes as Pacific countries continue to push for greater climate finance, faster renewable energy development and a transition away from fossil fuels.
While acknowledging that Pacific countries and Australia may not agree on every issue, Tabuya said the focus of the pre-COP was to find common ground and develop practical action ahead of COP31.
Bowen also pledged closer consultation with Pacific climate ministers during the COP31 negotiations, saying the Pacific would have a greater role in the process than at previous COPs.
“I’m not here to promise you the COP decision will be everything that the Pacific ministers would write, because that’s not what a COP is,” he said. “But it means the Pacific being more at the table than they ever have been at a COP before.”
For Fiji, the pre-COP marks a return to the global climate stage nine years after its historic COP presidency, while placing Pacific priorities at the centre of discussions ahead of COP31. ….PACNEWS
PAC – PRE COP31: PACNEWS PACNEWS 2: Tue 06 Oct 2026
COP31 coal ties put Australia, Türkiye under pressure
NADI, 06 OCTOBER 2026 (PACNEWS)—Australia and Türkiye are facing pressure to set clear coal phase-out dates after a new report linked their bilateral coal trade to more than 75 million tonnes of CO₂ emissions since the Paris Agreement.
The report by 350.org, released ahead of the Pre-COP31 ministerial meeting in Fiji, says the two countries leading the 2026 UN climate negotiations remain deeply tied to fossil fuels while calling for global action on climate change.
The analysis of UN Comtrade data found that Australia and Türkiye have maintained their coal trade while expanding fossil fuel links into liquefied natural gas (LNG).
350.org said the fossil fuel interests of the two COP31 presidencies risk undermining efforts to secure progress on the transition away from coal, oil and gas.
It said neither country has a coal phase-out date, placing Australia and Türkiye among the few industrialised countries without a timetable to end coal use.
The report estimates emissions from their coal trade at roughly four times Ethiopia’s annual CO₂ emissions. Ethiopia is scheduled to host COP32 in 2027.
Australia is the world’s second-largest coal exporter and accounts for 56 percent of the global coal mine project pipeline, according to the report. It also recorded a 77 percent increase in oil and gas output since 2015, the highest growth rate among the world’s 15 largest oil and gas producers.
Türkiye, meanwhile, is Europe’s largest coal-power generator, while its energy plan envisages about 30 percent more coal and gas power capacity by 2035.
Andreas Sieber, 350.org Head of Political Strategy, said the COP31 presidencies were failing to address what he described as the central cause of climate breakdown and volatile energy prices.
“As people are hit by soaring oil prices and horrible climate impacts, the presidencies of COP31 keep ignoring the core problem, fossil fuels,” Sieber said.
He called on Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to announce coal phase-out dates and provide a clear indication that COP31 would address dependence on fossil fuels.
350.org Pacific and Caribbean Manager Fenton Lutunatabua said Australia’s leadership of COP31 carried particular responsibility because Pacific countries supported its bid to host the climate summit.
“Australia’s COP31 presidency bid relied heavily on support from Pacific nations,” Lutunatabua said.
“But to protect its coal and gas exports, Australia has consistently blocked calls for a Pacific-wide fossil fuel phase out.”
He said the Pacific had been clear that there was no room for coal and gas expansion and urged Australia to announce a clear coal phase-out timeline.
The report also points to Australia’s recent extension of the BHP Mitsubishi Alliance Saraji coal mine, while Türkiye has proposed adding 1,050 megawatts of coal capacity at the CENAL power plant in Karabiga, Çanakkale.
350.org Türkiye Manager Efe Baysal said Türkiye needed to demonstrate that climate leadership begins at home.
“Türkiye still generates more coal power than any other country in Europe, with no phase-out date in sight,” Baysal said.
He said growth in wind and solar showed Türkiye could strengthen energy security while reducing exposure to fossil fuel price shocks.
350.org is calling on both COP31 presidencies to develop national plans to transition away from fossil fuels, including clear coal phase-out dates.
It is also urging governments to develop equitable transition roadmaps, strengthen implementation of existing fossil fuel commitments and provide adequate, grant-based climate finance to countries least responsible for the climate crisis….PACNEWS
PAC – PREPCOP31: PIFS PACNEWS 2: Tue 06 Oct 2026
Pacific Pre-COP31 meetings reflect a legacy of Climate leadership
NADI, 06 OCTOBER 2026 (PIFS)– As the Pacific commences its hosting of the Pre-COP31 meetings in Fiji and Tuvalu, Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) Leaders are drawing on decades of climate leadership and advocacy to drive greater global ambition, keep 1.5°C within reach, and ensure that Pacific priorities and solutions are at the heart of global climate action.
Pacific countries were among the first to ratify the Paris Agreement contributing to its historic milestone as the fastest international environmental agreement to come into force, less than a year after it was agreed upon. It is fitting, therefore, that the world’s spotlight is focused on the Pacific as the ten-year anniversary of the Paris Agreement’s entry into force draws near.
“The Pacific has never been a bystander in the global climate conversation – we have been leaders in shaping it. As we come together for the Pre-COP discussions in Fiji and Tuvalu, we carry that legacy of leadership with a clear purpose: to keep 1.5°C within reach, advance Pacific-led solutions, and ensure global climate action delivers for the communities on the frontlines of this crisis,” said PIF Secretary General, Baron Waqa.
The COP31 Türkiye and Australia partnership modality, with the Pacific a key player, is a unique and unprecedented opportunity to place Small Island Developing States, particularly Pacific priorities and issues, at the forefront of climate discussions and actions. This is an important opportunity to continue to demonstrate Pacific leadership in climate action, extending beyond advocacy to Pacific-led solutions.
The establishment of the Pacific Resilience Facility further demonstrates the region’s determination to shape financing solutions that respond to Pacific priorities and realities, with the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent providing a long-term regional framework for collective action and resilience.
The Pre-COP meeting provides an opportunity to build on a powerful sequence of Pacific-led political commitments. Through the B.E.L.A.U. Declaration, Pacific Islands Forum Leaders issued a clear call for urgent and inclusive action to keep 1.5°C within reach. The Pre-COP31 Leaders’ events in Tuvalu and Fiji bring the realities of climate change into the discussions, further reinforcing the Pacific’s unified call for stronger global climate action, and ambition that must now be matched by implementation.
The Pacific’s call remains clear – keep 1.5°C within reach, accelerate the transition to a resilient and low-emissions future, scale up accessible and predictable climate finance, and ensure that those on the frontlines of the climate crisis are not left behind.
As the Pacific has consistently demonstrated, climate leadership is not only about speaking to the world about the challenges facing the Blue Pacific region. It is also about bringing solutions, building partnerships, and turning commitments into action…..PACNEWS
PAC – PRE COP31: MAI TV PACNEWS 2: Tue 06 Oct 2026
Climate Action as Pre-COP briefing highlights escalating strains on vulnerable communities
NADI, 06 OCTOBER 2026 (MAI TV) —Rising environmental pressures are fracturing local livelihoods and driving internal displacement across Fiji, a regional peacebuilding organisation warned ahead of crucial upcoming climate negotiations.
Speaking at a media briefing with local journalists in Nadi following extensive field assessments across five climate-impacted communities in Vanua Levu, Justine Maravu of Transcend Oceania called on international negotiators to anchor upcoming climate discussions in grassroots adaptation, gendered financial strains, and local peacebuilding.
Maravu highlighted that indigenous practices such as solesolevaki alongside strong faith practices, serve as essential “peacebuilding anchors” holding rural communities together amidst ecological disruptions.
“Work must go hand in hand with all involved. You can’t just move ahead without considering what is really happening on the ground.”
“The realities of those on the ground must be considered fully.”
However, she cautioned that the impacts of climate change are overburdening vulnerable groups, particularly women and youth, who absorb the majority of unpaid care work.
As climate impacts undermine traditional agricultural livelihoods, community members are increasingly forced to seek extra income or borrow money to cover rising living costs alongside traditional vanua and church obligations.
Maravu warned that taking on debt to meet these obligations creates severe household strain and fuels growing interpersonal tensions across rural villages.
The briefing also shed light on the stark demographic shifts taking place due to climate mobility. In rural locations such as Dogotuki, entire families are relocating outside their ancestral lands to find employment, such as road maintenance work.
“In one community visited, there were only 25 residents remaining, with only three men present while the rest were women and children,” Maravu noted, illustrating how climate mobility is altering community structures.
Ahead of the high-level climate discussions, Transcend Oceania urged traditional leadership bodies including the Great Council of Chiefs, alongside government ministries to prioritize three key actions.
These include developing localized adaptation modalities tailored to grass-roots community needs.Equip traditional leaders with conflict-sensitivity skills to manage tensions, prevent domestic violence, and safeguard women and children.
Maravu said they also want the establish a dedicated, long-term climate and disaster financing mechanisms that directly support community resilience and security.
She concluded with a call for visionary leadership, urging policymakers and international delegates at Pre-COP to invest in community-led peace, adaptation, and long-term security before irreversible damage occurs….PACNEWS
COOKS – DRUGS FIGHT: COOK ISLANDS NEWS PACNEWS 2: Tue 06 Oct 2026
Cook Islands Police seek legal advice on cocaine disposal options
RAROTONGA, 06 OCTOBER 2026 (COOK ISLANDS NEWS)—Cook Islands Police are still determining how to dispose of the 26.49 kilograms of cocaine that washed ashore on the reef in Mitiaro in July this year.
Police media advisor Trevor Pitt confirmed that the cocaine remains secure, along with a batch of narcotics – believed to be heroin – discovered in a Rarotonga retailer’s warehouse in 2024.
“We are seeking legal advice to clarify the options available to us for disposal. That option has not yet been determined,” Pitt told Cook Islands News.
The newspaper inquired about the disposal of the cocaine found in Mitiaro after reports emerged that several blocks held as court exhibits in Fiji were missing.
Pitt noted that this is the first time the department has handled cocaine. The 19 bricks – with an estimated street value between $9.2 million (US$5.12 million) and $12 million (US$6.7 million) – were discovered by a local Mitiaro fisherman, who immediately reported the find to the police.
“We’ve not had seized cocaine so this is new territory to deal with in terms of disposal,” he said.
“Disposal of cannabis usually follows court order if a significant amount.”
When asked about the status of the heroin found hidden inside a wooden pallet carrying imported goods in January 2024, Pitt replied, “we still have it secured”.
According to international reports, seized cocaine is primarily disposed of through high-temperature industrial incineration or cement encapsulation.
The Australian Federal Police (AFP) use special waste disposal facilities to destroy illicit substances after they have been forensically tested and documented for evidentiary purposes.
“The drugs are typically vapourised in a furnace. The remaining liquid then passes through a series of filtration systems that turn it into a harmless, ash-like substance before it is securely released,” according to AFP.
The cocaine bricks discovered in Mitiaro were labelled “888”, reportedly a trademark of South American drug cartels.
The elderly fisherman had gone out reef fishing when he found the package, which was tied with rope, stuck on coral and fitted with a light that acted like a “beacon”.
Jose Sousa-Santos, Associate Professor of Practice at the University of Canterbury and head of the Pacific Regional Security Hub (PRSH), told Cook Islands News last month that the evidence likely pointed to a dump-and-collect method, which explains why a beacon was attached to the drugs.
He stated that transportation methods vary, but the vastness of the Pacific Ocean and the inability of island nations to patrol these areas provide cartels with numerous routes to traffic illicit substances.
“There is no evidence yet that the 26 kilograms of cocaine discovered on Mitiaro reef was transported by submersibles,” Sousa-Santos said.
“It could have been transported by pleasure craft or other vessels, such as the MV Raider incident in early 2026; drug cartels have many tactics to traffic drugs through the Pacific, and narco-subs are one method in a suite of tactics.”
In January 2026, the French Navy intercepted the vessel MV Raider in the South Pacific, seizing and destroying nearly 4.8 tonnes of cocaine onboard. The vessel subsequently stopped at Avatiu Port in Rarotonga under a distress call for engine repairs, where local authorities cleared it.
However, after the vessel made its way to Sydney in March, the Australian Federal Police uncovered custom-built secret compartments. They alleged these hidden spaces held an additional tonne of cocaine, which was either dumped or transferred at sea off the Australian coast before the ship was brought into Sydney Harbour….PACNEWS
FIJI – DRUGS FIGHT: FIJI SUN PACNEWS 2: Tue 06 Oct 2026
Fiji Police probe financial links in $50m cocaine case
SUVA, 06 OCTOBER 2026 (FIJI SUN) —Fiji Police are investigating all financial transactions involving a former senior judicial officer and her husband, including alleged links to a prominent Fiji-based law firm, as part of investigations into two sets of missing cocaine valued at more than $50 million (US$25 million).
The couple is allegedly linked to the two sets of cocaine, which were allegedly stolen from inside the Suva court exhibit room.
Police are looking into all bank transfers that may have been made individually to the couple’s three children, and any suspicious transactions made to the law firm.
Last Friday, a Police team was seen at the couple’s residence in Valelevu, Nasinu, where official tapes believed to have been used to seal the stolen drugs were found.
The husband of the former judicial officer was subsequently taken in by Police for questioning.
The former judicial officer is believed to have left the country…PACNEWS
PACNEWS BIZ
PAC – PREPCOP31/INVESTMENT: PACNEWS/SOL GOVT PACNEWS BIZ: Tue 06 Oct 2026
PM Wale calls Pacific natural capital a new investment frontier
NADI, 06 OCTOBER 2026 (PACNEWS/SOL GOVT)—Solomon Islands Prime Minister Matthew Wale says the Pacific’s oceans, forests, reefs and fisheries should be treated as a major investment frontier capable of creating jobs, strengthening climate resilience and building long-term wealth for Pacific communities.
Wale made the call during a high-level political session at the Pacific Action for Climate Transitions (PACT) Pre-COP31 event in Nadi.
He said the region’s natural resources must be valued not only for their environmental importance but also for the economic opportunities they can provide when sustainably managed.
“The question posed before us is how we turn the Pacific’s blue and green wealth into investment that our people can feel in jobs, in food, in safer coasts and homes and in revenue that enhances livelihoods,” Wale said.
He highlighted the Parties to the Nauru Agreement (PNA) and its Vessel Day Scheme(VDS) as an example of how Pacific countries can manage natural resources while generating economic returns.
Wale said the experience provided a model for unlocking greater value from the Pacific’s wider natural capital while protecting resources from the growing impacts of climate change.
For Solomon Islands, he identified opportunities in the blue economy, sustainable fisheries, marine conservation, forest restoration and carbon initiatives.
He highlighted the country’s tuna processing industry at Noro and the proposed Bina Harbour development as examples of investments that could generate greater value from natural resources.
Wale also outlined the proposed Solomon Islands Sovereign Wealth Fund, which he said would seek to convert natural-resource wealth, including mineral resources, into long-term benefits for future generations.
“A proposed Climate Resilience Investment Fund would complement this by mobilising and blending public, private and international finance for locally owned resilience investments,” he said.
The Prime Minister called on development partners and financial institutions to better account for the particular circumstances of Small Island Developing States when designing financing mechanisms.
He urged greater use of the Multidimensional Vulnerability Index and called for simpler access to grants and concessional finance.
Wale said Pacific countries also needed to take greater ownership of the investment process rather than wait for external investors to determine where capital should flow.
He said governments should work with development partners to create investment opportunities that reflect Pacific realities, including customary land and marine tenure and traditional knowledge.
“Investment in natural capital is investment in secure and predictable assets that have served communities for generations,” Wale said.
He said sustainable investment in the region’s natural capital could help Pacific countries build stronger economies while protecting the resources on which communities depend….PACNEWS
FIJI – AIRLINE: ISLANDS BUSINESS PACNEWS BIZ: Tue 06 Oct 2026
Fiji carrier offers increased seats
SUVA, 06 OCTOBER 2026 (ISLANDS BUSINESS)—AN additional 125,000 additional airline seats should become available in 2027 as Fiji responds to strong demand for travel to the country.
The national carrier, Fiji Airways, announced it would launch of new services to Western Sydney, alongside increased flights to Hong Kong, Christchurch, Singapore and Tokyo.
CEO, Paul Scurrah pointed to the airline’s key role in the economy and the need to strengthen connectivity between Fiji and its key international markets.
.“This growth strengthens the connections between Fiji and our key international markets, supporting tourism, businesses, communities and the many Fijians whose livelihoods depend on a strong visitor economy,’’ he said.
“We’re seeing strong demand from travelers choosing Fiji, and these additional services will provide greater choice and flexibility while making it easier for passengers to connect through Nadi to destinations across our wider network.’’
At this stage, the airline does not expect to expand its fleet.
In a statement last week, the Fiji Airways announced that the expanded services would provide travelers with greater choice and flexibility while strengthening Nadi International Airport as a regional aviation hub.
Under Fiji Airways’ 2027 schedule, additions will be:
*Western Sydney: Launch of three weekly flights from March, adding approximately 42,000 seats.
* Hong Kong: Increase from three to five weekly services from February, adding approximately 40,500 seats.
*Christchurch: Increase from three to five weekly services from March, adding approximately 20,000 seats.
*Singapore: Increase from two to three weekly services from March, adding approximately 20,000 seats.
* Tokyo: Increase from two to three weekly services in April and again from August 2027, adding approximately 13,600 seats.
These developments build on network growth already announced, including:
*Apia: Increase from 11 to 14 weekly services, adding approximately 24,000 seats.
*Gold Coast: Launch of three weekly services in June, adding approximately 22,800 seats.
*Vancouver: Introduction of the Airbus A350 on three weekly services, adding approximately 17,500 seats.
*Noumea: Relaunched last month and will add up to 8000 seats…. PACNEWS
FIJI – TRANSPORT: FIJI SUN PACNEWS BIZ: Tue 06 Oct 2026
Fiji Government to absorb 22.5 percent bus fare increase
SUVA, 06 OCTOBER 2026 (FIJI SUN) —Bus passengers will continue paying their current fares despite the Fijian Competition and Consumer Commission (FCCC) approving a temporary 22.5 percent bus fare increase from 09 October.
The Government will absorb the increase and compensate bus operators directly, shielding paying passengers from the higher fares for the six-month adjustment period.
The temporary adjustment will apply to regulated routes in Viti Levu, Vanua Levu and Taveuni until 09 April 2027.
FCCC approved the increase after reviewing revenue assessments and renewed submissions from bus operators.
It also considered forecasts indicating fuel costs could rise in the coming months, ongoing geopolitical tensions and the impact higher transport costs would have on Fijian households.
The temporary adjustment had previously ceased on 31 August.
FCCC said reinstating it was intended to ensure essential bus services continued without disruption.
Under the approved adjustment, the regulated Stage 1 fare in Viti Levu and Vanua Levu increases from $1.02(US$0.51) to $1.25 (US$0.62), while the Stage 1 fare in Taveuni rises from $1.03(US$0.51) to $1.26(US$0.63).
However, paying passengers will continue to pay their existing fares because Government will cover the increase.
For commuters whose cards are 100 percent subsidised, receipts will show the full fares charged.
The FCCC said it was mindful of the role public transport played in the daily lives of Fijians and the effect fare changes could have on household expenses.
It will monitor global fuel prices and industry conditions throughout the six-month adjustment period.
Should international fuel prices stabilise or decline, FCCC said it would reassess temporary measures as appropriate.
The approved fare schedules show Viti Levu fares ranging from $1.25 US$0.62), at Stage 1 to $33.27(US$16.63) at Stage 46. Vanua Levu fares range from $1.25 US$0.62), to $31.91(US$15.95) at Stage 44, while Taveuni fares range from $1.26(US$0.63). to $8.24(US$4.12) at Stage 11.
Consumers can report overcharging and other unfair trading practices to FCCC….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
Security, sacrifice or opportunity: Visions differ over effective climate action
NEW YORK, 06 OCTOBER 2026 (UN NEWS CENTRE) — Should the world move away sharply from fossil fuels, or manage a slower, more careful retreat?
That question underpinned many of the speeches from global leaders at this year’s High-level Week General Debate in New York, as climate change emerged as one of the defining fault lines dividing Member States.
UN News reviewed some of the key speeches to assess where those divisions are.
Leaders offered sometimes very different visions of what action should look like – from Pacific nations demanding a rapid move away from fossil fuels to energy producers stressing security, affordability and a more gradual transition.
Who, what, when
Across the statements, the main points of division were about how fast energy systems should change, what role fossil fuels should continue to play, and who should shoulder the cost of both the transition and the damage already being inflicted.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres – who made climate a central theme to this year’s High-level Week – opened the General Debate by calling for immediate action.
“A future beyond fossil fuels is in sight. The question is how?” he said, urging governments to adopt national plans to transition away from fossil fuels, with clear timelines and protection for workers and communities.
Pacific islands under threat
Some of the strongest calls for speed came from low-lying Pacific Island States, whose territories face threats to their very existence due to rising sea levels and intensifying floods.
The President of the Marshall Islands said the growing likelihood of overshooting the limit set by global leaders in Paris 10 years ago to keep an increase in temperatures to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, demanded a much faster response.
“A much accelerated transition away from fossil fuels is the only logical response. Continued investment in fossil fuels is not only immoral but irrational,” she said.
Tuvalu similarly called for a “fast, fair, just, and orderly transition away from fossil fuels”, alongside action to reduce both methane and carbon dioxide emissions.
Don’t jeopardise the economy
But other countries laid out more gradual or mixed pathways.
Saudi Arabia argued that climate action and energy security are compatible. It stressed “the importance of not excluding any source of energy” and of pursuing “realistic and comprehensive transition pathways” that deliver energy security, climate protection and economic development together.
Nigeria stressed that the climate transition should not come at the detriment of development.
“We reject the false choice between development and climate action,” the Vice President said.
Nigeria’s Energy Transition Plan aims for net-zero emissions by 2060 while combining renewable energy and clean cooking with gas as a transitional fuel.
Venezuela also backed decarbonisation, but warned that an imposed transition could threaten food security, employment, production and affordable energy.
Brazil similarly prioritised energy security.
“We have achieved self-sufficiency in oil and will continue to explore the potential of new reserves, such as those in the Equatorial Margin. But we will not abandon the environmental agenda,” its President said, before pledging to advance the country’s decarbonisation roadmap.
Climate transition: An opportunity
On the other hand, several States sold climate action as an economic opportunity rather than sacrifice.
The UK linked clean energy, of the type provided by wind and solar, to jobs, growth and reindustrialisation.
In a similar vein, Lesotho launched a Just Energy Transition Fund, which is intended to strengthen renewable energy capacity, achieve energy independence for the country, and help build an economy based in part on renewable-energy exports – with potential jobs for young people and women.
Portugal also presented renewables as a way to reduce dangerous energy dependencies. It said more than 70 percent of its energy production comes from renewable sources and that its carbon-neutrality target has been brought forward to 2045.
Climate change dissenters
The United States stood further apart from much of the climate framing.
He cited “people who said we’ll all be dead in 12 years because of global warming, a name since reborn to climate change because the planet was cooling, not warming, and nobody was dead.”
He stated that his administration successfully halted an international “global carbon tax” on shipping from Member States of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), asserting that “there is no global government.”
Who pays – and on what terms?
For many developing and climate-vulnerable countries, financing emerged as another major fault line.
Nepal described climate disasters as a development emergency: damaged roads, schools, homes and clean-energy infrastructure can wipe out years of progress, while forcing poorer countries to borrow to rebuild.
It called for grant-based support rather than more debt and criticised the difficulty of accessing existing mechanisms.
“Climate finance must not become a bureaucratic maze through which vulnerable countries spend years proving that they need help,” Nepal’s Prime Minister said.
Seychelles went further, bringing in international law. It argued that mitigation, adaptation, technology transfer and loss-and-damage finance “are not acts of charity—they are legal obligations,” and called for affordable long-term finance and debt relief.
When climate change threatens the map
For small island States, climate change also became a question of sovereignty.
“The sea does not negotiate. It does not read communiqués. And it does not recognise a veto,” the Bahamas Prime Minister told the Assembly.
The Bahamas endorsed the Declaration on Sea-Level Rise, saying it affirmed that its statehood and boundaries would endure despite rising seas. Tuvalu likewise highlighted provisions affirming continuity of statehood and sovereignty and safeguarding established maritime zones and rights.
The Marshall Islands also said its existing boundaries and baselines should endure as seas rise, while calling for accessible finance for adaptation and loss and damage.
From promises to implementation
Several leaders also pointed to practical measures already underway.
Pointing to commitments to protect 30 percent of land and seas, France’s President held up recent progress on environmental protection as proof that multilateral action can work.
Others proposed concrete ideas for furthering cooperation. Nepal, for example, proposed a Himalayan Climate Resilience Mechanism, led by Nepal, India and China, to share satellite data and expertise, monitor dangerous glacial lakes, strengthen early-warning systems and coordinate cross-border disaster assistance.
At the same time, several leaders voiced frustration with the gap between commitments and delivery.
Türkiye said it wanted the major upcoming UN-backed international climate conference, COP31, which it will host in November, to become an “Implementation COP.”
Denmark made a similar argument. “The challenge before us is no longer a lack of solutions. We have the solutions. We know what is required. Now we need to deliver,” the Danish Ambassador said, also calling for COP31 to focus on implementation and “real-world results”…..PACNEWS
PACNEWS DIGEST
The views expressed in PACNEWS are those of agencies contributing articles and do not necessarily those of PINA and/or PACNEWS
Australia cannot buy Pacific influence with more aid
By Carlo Edward Caiani
CANBERRA, 06 OCTOBER 2026 (AIIA)—With Chinese development finance flowing into the Pacific and Western aid in record retreat, Canberra can’t outspend Beijing. Australia’s best bet for lasting influence is to hand Pacific partners real control over how aid is designed and delivered.
With a 43 percent increase in Chinese development finance to the Pacific, alongside Beijing’s broader geopolitical push into a region Australia has traditionally considered central to its strategic interests, Canberra’s geostrategic position is coming under increasing pressure.
At the same time, the Western aid system is retreating. Official Development Assistance (ODA) fell by 23.1 percent in 2025, the largest annual contraction on record, with Germany, the United States, United Kingdom, Japan and France accounting for almost all of the decline. US aid alone fell by 56.9 percent. Australia’s aid effort has followed the same broader decline over the longer term, falling substantially relative to national income and losing political salience at home.
The problem for Australia is clear: China is expanding its development presence in the Pacific at a time when much of Western aid is retreating and Australia’s overall aid effort remains historically low relative to national income.
In this environment, Canberra cannot assume that throwing more money at the region will in turn generate more loyalty. Pacific states have their own interests and priorities, and aid does not automatically generate influence. On the other hand, Canberra cannot afford to think this way.
Australia cannot win a competition for Pacific influence simply by trying to match China dollar for dollar. It must compete differently.
That means changing not only the scope of the aid Australia provides, but who has power over how it is designed and delivered. Giving Pacific governments, civil society and local organisations greater authority can strengthen local agency, build trust and legitimacy, and ultimately strengthen Australia’s long-term relationships in the region.
If Australia wants influence in the Pacific, it needs to earn it.
Pacific States Are Not Passive Recipients
Pacific governments are deliberate when it comes to choosing foreign development programs, weighing up how well they serve their own interests, and perhaps more importantly, what kind of partnerships they come attached to. Research into Pacific perceptions of Beijing demonstrates this clearly, with many Pacific actors welcoming Chinese development opportunities whilst remaining cautious about the debt, transparency and sovereignty concerns that accompany them. However, there is also research to suggest that this scepticism extends to Australian engagement as well. What stands out is Pacific nations do not automatically accept foreign influence simply because assistance is on offer, regardless of the geopolitical affiliations.
This offers an important lesson for Australia. By accepting aid, Pacific nations are not necessarily signalling political alignment, unconditional trust or a lack of awareness for the geopolitical competition driving development initiatives. In fact, it is quite the opposite.
This does not mean geopolitics should be removed from Australian aid. That would be unrealistic. Geopolitical competition can help explain where Australia directs its aid and why particular programs are prioritised. But it cannot, by itself, determine what makes aid effective. In any case, if Canberra wants to genuinely strengthen its influence over the long term, Australia needs to become a more effective, trusted and locally legitimate development partner.
In earning that legitimacy, however, lies somewhat of a paradox: Australia may strengthen its regional position not by controlling more, but by giving Pacific partners greater control. Strategic competition may tempt Canberra to tighten its grip on aid. But in actuality too much control risks weakening the very relationships Australian aid hopes to strengthen.
Who Controls Australian Aid?
Pacific aid has become increasingly “politici[s]ed, privati[s]ed and contested”. Much of Australia’s assistance is concentrated among just four major contractors – Abt Global, DT Global, Tetra Tech and Palladium – while Pacific firms and institutions can remain marginalised from the very programs designed to support them. The issue is not simply who funds development. It is who gets to control it.
Large contractors are not inherently the problem. Complex programs require technical expertise, financial oversight and the capacity to deliver major projects. The problem emerges when Canberra identifies the problem, determines the priorities, designs the program and controls implementation, leaving Pacific passive actors as recipients instead of genuine development partners.
Aid may deliver projects, reports and funding without delivering genuine local agency.
A 2025 independent evaluation of the Australian Humanitarian Partnership found that funding to local partners had risen from around 20 percent in 2018 to more than 40 percent by 2024. More importantly, locally co-chaired coordination arrangements were found to improve trust and transparency.
That matters. Localisation is not simply about fairness or representation. It can strengthen the trust and relationships on which effective aid, and ultimately Australian influence, depend.
Localisation Must Mean Sharing Power
Pacific scholars Theresa Meki and Jope Tarai argue that development practice can over-value external Eurocentric knowledge while undervaluing local knowledge. Their call for outsiders to “yield” power so Pacific actors can also “wield” it captures what genuine localisation should mean.
Localisation cannot simply involve consulting Pacific communities after Canberra has already identified the problem, designed the program and decided how the money will be spent. It must mean giving Pacific actors greater authority over those decisions in the first place.
That requires shifting more funding, decision-making and implementation power towards Pacific governments, civil society organisations and local firms.
There is also no single set of “Pacific priorities”. While Papua New Guinea faces major challengers in turning economic growth into jobs and extending infrastructure and basic services to a large, dispersed population, Fiji places particular a stronger emphasis on climate and disaster resilience. A few kilometres away, Solomon Islands faces its own pressures around job creation, public finances and economic diversification. These differences strengthen the case for greater context-specific and local decision-making, rather than attempting to design development priorities predominantly from Canberra.
Again, this does not mean Australia should abandon its own national interests. Canberra is entitled to care about regional security, the development outcomes of its neighbours and the responsible use of Australian public money helping to support those initiatives. Nor should localisation mean abandoning Australian channels for accountability, financial oversight or evaluation. But accountability should not become an excuse for permanent donor control. The challenge is to build these accountability measures with Pacific partners, while giving them a greater role in determining what development should look like in their own communities.
This is where development policy and strategic policy can support one another. More transparent, locally led and trusted aid can strengthen Australia’s strategic position indirectly because influence ultimately depends on relationships, credibility and legitimacy, not simply how much money Canberra spends.
Pragmatic Reform, Not Revolution
Australia does not need to reinvent its aid system. What it needs is practical, incremental, and pragmatic reform within the system it already has.
Canberra should do fewer things better: simplify fragmented programs, concentrate resources on initiatives with a strong evidence base, and shift greater funding and implementation authority towards Pacific governments, civil society and local firms. External expertise will still be necessary, but it should support Pacific capability instead of substitute for it.
Australia has already committed itself to this direction. At the 55th Pacific Islands Forum Leaders’ Meeting in Palau from 31 August to 3 September 2026, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese argued that the region’s major challenges require solutions “designed and delivered for the Pacific, by the Pacific”. That emphasis on partnership has since appeared more broadly in Australia’s foreign policy, with the government’s September 2026 UN Security Council campaign pledging to “listen with respect” and “partner as equals”. DFAT similarly describes its approach as “Pacific-led, Australian-backed” and places locally led development at the centre of its development policy. The real test is whether that language produces a genuine shift in who controls funding, implementation and decision-making.
That shift does not require Australia to abandon its strategic interests. Competition with China will continue to shape where and why Canberra spends development funding. But Pacific agency, trust and legitimacy will increasingly determine whether that spending truly produces lasting influence.
Done properly, Australia’s strategic interests and locally led development in the Pacific are not competing goals but mutually reinforcing ones. Championing Pacific-led development sits firmly within Australia’s interests. If Canberra wants to remain a trusted and influential Pacific partner, out-competing Beijing or simply spending more will not be enough. Australia must build relationships in which Pacific states have greater power to shape the development programs intended for them.
Aid can assist Australia in expanding its regional influence, but Canberra would do well to remember that it cannot buy Pacific loyalty. It must earn it, by supporting Pacific plans and priorities on Pacific terms. ….PACNEWS
Carlo Edward Caiani is a Master of International Relations candidate at the Australian National University and holds a Bachelor of Science from the University of Melbourne. He is an Editorial Intern with the Australian Institute of International Affairs as part of the September 2026 cohort. His research interests include Australian foreign policy, development, diplomacy and Asia-Pacific security.
