WEST PAPUA Activists fight on
ONE year from now the People of Papua will mark the 50th anniversary of their independence from the Dutch and the raising for the first time of the Morning Star flag. Today, the raising of that flag is considered a
2015 December
A bull in the China shop
Spain and China: Rising threats to regional tuna stocks THE harbour in Suva’s capital is dotted with boats – long line fishing vessels flying the Chinese flag – tied up for months, waiting for the
What the Pacific means to China
TUNA is not China’s only interest in the region. With mining and timber resources in Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands and Fiji, the Asian Dragon has its sights firmly set on the Pacific. There is also the
Activist: Don’t let them in
WITH Pacific eyes watching every move made by China in its slow, systemic advance into the region and its tightening grip on fisheries stocks, the latest threat has been largely overlooked. Coming out of the Indian
Renewed momentum at tuna talks
AS the world heads into the end of year festive season, Pacific families across the region will be sending travellers off to two key negotiation events of global significance: the COP 21 climate change talks in Paris
A time for regional solidarity
IF ever there was a time for Pacific countries to work together for the common good, it is now, with their very survival at risk. Two critical global events this month have highlighted the absolute need for the region
PNA expands control of tuna industry
WHILE New Zealand promotes a new plan for tuna management in the region, the Forum Fisheries Agency pushes a fisheries road map, the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) waffles on action to control
Whispers
FAST taking shape in what was once a thriving pine plantation not far from Fiji’s international airport is what the signboard declares as a giant biomass plant. What the signboard says is basically what all most
Corrupted trade routes in the Pacific
Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, Solomons and Samoa top global trade estimates for illicit financial flows THREE of the world’s top ten most corrupted trade routes involve Pacific Islands countries. In the Pacific,
El Nino It’sNot Over
FROM the highlands of Papua New Guinea in the western Pacific to the salad bowl on the southern coast of Fiji’s main island in the central Pacific, the long spell of dry weather is taking its toll. Cash crops and
Pacific countries lose US $12.1billion in illicit financial flows
EIGHT Pacific countries suffered losses of US$12.1 billion over 10 years in what global finance reformers describe as “illicit financial flows.” Papua New Guinea ($4.3b) and Fiji ($2.7b) recorded the most
