In this bulletin:
1. FIJI — Jake White appointed Flying Fijians head coach
2. PACIFIC — Marshall Islands warns climate change could expose Pacific war explosives
3. FIJI — U.S warns of suspected China-linked cyberattack on Suva-based regional organisation
4. IDN — Indonesia says institutions ‘working continuously’ on rights allegations
5. CHINA/PNG — China, PNG mark 50 years of diplomatic relations
6. PACIFIC — Pacific fact-checking platform founder says united effort needed to fight misinformation
7. NZ — Fijian father turns village wisdom into a new guide for raising children far from home
8. PACNEWS BIZ — Strengthening Pacific fisheries market access
9. PACNEWS BIZ — Indonesia eyes direct flights between Papua, Papua New Guinea
10. PACNEWS DIGEST — Pacific Meteorological Council champions COSPPac’s vital role in regional climate services.
11. PACNEWS DIGEST — Pacific nations take on the plastic hidden inside disaster response
12. PACNEWS DIGEST — Australian scientists track a decade of Pacific Ocean change
FIJI – RUGBY: PACNEWS PACNEWS 3: Tue 13 Oct 2026
Jake White appointed Flying Fijians head coach
By Pita Ligaiula
SUVA, 13 OCTOBER 2026 (PACNEWS)— Former Springboks coach Jake White has been appointed head coach of the Flying Fijians, with the Fiji Rugby Union targeting an improved performance at the 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia.
Fiji Rugby Union chairman John Sanday announced White’s appointment today, saying the 62-year-old World Cup-winning coach would bring the experience and leadership needed to help Fiji compete consistently at the highest level.
“Jake brings with him something that very few coaches in world rugby can claim, an experience of leading a team to Rugby World Cup glory,” Sanday said.
White guided South Africa to the 2007 Rugby World Cup title and takes over from interim coach Senirusi Seruvakula as Fiji prepares for the tournament in Australia.
Sanday said the appointment was about more than bringing in a coach with an established international record. He said Fiji Rugby needed to build stronger standards, discipline and a high-performance culture to support the country’s natural rugby talent.
“We have never lacked talent, we have never lacked passion, and we have certainly never lacked the courage to take on the world’s best’
“What we must now build is consistency, discipline, leadership, and a high-performance environment that will allow our extraordinary talent to reach its full potential,” Sanday said.
He said Fiji would travel to Australia for the 2027 World Cup with the ambition of competing against the world’s leading teams rather than simply participating.
“We are not going to Australia simply to make up the numbers. We are going there with a determination to compete, to challenge expectations, and to demonstrate what Fiji can achieve when world-class talent is supported by world-class preparation,” Sanday said.
He said the appointment was also intended to strengthen Fiji Rugby as an institution and establish standards that would remain beyond White’s tenure.
Sanday said the Flying Fijians needed to be recognised not only for their playing style but also for their preparation, performance and consistency.
“We want to build a Flying Fijian team that is not only admired for how it plays, but respected for how it prepares, how it performs, and how consistently it competes,” he said.
Sanday said Fiji’s rugby identity, humility, faith, unity and national pride must remain central to the team’s development.
He called on players and supporters at home and abroad to unite behind the new coach, saying success would require collective support, patience and discipline.
White was shortlisted for the position alongside former Wales and British and Irish Lions coach Warren Gatland and former France defence coach Shaun Edwards.
His appointment brings decades of international coaching experience to Fiji as the Flying Fijians prepare for the expanded demands of the 2027 World Cup campaign.
In his initial remarks following the announcement, White thanked Sanday for his words and referred to the backing he had received from the FRU chairman.
The appointment marks the start of a new coaching chapter for the Flying Fijians, with the FRU emphasising improved preparation, consistency and performance as key priorities ahead of the 2027 tournament….PACNEWS
PAC – UXO: PACNEWS PACNEWS 3: Tue 13 Oct 2026
Marshall Islands warns climate change could expose Pacific war explosives
By Pita Ligaiula
GENEVA, 13 OCTOBER 2026 (PACNEWS)—The Marshall Islands has warned that rising sea levels, coastal erosion and extreme weather could expose unexploded wartime explosives, creating additional risks for vulnerable Pacific Island communities.
Speaking during a United Nations Human Rights Council debate on victim assistance for people affected by anti-personnel mines, the Marshall Islands said Pacific small island developing states faced particular challenges in addressing explosive remnants of war (ERWs).
“For Pacific small island developing states, the legacy and threat of explosive remnants of war are particular challenges,” the country told the council.
“Geographic dispersion, limited national capacities, and the high cost of reaching remote communities can make victim assistance especially difficult to sustain.”
The Marshall Islands said climate-related hazards added another layer of risk, particularly for coastal and island communities.
“Sea level rise, coastal erosion, flooding and storm surges can expose or displace explosive remnants of war, creating additional risks for vulnerable coastal and island communities,” it said.
The concerns are reflected in a new Human Rights Council resolution, A/HRC/63/L.24, which specifically recognises the links between explosive remnants of war, climate-related impacts and small island developing states.
Co-sponsored by 70 countries, the resolution, titled The impact of anti-personnel mines on the full enjoyment of all human rights: strengthening victim assistance, recognises the continuing threat posed by explosive remnants of war, including unexploded ordnance (UXO).
The resolution builds on an earlier measure adopted in 2025, A/HRC/RES/58/22, which examined the impact of anti-personnel mines on the full enjoyment of human rights.
While the earlier resolution did not specifically mention explosive remnants of war, it broadened the discussion beyond humanitarian mine clearance to consider the human rights of victims and survivors.
The latest resolution calls for a formal panel discussion on victim assistance at the Human Rights Council’s 66th session in 2027. It also requires the inclusion and active participation of survivors in the discussion.
It further invites UN Special Rapporteurs to incorporate victim assistance into their country-monitoring work, including during country visits, and to raise related concerns publicly during Human Rights Council sessions.
The measures aim to strengthen attention to the needs and rights of people affected by mines and explosive remnants of war, including access to assistance and the challenges faced by survivors.
The issue has particular significance for Pacific countries, where wartime explosives remain a legacy of past conflicts and can pose risks to communities, especially when environmental changes expose previously buried or submerged ordnance.
The year 2027 will mark the 30th anniversary of the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention, also known as the Ottawa Treaty, which prohibits the use, stockpiling, production and transfer of anti-personnel mines and requires their destruction.
The resolution reinforces the need to address the lasting human rights consequences of mines and explosive remnants of war, including the additional challenges climate-related impacts create for vulnerable island states. …PACNEWS
FIJI – CYBER ATTACKS: PACNEWS PACNEWS 3: Tue 13 Oct 2026
U.S warns of suspected China-linked cyberattack on Suva-based regional organisation
By Pita Ligaiula
SUVA, 13 OCTOBER 2026 (PACNEWS)— The United States has warned Fiji of a suspected cyberattack on a Suva-based regional organisation, alleging hackers linked to China maintained access to its network for several days between July and August 2026.
The U.S Embassy recently informed the Fiji Government and the affected organisation of the suspected network compromise and provided technical recommendations to help secure their systems.
The embassy said the incident reflected a broader pattern of cyber activity targeting Pacific governments, multilateral organisations and telecommunications networks by state-sponsored cyber threat actors linked to China.
It said information stolen through such activity could give Chinese intelligence services and other actors access to sensitive data and compromise communications between Pacific Island countries and territories.
The United States said the activity was consistent with its assessment that China remained an active and persistent cyber threat.
The embassy also raised concerns about alleged links between criminal networks, corruption and foreign influence in the Pacific, citing public reporting on individuals and networks operating across the region.
It referred to scholarship describing what researchers call “systemic geocriminality” and alleged links between China’s United Front and criminal figures.
The statement also cited Zhao Fugang, alleging his actions had left Fiji vulnerable to malign foreign influence involving Chinese government, business and criminal actors operating inside and outside the country.
It said corruption undermined foreign investment and assistance, enabled organised crime, created opportunities for foreign interference, contributed to illegal migration and weakened public confidence in government.
The United States said these issues affected its national security, economic and foreign policy interests, as well as those of its Pacific partners.
Washington said its engagement with Pacific countries was part of its commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific and to regional security and prosperity.
“The United States stands with our Pacific friends and neighbors to advance a free and open Indo-Pacific region,” the statement said, describing Pacific security and prosperity as a key pillar of its America First foreign policy.
The United States and Palau will co-chair the inaugural U.S-Pacific Islands Conference of Police Ministers (COPMIN), which will focus on maritime security, drug trafficking, cybercrime and illicit finance.
U.S Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau said American engagement with Pacific countries was based on cooperation with sovereign partners.
“When the United States works with sovereign nations to protect fish stocks, train law enforcement, or build infrastructure, we do so as true partners,” Landau said.
The U.S statement did not identify the Suva-based regional organisation affected by the suspected cyber compromise or provide details of the information potentially accessed….PACNEWS
IDN – WEST PAPUA: RNZ PACIFIC PACNEWS 3: Tue 13 Oct 2026
Indonesia says institutions ‘working continuously’ on rights allegations
JAKARTA, 13 OCTOBER 2016 (RNZ PACIFIC) —Indonesia has rejected allegations of systemic human rights abuses in West Papua and says credible claims are addressed.
It comes after the leaders of Vanuatu and Solomon Islands used their speeches at the UN General Assembly to urge Indonesia to allow a human rights commissioner to assess the situation.
In a transcript of its right of reply released by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Indonesian delegation said the country takes all credible allegations of human rights violations seriously.
“Our national institutions and legal mechanisms, including the independent National Human Rights Commission, is working continuously to address such allegations.
“Indonesia’s record of engagement with the international human rights system speaks for itself. Indonesia is currently serving as the President of the UN Human Rights Council, after serving six terms as a member of the Council, reflecting the highest level of trust from the international community to Indonesia.”
It also noted that “arrangements for any visit by the High Commissioner should be agreed between the host state and the Office of the High Commissioner … they are not set by a third state or any regional body”.
Indonesian security forces have been in an ongoing fight with small groups of guerilla fighters with the West Papua Liberation Army, or TPNPB, in the mountainous interior of Papua.
A recent report from the Human Rights Monitor said military operations and armed violence have been particularly intense in the central highlands of Indonesian-ruled Papua region this year.
Pacific Islands Forum countries in 2019 requested that Indonesia allow the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to visit Papua to assess claims of widespread rights abuses.
No visit has yet occurred.
The Indonesian delegation said any serious discussion of Papua “must reflect the full picture”, which included innocent civilians, teachers, health workers and many others falling victim to violence by armed criminal groups.
It outlined a series of recent attacks, and said those are not acts of peaceful political expression.
“Attacking innocent civilians and murdering civil servants are criminal acts.
“Indonesia has a responsibility to protect all of its citizens.
“Law enforcement must and will remain subject to Indonesia’s laws and our international human rights obligations.
“We therefore categorically reject any attempt to present disinformation or misinformation about human rights situations in Indonesia.”
It also said some countries “chose to omit facts about civilian victims from its narrative”, while making “sweeping allegations” towards Indonesia.
“Such selectivity undermines the credibility of its stated concern for human rights.
“Human rights concerns deserve serious discussion. But it should never be used as a tool to justify violence or advocate separatism.”
Prior to the UNGA, Melanesian countries pushed for Indonesia to facilitate the long-requested visit or have its membership in their regional bloc reviewed.
In response, Indonesia’s government indicated that a visit was on track, but this was questioned by a leading West Papua independence group…..PACNEWS
CHINA – DIPLOMACY: XINHUA PACNEWS 3: Tue 13 Oct 2026
China, PNG mark 50 years of diplomatic relations
BEIJING/PORT MORESBY, 13 OCTOBER 2026 (XINHUA) — Chinese President Xi Jinping and Papua New Guinea Governor-General Bob Dadae have exchanged congratulatory messages marking 50 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
Xi described Papua New Guinea as a “good friend, good partner and good brother” of China in the Pacific Islands region.
He said the two countries had strengthened political trust, expanded mutually beneficial cooperation and increased people-to-people exchanges since establishing diplomatic ties five decades ago.
These achievements had benefited both countries and contributed to building a China-Pacific Islands community with a shared future, Xi said.
Xi said he attached great importance to relations with Papua New Guinea and was ready to work with Dadae to use the anniversary to strengthen traditional friendship and expand cooperation across various fields.
He said both countries should work to elevate their comprehensive strategic partnership to a new level and deliver greater benefits to their peoples.
Dadae said bilateral relations had made significant progress over the past 50 years, benefiting both countries and their people.
He said Papua New Guinea valued its longstanding friendship with China and reaffirmed the country’s commitment to the one-China principle.
Dadae said the anniversary provided an opportunity to further strengthen and advance relations between the two countries.
Chinese Premier Li Qiang also exchanged congratulatory messages with Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape on Monday.
Li said China was willing to work with Papua New Guinea to promote high-quality Belt and Road cooperation and advance their comprehensive strategic partnership.
Marape said his government highly appreciated China’s contributions to Papua New Guinea’s economic and social development.
He reaffirmed Papua New Guinea’s commitment to the one-China principle and said the government would continue to deepen mutually beneficial cooperation with China across various sectors.
The 50th anniversary marks five decades of diplomatic engagement between China and Papua New Guinea, which established formal relations in 1976….PACNEWS
PAC – MEDIA: COOK ISLANDS NEWS PACNEWS 3: Tue 13 Oct 2026
Pacific fact-checking platform founder says united effort needed to fight misinformation
RAROTONGA, 13 OCTOBER 2026 (COOK ISLANDS NEWS)—The man behind the Pacific’s first independent fact-checking website says the unchecked spread of misinformation and disinformation in the region is why he started it.
Rashneel Madhur Kumar, who is the editor of the Cook Islands News, launched the CheckPacific.com
at the Pacific Islands News Association media summit in Savusavu, Fiji, last month.
False and misleading information was named the world’s second-greatest challenge in the World Economic Forum’s 2026 Global Risks Report. A United Nations ranking by experts from 136 countries named disinformation one of the greatest global threats.
Disinformation is false or modified information knowingly and deliberately shared to cause harm or achieve a broader aim. Misinformation is information that is false or misleading, though not created or shared with the direct intention of causing harm.
According to the Griffith Asia-Pacific Strategic Outlook 2026, the spread of false information is a serious concern in the Pacific. Small island states not only face some of the world’s gravest threats from rising sea levels and related climate change impacts, but they also face increasingly pervasive misinformation about such threats.
Madhur said people are sharing false news on Social Media, without doing their own fact checking
“With the advent of social media and the way we see everywhere, it’s just not a Cook Islands problem where I am based, I guess it’s not a Fiji problem, Solomon Islands problem. We see it in the region, we have this wide spread of misinformation.”
According to Madhur, the sharing of mis- and disinformation leads to a lot of harm amongst communities.
“Covid was a perfect example of the kind of harm that unchecked spread of information could lead to. That was obviously an inspiration, and I have seen within my own family setting how family members kept posting things and putting things in our chat groups, and I was basically verifying every claim in that conversation.”
“So, I thought, if I am having in a small setting this issue and I’m able to at least verify it, who is doing it in the region. Who is doing it at the nation level, maybe media is doing at it to some level, but who is doing it in the region?
“Why is there no alliance or why is there no collaboration within media partners or civil society or universities to come together and battle this thing together as a region,” he said
He said the rise in geopolitical tensions and other challenges affecting the interconnected Pacific region prompted him to create the platform.
“And over the years, with the help of a lot of partners who have given me some really sound advice and guided me with the guidelines with the help of other platforms that have been there. I sought some inspiration from them and then we came up with the CheckPacific.com “
Madhur said the response from the industry has been overwhelming.
“There has been great support from industry partners. People have come to me before I had a brief opportunity to announce it.
“I managed to print out some cards and give it out to people and the managed to browse it in their own spare time, and then they came back with feedback and that they liked it and wanted to get some more information.”
Madhur said the positive reaction from people shows there is a strong need for a Pacific focused platform like this….PACNEWS
NZ – FIJIAN DIASPORA: PMN PACNEWS 3: Tue 13 Oct 2026
Fijian father turns village wisdom into a new guide for raising children far from home
AUCKLAND, 13 OCTOBER 2026 (PMN)—Keeping a child connected to their roots while growing up far from home takes more than telling them where they come from.
It means speaking the language, sharing the stories and putting cultural values into practice every day.
For Fijian father Tukai Neumi Baraki, that lesson has become a new book, Vuvale Kaukauwa – Noda Yavu Dei: Strong Families, Our Firm Foundation, written to help families in the diaspora pass on the values that shaped generations before them.
The Auckland-based single dad draws on his own journey raising his teenage son, Brett, alongside the village wisdom and faith he grew up with in Fiji.
“That is something that we should never forget,” Baraki tells Pacific Days.
“That we come from a culture that is thousands of years old, from a proud history of traditional and cultural values.
“If we always keep that in mind, then that should help greatly in coming and living in a place where we are strangers.”
Raised by his grandparents in Vanua Levu, Baraki says holding on to his heritage while raising a child in a different country takes deliberate effort.
One of his strongest messages to parents is to keep speaking the Fijian language, Vosa Vakaviti, at home even when children are surrounded by English at school and in everyday life.
“Keeping anchored to our identity and our values, that helped me a lot as a dad,” he says. “Speaking to my son, we always kept our Fijian language alive at home, not speaking English. Language is the conduit that carries all of those cultural values to our present day.
“To keep the language alive and fluent, we need to be around people who speak it all the time. But because we are away, then of course that will be eroded. We cannot escape the fact that that happens, but if we make a deliberate effort to always speak it at home, the children will always hear the language.”
Baraki says his book has 18 chapters centred around traditional Fijian proverbs, linking cultural knowledge with the practical challenges parents face today.
Topics include teaching young children about body safety and keeping communication open through the teenage years.
One proverb, “Lutu na niu, lutu ki vuna (the coconut falls close to its roots),” reflects the importance of a strong family foundation.
“A strong family is not a perfect family. It is a family willing to talk, listen, correct, forgive, protect, teach and begin again,” he says.
Although the book is deeply rooted in i-Taukei (indigenous Fijian) values, Baraki chose to write it in English to reach younger generations.
A glossary included at the back of the book explains traditions and cultural concepts.
Baraki has also spent more than six years making language-learning videos for YouTube and Facebook with Brett, who is now in Year 11.
During a recent video for Fijian Language Week, Macawa ni Vosa Vakaviti, Brett explained the deeper meaning of kerekere, translated as “please” or a request.
“Kerekere is not just ‘please’ or begging,” Brett says. “But it is a sacred act of trust that holds a community together.”
Their videos are one way father and son share language and cultural knowledge with other families, showing how everyday conversations can carry meaning beyond a word’s direct translation.
The book’s release adds to community-led efforts to keep the Fijian culture alive across Aotearoa. In Hamilton, the Fiji Society has supported a community cookbook created by 15-year-old Talei Prior, bringing language and cultural learning into the kitchen.
“Talei’s learning her Vosa vakaViti in a different kind of way,” Talei’s mother Tegan McIntyre says. She also notes that kitchen banter helps her daughters pick up everyday phrases.
Talei’s 10-year-old sister Milli adds, “It’s cool because I’m learning the language when I’m young, so I can have it for the rest of my life.”
For Baraki, the message is also for single parents and grandparents who are trying to pass on their heritage while raising children away from their ancestral homes.
“Toso tiko ga, tabu soro – keep moving, never give up.”
Vuvale Kaukauwa – Noda Yavu Dei: Strong Families, Our Firm Foundation is available as a Kindle edition and in paperback through Amazon.
Baraki hopes it will be a useful resource for Fijian parents around the world….PACNEWS
PACNEWS BIZ
PAC – FISHERIES: FFA PACNEWS BIZ: Tue 13 Oct 2026
Strengthening Pacific fisheries market access
HONIARA, 13 OCTOBER 2026 (FFA)—Fish inspectors from across the Pacific are taking part in a training for National Competent Authority officers to strengthen their understanding of European Union (EU) seafood requirements and what these mean for Pacific tuna exports.
With new EU requirements placing greater emphasis on freezing temperatures, vessel systems and food safety, inspectors need the technical knowledge to assess compliance and help their countries maintain access to the EU market.
The training covers key areas including EU regulations, EU market access, the organisation and structure of national competent authorities, roles and responsibilities, ethics, competencies, national control plans and industry standards, HACCP vessel, audit and inspections, risk assessment, auditing supply chains, microbiology for non microbiologists, processing technology, traceability and certification.
According to FFA Market Access Specialist, Jope Tamani, “It is about making sure officers have the knowledge and competencies to carry out their responsibilities and help Pacific countries respond to changing market requirements.”
The training brings together around 18 participants from Papua New Guinea, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Tuvalu, Vanuatu and Fiji.
The two weeks training is organised by the Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA) through the EU-funded Pacific–European Union Marine Partnership Programme (PEUMP II) programme. …PACNEWS
W|PAPUA – AIRLINE: ANTARA PACNEWS BIZ: Tue 13 Oct 2026
Indonesia eyes direct flights between Papua, Papua New Guinea
JAYAPURA, 13 OCTOBER 2026 (ANTARA)—- Indonesian Ambassador to Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands, Okto Dorinus Manik, is exploring the possibility of launching direct air routes between Papua New Guinea and Jayapura, the provincial capital of Papua.
He noted that the initiative aims to boost cross-border trade and passenger mobility.
“On Thursday (08 October8), we met with Papua Governor Matius D. Fakhiri to explore untapped opportunities between Papua New Guinea and Indonesia, particularly in the economic, social, and cultural sectors,” Manik said.
“Therefore, strengthening land, sea, and air connectivity remains our core priority,” he added.
The meeting marked Manik’s first official visit to the Papua provincial government since assuming his diplomatic post in Port Moresby five months ago.
“Papua’s geographical location, which shares a direct border with Papua New Guinea, provides a strategic advantage to deepen bilateral cooperation, especially in stimulating commercial activity among frontier communities,” he noted.
Beyond commercial aviation, the ambassador said that the government also plans to roll out pioneer bus services and develop new overland routes along the shared border.
On maritime transport, he stated plans are underway to enhance logistics and trade flows by linking the Port of Jayapura directly to various key coastal cities in Papua New Guinea.
Manik expressed optimism that the discussions would translate into concrete cooperative ventures and bolster diplomatic ties between the Papua provincial administration and the Papua New Guinea government.
“Enhanced connectivity between the two sides will unlock new avenues for developing trade, social, and cultural potentials, while fostering closer people-to-people ties along the shared border,” he said…. PACNEWS
PACNEWS DIGEST
The views expressed in PACNEWS are those of agencies contributing articles and do not necessarily those of PINA and/or PACNEWS
Pacific Meteorological Council champions COSPPac’s vital role in regional climate services.
NUKU’ALOFA, 13 OCTOBER 2026 (SPREP)—he Pacific Meteorological Council (PMC) strongly acknowledged the contributions of the Climate and Oceans Support Programme in the Pacific (COSPPac), emphasising the programme’s critical role in strengthening national meteorological services, improving access to climate information and supporting communities across the region.
During discussions at the eighth Pacific Meteorological Council (PMC-8) meeting in Tonga, representatives from Pacific island countries and territories expressed their appreciation for COSPPac’s longstanding support since 2012, and called for its continuation beyond June 2027, which is when the current phase is scheduled to end.
The discussions came at a critical time for the Pacific, as countries navigate the impacts of El Niño and increasingly complex weather and climate challenges. Members highlighted the importance of maintaining access to COSPPac’s climate data, technical expertise, capacity development and communications support, particularly when reliable climate science information is essential for preparedness and decision-making.
Director of the Republic of the Marshall Islands’ (RMI) Weather Service Office,Reginald White, described COSPPac as a key contributor to the country’s meteorological services, emphasising the importance of equitable support and resource distribution across National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHS).
Other members echoed this sentiment, recognising COSPPac’s contribution to building national capacity and strengthening the delivery of climate services to communities, as well as integrating traditional knowledge into climate and weather forecasts and outlooks to build resilience.
Tauala Katea, Director of Tuvalu Meteorological Services, acknowledged the programme’s role in advancing NMHS capabilities and bridging gaps between technical information and the communities that need it most, including reaching people at the last mile.
Kiribati Meteorological Services Director, Ueneta Toorua, also highlighted the value of COSPPac’s data and services in strengthening national service delivery and raising the visibility of meteorological work, while calling for additional tide gauges to support the country’s needs.
COSPPac’s support for tide gauges to enable sea-level monitoring, tsunami preparedness, and the development of tide calendars used by local communities was also acknowledged by the Cook Islands, with Niue welcoming the news of tide gauge support provided for Tokelau, reflecting the wider regional benefits of the programme.
The programme’s capacity development support, particularly during El Niño events, was emphasised by the Federated States of Micronesia as being particularly important, and a support service that is much appreciated by NMHSs in the region.
Tonga and Vanuatu also echoed this sentiment, emphasising the importance of the work being done by COSPPac to develop ENSO Directive in the region that will improve coordination between national stakeholders and provide a framework for collaboration during El Niño and La Niña events.
Beyond technical climate services, PMC members also highlighted COSPPac’s investment in communications as an important part of ensuring climate information reaches the people who need it.
The programme’s support for communications officers, software, training and workshops has helped strengthen the ability of NMHS to communicate complex weather and climate information in accessible and meaningful ways.
Laitia Fifita, Director of the Tonga Meteorological Service and Chair of the PMC, acknowledged the value of including communications officers in the programme’s support, which has allowed for Tonga Meteorological Service to employ its first Science Communications Officer.
COSPPac’s support also extends to Land and Survey services, with members noting its distinctive role as a regional programme supporting both meteorological and land-related services. Flexible funding has further helped respond to the needs of NMHS and Land and Survey agencies, allowing support to address country-specific priorities.
The programme’s scientific contribution was also recognised, including the use and citation of COSPPac-supported data and work in assessments by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), reinforcing the importance of sustained regional climate observations and information.
While members expressed strong support for COSPPac’s work, the programme’s future beyond June 2027 remained a key concern throughout the discussions.
Fifita reflected on the programme’s far-reaching impact across the Pacific, describing it as a transformative initiative that has touched lives across communities, including women and children.
“It warms the heart to see how COSPPac has touched lives everywhere possible,” the Chair said, emphasising the importance of maintaining the progress achieved through the programme.
“We have seen the light now through COSPPac. Don’t turn that light off,” he concluded.
Niue, Papua New Guinea, and Samoa also strongly supported the call for COSPPac to continue beyond June 2027, recognising the important support rendered by the programme to Pacific climate services.
The Siu-i-Alaimoana-Ki-Likutapu Ministerial Declaration also called for development partners to to sustain and strengthen Pacific-led climate services, with Pacific Ministers for Meteorology emphasising the importance of supporting programmes such as COSPPac which are aligned with priorities identified by Pacific NMHSs and ensure that climate science translate into practical actions that strengthen resilience, security, and sustainability of the Blue Pacific continent.
COSPPac is currently in its third phase, and is delivered through a partnership between the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP), Australian Bureau of Meteorology, Earth Sciences New Zealand, Geoscience Australia, and the Pacific Community (SPC)…..PACNEWS
For more information, please contact Salesa Nihmei, Director of SPREP’s Climate Science and Information programme, at salesan@sprep.org
The views expressed in PACNEWS are those of agencies contributing articles and do not necessarily those of PINA and/or PACNEWS
Pacific nations take on the plastic hidden inside disaster response
By Erica Lee
SUVA, 13 OCTOBER 2026 (SPC)—Every disaster response leaves something behind besides recovery: waste. Planes, trucks and ships bring in tents, blankets, kitchen supplies and other relief items, almost all of it boxed, bagged or wrapped in plastic.
Once supplies reach communities, someone has to deal with the packaging, often in places with little capacity to do so. For the Pacific Humanitarian Warehousing Program (PHWP) that waste is part of the disaster response chain, and when relief items are moved across several Pacific countries, the volume adds up quickly. It is a cost of humanitarian action that is rarely discussed in the region, until now.
A 2023 baseline assessment of global humanitarian emergency responses found that packaging for relief items alone generated nearly 69,000 metric tons of waste in 2021, with plastic making up almost a third of it by weight
In April 2026, the PHWP released its Green Humanitarian Action Strategy, a Pacific-led roadmap for reducing the environmental footprint of the programme’s humanitarian warehousing and relief supply work.
The strategy does not pretend the trade-offs are simple. For PHWP, Pacific geography, including dispersed atolls, high transport costs, limited land and thin recycling markets, makes it harder to reduce waste linked to humanitarian warehousing and relief supplies. One guiding principle is that “green doesn’t have to be seen.” Rather than visible symbols like solar panels, it focuses on less obvious measures that can have a bigger impact, including supplier negotiations to cut plastic at the source, material substitutions and better stock planning. Waste removal, one of six strategic priority areas, aims to cut landfill volume and build local capacity. It’s a costly problem, since expired, damaged or unneeded items routinely end up discarded, draining budgets and creating environmental and health risks.
SPC partnered with the WREC (Waste, Recycling, and Environmental-Capacities) Coalition, the sustainability arm of the Global Logistics Cluster under the World Food Programme, to deliver the first hands-on training under the strategy. Held in Fiji, it drew National Disaster Management Office (NDMO) representatives from six countries: Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Naoero, Papua New Guinea and Tonga, along with warehouse managers.
Purchasing and delivering relief items is among the biggest sources of emissions for a humanitarian organisation, contributing 40 to 70% of its carbon footprint driven largely by manufacturing, plastics and packaging.
“We’ve been receiving so many non-food items in relief responses, but we’re not considering the impact on the environment when we push those items out to communities,” said Semi Ramagimagi, administrative officer at Fiji’s National Disaster Management Office.
“Across the Pacific we are looking at greening, but we don’t quite understand how to put it in place,” said Anthony Blake of Kiribati’s National Disaster Risk Management Office (NDRMO).
After the training, Kiribati became the first country under the programme to develop its own national waste plan. Through the Humanitarian Logistics Capability (HLC), PHWP is targeting the kitchen kit, a pot, pan, plates and utensils, wrapped item by item in plastic, and is working with its supplier to swap that packaging for recycled tissue paper.
The work also draws on regional partnerships, including the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme’s (SPREP) Cleaner Pacific 2025 strategy, the Moana Taka Partnership and PacWaste Plus, which help ship recyclables off-island, and feeds into broader commitments including the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent and SPC’s Climate Change Flagship.
Using a train-the-trainer model, participants are building country-specific waste plans and Standard Operating Procedures (SOP). For Jordan Kepae of Naoero’s National Disaster Management Office, the biggest takeaway was a new SOP guiding workers and raising community awareness about handling waste.
From plastic-free kitchen kits to the drafting of Kiribati’s waste management plan to a growing network of trainers, PHWP is helping disaster responders treat waste as part of humanitarian warehousing and relief supply work, not an afterthought.
The Pacific Humanitarian Warehousing Program (PHWP) is a Pacific-led, multi-donor/multi-partner program (2023–2031) that supports 14 Pacific countries and Timor-Leste to develop disaster preparedness and resilience, by building their national humanitarian warehousing capability to respond in the first 48 hours of a disaster. The programme is implemented by SPC and funded by the governments of Australia, France, Germany, Japan, New Zealand and the United Kingdom….PACNEWS
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The views expressed in PACNEWS are those of agencies contributing articles and do not necessarily those of PINA and/or PACNEWS
Australian scientists track a decade of Pacific Ocean change
By Mereleki Nai
SUVA, 13 OCTOBER 2026 (FIJI SUN)—-Australian ocean scientists are investigating rapid changes beneath the Pacific Ocean’s surface, with new research expected to shed light on the future of marine ecosystems, tuna fisheries and climate policy across the region.
Physical oceanographer and climate scientist Dr Beatriz Peña-Molino highlighted the urgency of understanding these changes during a research visit to Fiji last month aboard an Australian scientific research vessel.
Dr Peña-Molino, who works in the Climate, Atmosphere and Oceans Interactions group within Environment RU, was part of a team of Australian scientists conducting research across the Pacific to measure how ocean conditions have changed over the past decade.
The project revisits previously surveyed locations to examine changes in ocean temperature, carbon chemistry and marine ecosystem health.
Researchers are comparing new observations with measurements collected about 10 years ago to establish how quickly the Pacific Ocean is changing.
One major concern is that warming is extending beyond surface waters into deeper ocean layers, potentially faster than previously expected.
The findings could have significant implications for climate projections, ocean health and decision-making by Pacific governments.
Dr Peña-Molino said observational data were critical to validating and improving climate models, which policymakers rely on to understand future risks and develop effective climate responses.
While the upper kilometre of the ocean can reveal shorter-term changes, deeper waters provide a longer-term record of how the climate system is evolving. Understanding changes throughout the ocean is therefore essential to determining the scale and pace of ocean warming.
The research will also introduce a new dimension to the decade-long comparison: the use of environmental DNA (eDNA) to assess marine ecosystems.
This technology allows scientists to investigate the presence of organisms through genetic material collected from the environment, providing insights into changes in marine biodiversity that earlier surveys could not capture in the same way.
The team hopes to identify both positive and negative trends in ecosystem health and better understand how rising temperatures and changing ocean chemistry are affecting marine life.
Implications for tuna fisheries and Pacific livelihoods
For Pacific Island countries, the research has implications far beyond climate science.
Changes in ocean temperature and dissolved oxygen can influence where fish live, how marine ecosystems function and whether important species can thrive in their traditional habitats.
Dr Peña-Molino highlighted the importance of monitoring these conditions to support sustainable fisheries management, particularly for tuna, which underpin food security, employment and export earnings across much of the Pacific.
Declining oxygen levels, known as ocean deoxygenation, are a particular concern in parts of the central Pacific.
Combined with rising temperatures, reduced oxygen availability can affect the suitability of marine habitats and place additional pressure on fisheries.
Better observations, combined with improved climate models, could help scientists and fisheries managers anticipate changes in fish distribution and strengthen planning for the future.
Building the evidence Pacific leaders need
The research comes as Pacific nations continue to confront the growing impacts of climate change, including ocean warming, acidification and increasingly challenging climate extremes.
The interaction between long-term climate change and natural climate variability, particularly El Niño, is another key area of interest for the researchers. El Niño can significantly alter Pacific Ocean temperatures and circulation, compounding the effects of long-term warming.
Dr Peña-Molino stressed that continuous ocean monitoring was essential to understanding these changes and providing policymakers with reliable, evidence-based information.
By comparing current measurements with data collected a decade ago, the team aims to establish clearer trends in ocean conditions and assess how those changes could affect future climate projections and marine resource management.
The findings are expected to help inform climate policy, support Pacific leaders in decision-making and strengthen efforts to manage fisheries sustainably.
For the Pacific, understanding what is happening beneath the ocean’s surface is critical to preparing communities, protecting marine resources and making informed decisions about a rapidly changing climate…..PACNEWS
