Whispers
Lau in the spotlight A tug of war of mega proportions is underway in Suva’s corridors of power over an initiative by a group of islands in Fiji to preserve the largely pristine sea and land. Under their Lau Seascape
2022
Fiji’s tourism comeback
But concerns remain over Pacific-wide labour shortages Travellers now want authentic and immersive vacation experiences, an analyst from international consulting firm Twenty31, told the recent Fiji Tourism Expo. Oliver
From Farm to Table to Memory
Hidden inside the golf course on Denarau is a burgeoning farm. Fiji National University graduate Shahil Ram has been managing the plot for the Marriott group for a year, and despite suffering a slight setback because of
Unplugging at Namosi Eco Retreat
Sustainability was the buzzword at the Fiji Tourism Exchange, and some of the industry’s quiet pioneers were glad to hear it. “The only way to survive the pandemic was through sustainability. The only way
Bleaching distress signal
Recently we heard that widespread coral bleaching has occurred on the Great Barrier Reef off Queensland for the fourth time in seven years. Scientists say the frequency of these bleaching events mean there’s
Micro plastics, macro problem
An estimated 150 million tonnes of plastic are circulating in our oceans, and that figure is growing by the equivalent of one-truckload every minute, the United Nations Environment Program says. Plastic pollution was a
A ‘Can Do’ Spirit For MSG and Melanesia
“In terms of the broad Melanesian Spearhead Group family, my intention is to re-institute the spirit of ‘can do’ that characterised the MSG when it was first formed in the 1980s.” That’s Leonard Louma, the new
Tonga Rebuilds
“We gave the world a bit of a shake on the 15th of January this year,” Moana Kioa from Tonga’s National Emergency Management Office (NEMO) told the Global Platform for Disaster Risk resilience in Indonesia
ICT kept us together
The recent Pacific Islands Telecommunications Association’s (PITA) annual Business Forum & Expo 2022 was what PITA Vice President and CEO of Vodafone Cook Islands, Phil Henderson called “a bit of an
An Umbilical Cord Between New Caledonia and Fiji
When the Gondwana 2 submarine cable linking New Caledonia and Fiji was landed in Suva last month, FINTEL CEO George Samisoni described it as an “umbilical cord” linking the Pacific. Samisoni said it took seven years
Telcos urged to maintain momentum of COVID-19 gains
While COVID-19 crippled economies across the globe, the telecommunications industry was among the very few sectors gifted with an unexpected windfall. Never has life been more dependent on its services than over the
Connecting the Pacific
Pacific nations require efficient, resilient connectivity to the global digital highway to participate in e-commerce and provide the services to their nation which are obtainable elsewhere in the world.
Comment: Making Sense of Multi-layered Security Frameworks
Security is a priority in the region. It has been so since 1971, when the earlier version of the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) – the South Pacific Forum (SPF) first met in Wellington on 5-7 August that year. At that
Briefs
American Samoa Local inflation reached double digits in the first quarter of 2022. The rate was 11.6%, an increase from 9.7% at the end of 2021, says American Samoa’s Statistics and Analysis Division. Price rises were
Pacific youth raise concerns over debt levels
“25 years from now – my children, your grandchildren are at a risk of potential tax and financial burdens that will be crippling if nothing is done today to reduce our region’s growing debt.” This was the
Vee’s Organic Farms: Down to earth, still atop the world
The story could have ended with a flight attendant being told she would never walk or talk again, simply being grounded, but Vitila Vuniwaqa hopes to inspire others with chapters in which she
The Drua does not sink
‘Sega ni dau dromu na Drua’, meaning ‘The Drua does not sink’, were the words that echoed through the Fijiana Drua camp this season, carrying them all the way to the Super W title. Short and simple they may be,
Sweet message in the music
South Auckland reggae artist, Sweet and Irie’s song Ban the Burn may be some 15 years old, but its message is as powerful and important today. Ban the Burn, which warns against meth use, was first recorded in 2006,
Movers and Shakers
Jane Waetara is Solomon Islands’ new Permanent Representative to the United Nations and High Commissioner to Canada after officially tendering an early resignation as the nation’s first female Chief Electoral
The U.S. Indo-Pacific strategy
Too anodyne to be utilitarian Early this year, the White House released America’s Indo-Pacific Strategy. It is dated February 2022. U.S. President Joe Biden had referred to it earlier, at the 24 September 2021 QUAD
Commercial kava pilot off to a flying start
When the Australian government gave the green light for a two-year commercial kava pilot program in December last year, “the excitement was palpable,” Australia's Minister for International Development and Pacific,
Pharmaceutical market now ‘risky’
Geographical indicators to be developed for kava A leading kava scientist in the Pacific has labelled as "risky" any kava comeback in the pharmaceutical market, stressing that success of the crop as an export commodity
Coffee, cakes and kava
It’s an ordinary afternoon in Suva city, with school students flooding towards the bus stand and window shopping. Car horns honk as drivers speed through the city or are stuck in traffic. Shop owners prepare to