New publications from the Pacific Community

The Pacific Community (SPC) publishes a diverse range of scientific, technical and cultural publications in English and French year-round.

The Pacific is home to 423 known mosquito species, some of which transmit arboviruses like dengue, Zika, chikungunya and Ross River, Japanese encephalitis, human malaria parasites and lymphatic filariasis. Vector control interventions have one of the highest returns on investment in public health and are the primary method for controlling malaria and Aedes-borne arboviruses. This handbook provides practical and basic biological information on the behaviours and distribution of the mosquitoes of the Pacific region as they are presently known. An overview of the diversity and distribution of mosquitoes throughout the Pacific, including checklists for the species present in each of the 22 Pacific Island countries and territories, is provided. The mosquito species are presented in alphabetical order and information on the distribution, aquatic habitats and adult female behaviours are summarised. The manual provides a foundational reference for all those working towards reducing the transmission of mosquito-borne diseases in the region.

On 15 January 2022 Tonga’s Hunga volcano erupted in a sudden and cataclysmic way. The giant ash plume reached 30 km into the stratosphere, and sonic booms were heard in several countries and as far north as Alaska, 10,000 km away. Pressure disturbances travelled around the globe several times in the form of a Lamb wave. A destructive tsunami hit Ha‘atafu, Tongatapu in less than 10 minutes and then travelled across ocean basins; at least four people were killed in Tonga and thousands displaced. Documentation of this rare event for lessons learned is essential for improving tsunami preparedness, mitigation, and warning system. The post-event collection of data on tsunami wave runups, flow depths, inundation, and damage to the built and natural environment records the quantitative impact. These are complemented by eyewitness descriptions detailing the waves

This guide is intended to support fisheries agencies of Pacific Islands countries and territories in assessing and improving their co-management legislative frameworks to enable local fishing communities to meet their aspirations for healthy coastal ecosystems while preserving their livelihoods. It is addressed to fisheries policy and planning officers, legal officers and, broadly, fisheries managers and CBFM practitioners. The guide offers examples of legal provisions illustrating how fisheries co-management systems work in different countries to assist those seeking to create or revise co-management laws.

This report presents key scientific findings from the second phase of the Climate and Oceans Support Program in the Pacific (COSPPac, July 2018–June 2023), Seasonal Prediction and the Pacific Sea Level and Geodetic Monitoring (PSLGM) Projects. The report contributes to COSPPac’s aim for Pacific Island national meteorological services to understand and use climate, ocean and sea level data and information to develop and disseminate useful products and services to Pacific Island governments and communities, building resilience against the impact of climate change, climate variability and disasters.

The status of Pacific education 2022 provides an overview of the educational progress that has been made by Pacific Island countries. This is the second comprehensive report of a planned series of reports on the status of Pacific education to be produced biennially by the SPC’s Educational Quality and Assessment Programme (EQAP) as part of their monitoring of the Pacific Regional Education Framework (PacREF) 2018–2030. The series is primarily designed to provide the region’s education ministers, their senior executives, and the region’s development partners with regular overviews of progress as it relates to education in the region, alongside emerging issues and challenges that are common to most, if not all, Pacific countries. It is envisaged the evidence presented in this report will inform policy and guide planning for the improvement of education systems throughout the region.

Le rapport d’évaluation de la pêche thonière (communément appelé « TFAR ») renferme les informations les plus récentes sur les activités de pêche thonière menées dans le Pacifique occidental et central et sur l’état des stocks de poissons qui en subissent les effets. Ce rapport porte sur les principaux stocks de thon ciblés par les grandes pêcheries industrielles du Pacifique occidental et central : bonite à ventre rayé (Katsuwonus pelamis), thon jaune (Thunnus albacares), thon obèse (T. obesus) et germon du sud (T. alalunga). Il a été tenu compte de données historiques actualisées, dont il ressort que l’année 2021 se classe en neuvième position du point de vue du volume des prises, soit une baisse d’environ 2,5 % par rapport à 2020.

Le « Manuel relatif aux vecteurs du genre Aedes en Océanie – Surveillance et lutte antivectorielle » a pour vocation de renforcer les capacités et les moyens des États et Territoires insulaires océaniens en matière de surveillance et de lutte antivectorielle. Il renferme des orientations destinées à appuyer les efforts déployés par les responsables et le personnel opérationnel pour prévenir et combattre les arboviroses. Ce manuel peut être utilisé pour la planification, la mise en œuvre et le suivi-évaluation des programmes nationaux de lutte antivectorielle. Il s’inspire des prescriptions en matière de surveillance vectorielle énoncées dans le Règlement sanitaire international (RSI 2005), la Stratégie Asie-Pacifique pour la maîtrise des maladies émergentes et la gestion des urgences de santé publique (SMEAP III) et le projet d’Action mondiale pour lutter contre les vecteurs 2017–2030 de l’OMS.

This guide to support trainers and participants in understanding the process for carrying out training on the violence against women survey was finalised by SPC and peer reviewed by UNFPA, the University of Melbourne and participants in the kNOwVAWdata programme and training delivered in selected Pacific countries. The Spotlight Initiative, funded by the European Union, aims to end all forms of violence against women and girls. Materials included in this guide draw from the kNOwVAWdata training course, as well as SPC reporting and communication templates, and have been adapted for specific use in the Pacific Islands.

Explore these titles and thousands more at:  https://www.spc.int/resource-centre