Forum is work in progress

Melanesian leaders failed to attend the 2nd Pacific Islands Development Forum on the Fijian resort island of Denarau last month. Conspicuous in their absence were Papua New Guinea Prime Minister Peter O’Neill and

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More US immigration woes for the Northern Marianas

Russians, Chinese target visa loop-holes the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands has received a five-year extension of a critical programme allowing it continued access to some 10,000 foreign workers up to 2019

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Whispers

More trouble for the multi-million dollar tuna industrial zone in Madang Province, on the northern shores of Papua New Guinea. Work on the proposed Kina 212 million (AU$90m) project has been put on hold because

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Greenpeace

I would like to express condolences on behalf of Greenpeace for the passing of Laisa Taga. Our deepest thoughts are with her colleagues and family in their

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Palau – where size doesn’t matter

Not counting the 400 or so volcano-uplifted little limestone islands that make up the spectacular Rock Islands, Palau is small. With a population of 21,000 living in the islands’ 16 states, the island republic

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Goodman Fielder sold

Goldman Fielder’s new owners, Singaporebased Wilmar International and Hong Kong’s First Pacific Company have yet to reveal their plans for their Fiji and Pacific operations. Manufacturer of renowned brands

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Multi-million dollar Fiji airport upgrade

NZ company wins $80 million contract Nadi International Airport will receive a massive $102 million facelift to give it an attractive and modern look as part of plans to create a striking impression of the South

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Fiji cannery partner expands tuna loin contract to Samoa

Fiji’s Pacific Fishing Company – operator of the country’s main tuna cannery – believes it won’t be affected by Bumble Bee’s interest in expanding its tuna loin business to Samoa.

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PNG lobbies for its SG nominee

Melanesians vie for top forum post It is not new. Nor is it unknown. As a matter of fact, the race for a Melanesianled economic dominance in the South Pacific has been an on-off, on-again, off again preoccupation of

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Kina Weakens, Cost of Living Increases in PNG

Papua New Guinea’s economy continued to grow for the 13th consecutive year in 2013 and inflation remained below forecasts. On account of low international commodity prices and high demand for imported goods and

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Samoa airline hits bumps

Compliance issues stop Inter Island Airways Plans by the American Samoa based airline Inter Island Airways to enter Fiji’s domestic air service have been delayed by numerous compliance requirements. Although the

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Fiji Airways starts new Suva-Apia link

Regional services to expand Fiji Airways – Fiji’s national carrier – introduced a new direct flight linking the country’s capital with that of Samoa’s. There had always been two flights out

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Marshall Islands move into commercial fish farming

‘Moi’ fish farms to expand The history of the Marshall Islands is littered with so many failed attempts to turn aquaculture and fish farming ideas into commercially viable businesses that it is a wonder

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Japan’s Abe spurs PNG interest

Gas supplies sufficient for 25 years TWO new Japanese-initiated petrochemical plants – one each in Papua New Guinea and West Papua, Indonesia are set to pick up green lights as feasibility studies open new hopes

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Pacific islands work on updating their sea charts

SPC starts work in Vanuatu The majority of the Pacific’s underwater charts are outdated with some of them dating back to Captain James Cook’s expeditions to the region in the 18th century. Secretariat of the

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PNA day fee hike puts pressure on fishing fleets

States want greater share of income The Parties to the Nauru Agreement (PNA) continue to set the pace in fisheries management in the western Pacific and the group’s latest decisions are upsetting tuna fishing

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SPC wins satellite imaging awards

Team covers activity costs with workload Many eyes will be focused on the Pacific Islands Forum and the upcoming Third International Conference on Small Island Developing States. But there are also smaller happenings

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The ‘Olympic Games’ for Micronesia

Guam to dominate track and field events Majuro — Twenty years ago, the only way to get a report on a Micronesian Games competition—or even just a baseball or basketball score—was to have someone ring

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Time to add value to seasonal labour scheme

One of the more significant announcements during Prime Minister John Key’s visit to three Pacific Island countries last month is that New Zealand will allow more seasonal workers from the islands to work on the

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Australia hails its Samoan World Cup star

Cahill wears his Pacific heritage with pride The only Pacific islander playing in the FIFA World Cup is not only representing Australia and his Samoan heritage. He’s also holding his own against the world’s

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Fiji has made rapid progress to elections

Fiji’s possible return to the fold of the Pacific Islands Forum, the region’s preeminent inter-governmental organisation of independent nations of the Pacific, has been much in discussion in recent months.

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Do many hands make light work?

The reality is that, with the greatest goodwill in the world, many of these countries are too small to be viable in the normal understanding of that expression and we really have to develop an approach that I could

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Step down: Opposition demands

Melanesia has had a lot going for it for more than a decade now. The exploitation of onshore and offshore resources have helped Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Fiji and New Caledonia – which form

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21 years of serving the environment and peoples of the Pacific

Pacific history was made twenty one years ago on June 16, 1993. On that day Pacific island countries signed an agreement to establish SPREP – the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme –

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