In this bulletin:
1. PACIFIC — Pacific-aligned AI means designing for refusal, says Pasifika AI creator
2. UN — Pacific SIDS need stronger social Protection to build resilience: UN DESA
3. FIJI — Government must not rush Fiji into new Constitution: Opposition leader Seruiratu
4. FIJI — ‘Jail them’: Fiji Chief Justice on missing cocaine exhibits
5. PACIFIC — Vanuatu weighs vessel-specific weather rules
6. FIJI — ‘We are very open’: Fiji’s tourism minister says HIV emergency should not deter visitors
7. PACNEWS BIZ — Fiji Navy, Police strengthen high seas fight against illegal fishing
8. PACNEWS BIZ — ADB, Solomon Islands commission the Tulagi solar power plant
9. PACNEWS BIZ — Pacific launches regional yachting strategy to grow high-value tourism
10. PACNEWS BIZ — FCCC warns of El Niño price pressures, steps up monitoring
11. PACNEWS BIZ — Fiji workers cannot wait for wage review: FTUC
12. PACNEWS IN FOCUS — The Island President Standing up to Beijing
13. PACNEWS DIGEST — Niue youth gearing up to tell their Loss and Damage stories
PAC – ARTIFICIAL INTELIGENCE: PACNEWS PACNEWS 3: Fri 18 Sep 2026
Pacific-aligned AI means designing for refusal, says Pasifika AI creator
By Pita Ligaiula
SUVA, 18 SEPTEMBER 2026 (PACNEWS)—Building artificial intelligence that is genuinely aligned with Pacific values means accepting that the system may sometimes be less impressive, less fluent and less complete, according to Pasifika AI creator Kevyn Wahuzue.
Wahuzue, founder of Kanaky Tech and creator of Pasifika AI, said the practical test of the Pacific’s newly adopted AI principles was not how confidently a system answered questions, but how it behaved when it did not know.
“In practice it has meant accepting worse product metrics,” Wahuzue told PACNEWS.
He said an AI system that refuses to answer, flags an unverified word or provides several institutional references instead of producing a single confident response could appear less capable in demonstrations.
“A system that refuses, that flags an unverified word, that returns five institutional references instead of one confident paragraph, is a less impressive demo.
“It answers fewer questions completely” Wahuzue said.
Wahuzue said the commercial AI industry generally rewards fluency, making it important for Pacific developers and institutions to deliberately build safeguards into systems.
“It means the refusal is a feature you design and pay for, not an error you apologise for.
“It means restricting where the system may look even though that shrinks what it can answer,” he told PACNEWS
He said AI developers should also publish a system’s limitations alongside its capabilities and distinguish between making technology accessible and giving it authority.
“The tool can be free and easy to use without that making it a voice for anybody,” he said.
Wahuzue said the biggest risk posed by mainstream AI systems in Pacific communities was not necessarily obvious offensive content, which could be identified and corrected.
He said the more serious risk was AI producing confident answers on Pacific cultures, languages and histories where the available source material was limited.
“They answer smoothly about things they have almost no material on, and that answer becomes the default reference for a student, a teacher, a journalist, a public servant’
“Under-representation in training data does not show up as silence. It shows up as confident invention,” he told PACNEWS
Wahuzue said the problem could become more serious when inaccurate AI-generated information entered published material and was later incorporated into other AI systems.
“Invented material gets published, indexed, and read back in by the next generation of models,” he said.
Wahuzue warned that a fabricated word or distorted cultural account could eventually become part of the available record about a language with few speakers, while making it difficult to identify where the information originated.
“Communities with the least digitised material are the most exposed, which is precisely backwards,” he said.
Wahuzue said Pasifika AI could be expanded through partnerships with Pacific governments, universities, cultural institutions and communities.
He said such partnerships would be necessary if the project was to develop beyond the work of one person.
“Yes, and I would welcome it.
“It is the direction the project has to go if it is to be more than one person’s work,” he told PACNEWS
But Wahuzue said community ownership would need to be built into the structure of any partnership.
Communities or institutions should decide what material can be included, what must remain outside the system and have the ability to require its removal without having to negotiate for it, he said.
He also said source and dictionary material should remain under the control of its owners rather than being absorbed into a system from which it could not be recovered.
The project should also never claim a mandate broader than the one actually granted, while communities must have a genuine right to say no.
“What I can offer is the working system, the technical build, and a design that is already structured around named sources and stated limits.
“What I cannot offer, and would not, is a promise that the technology substitutes for the people who hold the knowledge,” Wahuzue told PACNEWS
As Pacific governments and regional organisations move from adopting AI principles to developing and deploying AI systems, Wahuzue said there were three practical questions they should ask.
The first was where an AI system is permitted to obtain its information.
“A vendor who cannot show you their source list is asking you to trust a boundary they will not describe,” he said.
The second was how the system behaves when it does not know the answer.
He said procurement processes often focus on the quality of an AI system’s best answers, while giving insufficient attention to its failure cases.
“The behaviour that matters in a cultural or public-service context is the failure case, because that is where the harm lives, and it is almost never tested,” he told PACNEWS
The third was to keep ownership separate from access.
“Deploying a tool is not the same as ceding authority to it,” Wahuzue said.
Wahuzue said the Pacific principles’ emphasis on human-centred and culturally aligned AI would ultimately be tested by whether communities retained the power to reject or withdraw from a system after it had been deployed.
“The practical test of that is whether communities retain the power to say no after the system is live — not only during the consultation before it is bought,” he said…..PACNEWS
UN – SOCIAL PROTECTION: PACNEWS PACNEWS 3: Fri 18 Sep 2026
Pacific SIDS need stronger social Protection to build resilience: UN DESA
SUVA/NEW YORK, 18 SEPTEMBER 2026 (PACNEWS)— Pacific island countries need to expand social protection systems to reduce poverty, strengthen resilience to climate and economic shocks and improve social cohesion, according to a new UN policy brief.
The UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA) says significant gaps in social protection coverage leave people in several Pacific Small Island Developing States (SIDS) highly vulnerable to shocks, including climate-related disasters and volatility in food, fuel and energy prices.
“Social protection is both a human right and a key driver of sustainable development,” the policy brief says.
It says social protection can help households avoid falling into poverty, protect income and spending on food, health and education, and strengthen people’s ability to cope with shocks.
Coverage varies widely across Pacific SIDS.
The Cook Islands and Palau have social protection coverage of more than 90 percent, while Nauru and Fiji cover around two-thirds of their populations.
However, coverage is below 30 percent in Tonga, the Marshall Islands, Kiribati, Samoa, the Federated States of Micronesia, Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea.
The UN says Pacific SIDS face common challenges despite differences between countries, including exposure to climate and disaster risks, commodity price volatility and the high cost of delivering services to small and dispersed populations.
The policy brief says countries do not need to build comprehensive social protection systems all at once.
It recommends starting with a limited number of affordable and well-designed guarantees while investing in delivery systems that can support gradual expansion.
“Universal social protection systems that provide adequate, predictable benefits across the life course are not built overnight,” the brief says.
For countries with low coverage and limited administrative capacity, the UN says a social protection floor with simple eligibility rules could provide a practical starting point.
The brief says age- or location-based eligibility can be easier to administer than income-based poverty targeting, which requires stronger administrative systems and can result in people being wrongly included or excluded.
It identifies tax-financed old-age pensions as one possible starting point.
The brief also highlights child grants, particularly in countries facing high child poverty, malnutrition and disrupted access to basic services.
A universal grant for children aged zero to two or zero to five could provide an initial step while allowing governments to expand coverage as systems mature, it says.
The UN says social protection is not only a welfare measure but can also support economic activity.
Predictable payments can help households maintain spending on food, health and education while protecting productive assets during economic downturns and crises.
Transfers to poorer households can also generate wider economic activity because recipients spend money on food, transport, farm inputs, services and small businesses.
The brief cites World Bank estimates of a local multiplier of about US$2.50 for every US$1 transferred to households living in poverty.
The UN also says established social protection systems can be expanded rapidly during disasters, food and fuel price shocks and other crises instead of governments having to create emergency assistance mechanisms from scratch.
The brief stresses that expanding coverage will depend on investment in the systems needed to identify beneficiaries, make payments and resolve complaints.
These include registration and enrolment systems, payment mechanisms, management information systems, links to civil registration and complaints and appeals processes.
Digital registries and electronic payments can improve accuracy and transparency, but the UN warns they must not create new barriers for people without bank accounts, reliable connectivity or easy access to government services.
Manual and offline systems may still be necessary in remote communities.
The brief also recommends designing programmes so they can provide temporary cash top-ups or expand coverage when countries face climate, food, fuel or disaster-related shocks.
The UN acknowledges that financing remains a major constraint but says gradual expansion is achievable.
The International Labour Organisation (ILO) estimates that low- and middle-income countries require an average of 3.3 percent of GDP to finance universal social protection floors.
The brief says narrower programmes can cost considerably less and points to examples including Timor-Leste and Fiji, where social pensions and disability allowances have been expanded using categorical eligibility criteria.
The UN says financing should be integrated into national budgets with reliable revenue sources and programmes should be designed to remain affordable when commodity revenues decline.
It also says social protection can strengthen the relationship between taxation, public revenue and government services by making the benefits of public spending more visible to citizens.
The policy brief calls for greater peer learning among Pacific SIDS, particularly on practical challenges such as reaching remote communities, making reliable payments, updating beneficiary records, handling complaints and building administrative capacity.
International partners can assist governments with management information systems, digital payment infrastructure, programme costing and forecasting and financing mechanisms that respond to shocks.
Regional organisations, including the Pacific Community, can also support peer exchanges, shared tools and regional technical capacity.
The UN concludes that for Pacific SIDS, expanding social protection is both a development priority and a resilience strategy.
It recommends that countries select one or two simple guarantees linked to national priorities, cost them and include their financing in national budgets.
It also calls for accessible registration, payment, information and grievance systems, followed by progressive expansion as administrative and fiscal capacity grows.
“Social protection” can become durable national infrastructure for social progress and crisis response, the brief says….PACNEWS
FIJI – CONSTITUTIONAL REVIEW: PACNEWS PACNEWS 3: Fri 18 Sep 2026
Government must not rush Fiji into new Constitution: Opposition leader Seruiratu
SUVA, 18 SEPTEMBER 2026 (PACNEWS)—Fiji Opposition Leader Inia Seruiratu has called on the Government to slow down its proposed constitutional reform process, warning that replacing the country’s supreme law within about three months risks creating political and economic uncertainty.
Seruiratu said the Government’s plan to have a new Constitution come into force by 24 December 2026 was an “extraordinarily compressed timetable” for a process that would fundamentally change how Fiji is governed.
“The Government needs to explain to the people of Fiji why it is necessary to have a new Constitution in force by Christmas Eve,” Seruiratu said.
He said the Constitution should not be treated like ordinary legislation that could be rushed through Parliament to meet a political deadline.
“It determines the structure of the State, the exercise of political power, the rights of our citizens and the electoral system through which the people choose their government,” he said.
The Opposition Leader also questioned the level of public participation in the constitutional review process, saying the Constitutional Review Commission’s published figures showed that, even using the most generous calculation, less than one percent of Fiji’s population directly participated.
“A Constitution cannot be treated like an ordinary piece of legislation that Government can rush through Parliament according to a convenient political timetable,” he said.
The Commission submitted its report and Draft Constitution Bill to the President on 31 August, with the Government proposing a special parliamentary sitting on 22 September, followed by parliamentary consideration and a referendum between November and mid-December.
Seruiratu said Fijians needed adequate time to understand the proposed Constitution, including what they could gain or lose and how it would change the country’s system of government.
Seruiratu has also raised concerns over the impact of the proposed constitutional changes on Fiji’s next General Election.
He said the proposed shift from the existing national electoral arrangement under the 2013 Constitution to a system involving ‘open constituencies’ would require new electoral boundaries and significant preparation by the Electoral Commission and Fijian Elections Office.
“If the Government intends for this new Constitution to take effect by 24 December 2026, then it must tell the people what this means for the next General Election,” he said.
Seruiratu said there was a “legitimate concern” that introducing a new electoral system and drawing a new electoral map could affect the timing of the next election if electoral institutions were not ready.
“The Government must therefore answer a very simple question: will it guarantee that its constitutional timetable will not result in the postponement of the next General Election?” he said.
Seruiratu also singled out the National Federation Party, saying it needed to make its position on the constitutional process clear.
“The NFP cannot claim to represent the interests and concerns of the communities that placed their trust in it while remaining silent as the Government races towards fundamentally changing Fiji’s constitutional and electoral system by 24 December,” he said.
He called on the NFP and other coalition partners to challenge the timetable if they believed more time was required.
“This is the moment when the NFP and the other Coalition partners must demonstrate that they are partners in Government and not merely passengers in Prime Minister Rabuka’s Cabinet,” Seruiratu said.
He said coalition partners had a responsibility to demand a process that was “credible, inclusive and carefully considered”.
Seruiratu also warned against repeating what he described as mistakes arising from constitutional uncertainty in Fiji’s political history.
“Fiji cannot afford another constitutional mistake,” he said.
Seruiratu’s strongest concerns centred on what happens after the proposed Constitution takes effect.
He highlighted the Government’s reference to a Cabinet Subcommittee considering “transitional arrangements that will need to be put in place” and demanded clarification.
“What exactly does that mean?” he asked.
Seruiratu said the Government had yet to explain whether there would be a transitional period, how long it would last, what would happen to the existing Parliament and Government, and whether any transitional arrangement could affect the next General Election.
“Will there be a transitional period after the new Constitution comes into force? How long will that period last? What happens to the existing Parliament and Government during that period?” he said.
“Most importantly, what effect, if any, will these transitional arrangements have on the timing of the next General Election?”
Seruiratu called on Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka to provide clear answers before the referendum.
“If there is absolutely no intention to extend the life of the present Government or postpone the next General Election, then the Prime Minister should have no difficulty saying so clearly and unequivocally,” he said.
He said the Government needed to explain how the new electoral map would be implemented and whether the next election would proceed within the timeframe currently expected by voters.
“Fiji should not be asked to vote on a new Constitution while being kept in the dark about what happens the day after it comes into force,” Seruiratu said.
He called for more time for parliamentary scrutiny, public debate and preparation by electoral institutions.
“I am calling on the Government to slow this process down” Seruiratu said.
“This is bigger than Sitiveni Rabuka. It is bigger than the Coalition Government. It is bigger than the Opposition.
“It concerns the constitutional future of every Fijian,” he said….PACNEWS
FIJI – DRUG MISSING: FIJI SUN PACNEWS 3: Fri 18 Sep 2026
‘Jail them’: Fiji Chief Justice on missing cocaine exhibits
SUVA, 18 SEPTEMBER 2026 (FIJI SUN)—Fiji Chief Justice Salesi Temo has called for whoever stole seven bars of cocaine from the High Court Exhibit Room to be jailed and removed from the judiciary.
“Whoever is going to be found to be responsible, I’d like to see that person in jail; there’s no room for that kind of person in our judicial,” Justice Temo said.
“Whoever this guy who stole it… I want to speak to his face after, you know, get out of the judicial system and let justice take its course.”
The seven bars, valued at more than $8 million(US$4 million), are understood to have gone missing from the High Court Exhibit Room in Suva earlier this year.
They were among 39 bars of cocaine, valued at about $31 million (US$15.5 million), seized in a case involving Canadian national Joshua Rahman, who was convicted and sentenced to 23 years’ imprisonment by Justice Daniel Goundar in 2021.
The cocaine had been stored in the court’s exhibit room since 2019, five years before Justice Temo became Chief Justice.
Justice Temo said the drugs should have been destroyed after Rahman’s conviction and sentencing, and blamed the prosecutor in charge of the case for failing to ensure this was done.
“Even at the Supreme Court level, the prosecutor didn’t tell us that the drugs hadn’t been destroyed yet,” he said.
“So, in my view, whoever the prosecutor in charge of the case is not organised.”
Justice Temo said standard procedure in cases involving large quantities of drugs was to seek their destruction before trial.
He cited the case involving Justin Ho, where Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions John Rabuku filed an application with the High Court for 4.15 tonnes of methamphetamine to be destroyed before trial.
He said the same approach should have been taken in the Rahman case.
Justice Temo said no application for the destruction of the cocaine was filed after conviction and sentence, during the appeal process, or before the Court of Appeal and Supreme Court.
He only became aware of the missing exhibits when he read the court papers Thursday morning.
Justice Temo said the incident was a learning curve for the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) and judiciary, which needed to strengthen security around court exhibits.
He intends to instruct Supreme Court officers to call the matter next Monday to deal with the remaining 32 bars, but had since left the matter in the hands of Justice Goundar.
“Resident Magistrates and High Court Judges have always been strictly warned to ensure that the destruction of drugs is expedited before or after the trial,” he said.
Three High Court officials, including a senior High Court clerk, a clerk officer and a court orderly now based at the High Court in Ba, are understood to be prime suspects.
A meeting was convened at the Attorney-General’s Office last night, where the Commissioner of Police, Rusiate Tudravu, Assistant Police Commissioner Crime Loraini Seru, Chief Registrar Tomasi Bainivalu, Acting DPP Nancy Tikoisuva and the Acting AG Siromi Turaga met to discuss the matter.
Questions sent to the ODPP were acknowledged, with a statement expected later.
Police are investigating the matter….PACNEWS
PAC – MARIME WEATHER WARNING: VANUATU DAILY POST PACNEWS 3: Fri 18 Sep 2026
Vanuatu weighs vessel-specific weather rules
NUKU’ALOFA/PORT VILA, 18 SEPTEMBER 2026 (VANUATU DAILY POST) —Vanuatu is considering linking marine weather warnings to different categories of vessels, with regulations potentially determining which boats can operate under particular weather and sea conditions following the recent MV Matui disaster.
Minister for Climate Change, Meteorological and Hydrometeorological Services, Geological Hazards, Environment, Energy and Disaster Management Ralph Regenvanu raised the proposal during the Fourth Pacific Ministerial Meeting on Meteorology in Tonga this week.
Regenvanu said the recent marine disaster had reinforced the need to turn weather warnings into clearer guidance for action at sea.
He said Vanuatu was considering requiring warnings to be linked to vessel categories, so operators would have clearer guidance on whether their vessels could safely operate under particular conditions.
The proposed approach would reduce the need for vessel captains to interpret general weather warnings themselves.
“Warnings should be linked directly to the types of vessels operating at sea,” he said.
Regenvanu thanked Pacific representatives for their condolences and for observing a minute of silence in honour of those who died in the disaster.
He also called for urgent regional action to help Pacific countries meet their maritime safety obligations under Chapter V, Regulation 5 of the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS). The regulation requires meteorological warnings and forecasts to be provided to mariners.
Regenvanu said this was particularly important in the Pacific, where communities depend heavily on maritime transport and many countries face challenges in meeting the required standards.
He called on the Pacific Meteorological Council (PMC) and the Pacific Community (SPC) to prioritise work with National Meteorological and Hydrological Services to strengthen their capacity to deliver these services.
Regenvanu also called for sustainable investment in national meteorological services.
He said the Weather Ready Pacific programme needed to be genuinely country-led and properly financed to support national priorities and strengthen early warning systems.
He also called for meteorological services to reduce their carbon footprint through solar power systems and a transition to electric vehicles, saying these measures could reduce emissions while improving energy security at critical weather observation stations.
On sustainable financing, Regenvanu said national meteorological services needed robust cost-recovery regulations to reduce their dependence on short-term project funding.
He pointed to Vanuatu’s recent achievement of CAA Part 174 certification for its aviation meteorological services and said amendments to the country’s aviation framework had helped VMHS increase its revenue tenfold over the previous six months.
Regenvanu said Vanuatu was willing to share its experience with other Pacific countries as they worked to establish more reliable revenue streams for their meteorological services.
The Fourth Pacific Ministerial Meeting on Meteorology was held in Nuku’alofa on September 16, following the Eighth Meeting of the PMC….PACNEWS
FIJI – TOURISM INDUSTRY/HIV AIDS: RNZ PACIFIC/FIIJI TV PACNEWS 3: Fri 18 Sep 2026
‘We are very open’: Fiji’s tourism minister says HIV emergency should not deter visitors
NADI, 18 SEPTEMBER 2026 (RNZ PACIFIC/FIJI TV) —Fiji’s Tourism Minister Viliame Gavoka says people travelling to the island for tourism purposes, such as from Australia and New Zealand, know that HIV is a “global phenomenon”.
Gavoka, who is a deputy prime minister, was responding to questions from local reporters about concerns from tourists who are worried about their travel plans to Fiji after the country declared a national HIV emergency this week.
Tourism is Fiji’s main driver of the economy, contributing around 40 percent of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP). The sector directly and indirectly supports more than 150,000 jobs, with nearly one in every three Fijians relying on tourism for their livelihoods.
The Fijian health minister confirmed on Tuesday that one in every 60 adults in Fiji is living with HIV, rising nearly threefold in five years to around one percent of the population.
The government’s response includes expanding free rapid testing and providing clean needles to drug users, a measure aimed at reducing transmission linked to intravenous drug use.
One in every 60 adults in Fiji is living with HIV, the government ha confirmed.
A New Zealand health researcher has described the situation as “a once in a generation health crisis”.
University of Canterbury’s Dr Jalal Mohammed told RNZ Morning Report that one in 60 adults, or 1.6 percent of Fiji’s population between the ages of 15 and 49, have been diagnosed.
“That’s only those who have been diagnosed. So there is a segment of the population out there that remains undiagnosed and this is a significant issue.
“We’ve seen a 3000 percent increase since 2010 in the number of diagnoses.”
Dr Mohammed said there were several factors contributing to the issue, but pointed out a “significant underinvestment” in the health sector as one of the main drivers.
Gavoka said HIV is not unique to Fiji and travellers to the country need confidence that Fiji knows what it is doing to tackle the issue.
“And that is more important than anything else,” he told Fiji One News.
“We are not sweeping [the HIV crisis] under the carpet. We are very open about it, and travellers today appreciate that.”
The New Zealand Government website SafeTravel has warned people travelling to Fiji to avoid activities that could increase their risk of infection.
However, the Fiji Council of Social Services (FCOSS) told RNZ Pacific that public statements alone were not sufficient and that resources needed to be prioritised for the HIV response.
FCOSS chief executive Vani Catanasiga said Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka appears to have his mind elsewhere, particularly with Fiji’s constitutional debate ahead of the 2027 election.
“I’m calling for prioritisation of resources [for] HIV because our leaders are currently juggling various issues at the national level, but health is something that really I don’t see the same prominence given to it,” she said.
Catanasiga said FCOSS is directing its available resources, including volunteers, into community awareness activities.
“We should expect the impacts and we have to brace for that. But I think, as Fijians, we’ve been through similar things in the past, and we have survived it.”
Meanwhile, the Methodist Church in Fiji says the HIV epidemic and drug abuse crisis in the country go beyond medical and social concerns.
Reverend Lote Raboila said the response requires a whole-of-community approach, and government, churches, families and communities must work together.
Earlier this year, the church began a three-year campaign against drugs and HIV/AIDS, mobilising its 59 divisions to participate in rotating shifts of week-long prayer and fasting……PACNEWS
PACNEWS BIZ
FIJI – MARITIME SURVEILLANCE/ ILLEGAL FISHING: PACNEWS PACNEWS BIZ: Fri 18 Sep 2026
Fiji Navy, Police strengthen high seas fight against illegal fishing
SUVA, 18 SEPTEMBER 2026 (PACNEWS)— Fiji has stepped up regional maritime enforcement, with the Fiji Navy conducting high seas patrols under Operation NASSE while police and regional agencies undertake specialised training to detect illegal fishing and fisheries-related crime.
The Republic of Fiji Navy said RFNS Savenaca conducted surveillance, vessel contact, interrogation and verification during the patrol, working with French authorities and Fiji’s Ministry of Fisheries.
The activities were aimed at establishing the identity, nationality and activities of vessels operating in the patrol area and strengthening Fiji’s maritime domain awareness.
The Navy said the patrol covered the northern and eastern maritime approaches to Viti Levu, maintaining a presence across Fiji’s waters and adjoining high seas.
“Activities on the high seas can directly affect our fisheries, food security, economy and the long-term health of the Pacific Ocean,” the Navy said.
“Fiji’s maritime responsibility does not end at the boundary of Fiji’s Exclusive Economic Zone.”
Operation NASSE is designed to detect, deter and disrupt illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing and other unlawful maritime activity in the Pacific.
The Navy said the operation was also strengthening interoperability, information sharing and coordinated maritime enforcement among regional partners.
“Operation NASSE translates regional cooperation into practical action at sea,” it said.
“Through sustained presence, contact verification and coordinated patrols with our partners, we strengthen our collective ability to detect, deter and respond to activities that threaten our shared maritime interests.”
The patrol also supports the wider objectives of the Agreement on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ Agreement).
Fiji ratified the agreement in June 2025, while it entered into force internationally in January 2026.
The Navy said the agreement reinforced the need for international cooperation, scientific knowledge, information sharing and effective stewardship of marine biodiversity beyond national jurisdiction.
Meanwhile, the Fiji Police Force is hosting a one-week regional training programme in Suva focused on high-risk vessels and fisheries-related crimes in the Pacific.
The training, organised by INTERPOL Headquarters with support from Germany’s Ministry for the Environment through the International Climate Initiative under Project GAIA, brings together agencies involved in maritime security and fisheries enforcement.
Participants include officers from the Fiji Police Force, Republic of Fiji Navy, Ministry of Fisheries, Fiji Ports Corporation Limited, Maritime Safety Authority of Fiji, Fiji Immigration, and law enforcement officers from Tonga and Palau.
The training aims to strengthen regional capacity to identify high-risk vessels, investigate fisheries-related crimes and respond to serious organised crime linked to maritime activity.
“This regional training is intended to boost regional responses in identifying high-risk vessels and associated fisheries-related crimes, as well as serious organised crimes, ensuring our Pacific oceans are not exploited,” Fiji Police said.
As part of the training, participants visited a vessel at Suva Port for a boarding exercise focused on IUU fishing.
Police said such exercises help ensure fishing vessels comply with national laws and international maritime frameworks.
The Fiji Police Force also acknowledged support from the Australian Fisheries Management Authority (AFMA) and the Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA), saying their contributions had helped strengthen regional capacity and cooperation in tackling fisheries-related crime.
The Navy said Fiji remained committed to working with regional and international partners to protect Pacific fisheries, strengthen maritime governance and safeguard the ocean….PACNEWS
SOL – SOLAR POWER: ADB PACNEWS BIZ: Fri 18 Sep 2026
ADB, Solomon Islands Commission the Tulagi solar power plant
TULAGI,18 SEPTEMBER 2026 (ADB)— The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Government of Solomon Islands today commissioned one of the renewable energy power facilities, built as part of the ADB-supported Solar Power Development Project.
The Minister of the Ministry of Mines, Energy, and Rural Electrification Derrick Manuari led the commissioning ceremony. He was joined by Michael White, Head of Country Operations from ADB’s Solomon Islands Resident Mission, the Chairman of Solomon Power’s Board of Directors David Quan, Central Islands Province (CIP) Premier Kenneth Sagupari, and Tulagi community members.
The power plant has a 250.8-kilowatt solar generation capacity and a 1,140-kilowatt-hour Battery Energy Storage System. The system stores solar energy generated during the day to provide clean and reliable electricity to households, schools, businesses, and public services.
“Today’s commissioning demonstrates what can be achieved when communities, government agencies, utilities, and development partners work together towards a shared vision,” said ADB’s Michael White.
“Reliable electricity is essential for economic growth, education, healthcare, and improved living standards. This solar hybrid system will reduce reliance on imported diesel fuel, enhance energy security, and contribute to a cleaner environment for future generations.
Premier Sagupari, in his remarks, shared their jubilation and said clean and reliable power will attract investors, boosting their local economy and unlocking transformative development in years to come.
Solomon Power Chairman David Quan said Tulagi is leading the way, setting a strong foundation for other similar projects as they near completion. He also called on community members to take ownership of this new infrastructure and render support towards the technical team on the ground.
Tulagi, the provincial capital of CIP, is renowned for its historical significance as the centre of the British colonial administration, a Second World War base, and a leading tourism hub, will now be powered 100% by clean energy, marking a major step towards energy transition.
The Tulagi project represents the first completed installation under the multi-provincial Solar Power Development Project, supported by an USD$2.24 million grant from ADB’s Asian Development Fund, a USD$6.2 million grant from the Strategic Climate Fund, and USD$6.76 million from the Solomon Islands Government.
The project is delivering renewable energy solutions across five provincial centres of Kirakira, Lata, Malu’u, Munda, and Tulagi in the Solomon Islands and was established to reduce dependence on diesel generation and increase the use of renewable energy throughout the country. The site and connection grid in Tulagi have been built to modular specifications to accommodate future capacity expansion as power demand grows….PACNEWS
PACIFIC – TOURISM: PACNEWS PACNEWS BIZ: Fri 18 Sep 2026
Pacific launches regional yachting strategy to grow high-value tourism
SUVA, 18 SEPTEMBER 2026 (PACNEWS)—The Pacific Tourism Organisation (SPTO) and the Market Development Facility (MDF) have launched a new regional strategy aimed at expanding yachting tourism and increasing its economic benefits for Pacific communities.
The Pacific Tourism Yachting Strategy 2026–2030, approved by the SPTO Board, provides a regional framework to position the Pacific as a sustainable yachting destination while strengthening opportunities for local businesses and communities.
The strategy was developed through consultations with Pacific governments, maritime authorities, private-sector operators and communities.
It draws on economic impact studies supported by MDF in Vanuatu, Tonga and Kiribati in 2023, as well as earlier research in Fiji.
The studies found that yachting generated more than US$8.7 million in direct expenditure and more than US$18 million in total economic impact across Vanuatu, Tonga and Kiribati in 2023.
About 950 yachts visit the three countries annually.
MDF Regional Director (Pacific) Nicholas Wolf said the figures showed yachting was a high-yield tourism market despite relatively low visitor numbers.
“The yachting economic impact studies supported by MDF found that yachting contributed more than USD$8.7 million in direct expenditure and over USD 18 million in total economic impact across Vanuatu, Tonga, and Kiribati in 2023.
“With approximately 950 yachts visiting the three countries annually, the industry is generating substantial economic returns despite relatively low visitor numbers, making it a high-yield tourism market for the Pacific,” Wolf said.
Wolf said regional cooperation could help Pacific countries attract more yachts and investment while creating jobs and improving livelihoods.
The strategy is aligned with the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent, the SPTO Strategic Plan 2025–2029 and wider regional sustainable tourism priorities.
It focuses on five areas: marketing and promotion; policy, regulation and infrastructure; private-sector and small business development; sustainability and community benefits; and regional coordination and partnerships.
SPTO Chief Executive Officer Christopher Cocker said the strategy would help diversify Pacific tourism markets while keeping communities at the centre of development.
“The Pacific Tourism Yachting Strategy represents a bold step towards diversifying our tourism niche segments and economy, while ensuring that growth remains inclusive, sustainable and community-focused.
“By working together across the region, such as with MDF, we can strengthen the Pacific’s appeal to yachts and superyachts, showcase our unique cultures and environments, and create lasting opportunities for Pacific communities,” Cocker said.
Yachting already contributes to tourism economies in destinations including Fiji, French Polynesia, Vanuatu and Tonga.
Visitors arriving by yacht spend on marina services, maintenance, fuel, food and beverages, domestic transport, accommodation, flights, tours and recreational activities, supporting local businesses and communities.
SPTO said the strategy would also focus on strengthening governance, infrastructure and visitor facilities while ensuring tourism growth does not undermine marine environments or cultural heritage.
The strategy is intended to be a “living document” that can be adjusted as market conditions, opportunities and sustainability priorities change.
SPTO and MDF acknowledged the contribution of National Tourism Organisations, National Statistics Offices, customs and immigration agencies, maritime authorities, marina operators, yacht clubs, tourism businesses and community representatives to the strategy’s development.
Their input was gathered through surveys, workshops, interviews and technical consultations and will inform country-led implementation of the strategy…..PACNEWS
FIJI – ELNINO IMPACT: FIJI SUN PACNEWS BIZ: Fri 18 Sep 2026
FCCC warns of El Niño price pressures, steps up monitoring
SUVA, 18 SEPTEMBER 2026 (FIJI SUN)—Fijians could face higher prices and reduced availability of some food and essential goods in the coming months as El Niño puts pressure on local agriculture and imported supplies.
The Fijian Competition and Consumer Commission (FCCC) has warned that developing El Niño conditions could place upward pressure on the cost and availability of food, freight and essential goods.
At the same time, the Commission has warned traders that drought or El Niño conditions will not justify overcharging, with price controls remaining in force and market inspections increasing.
Drier conditions could reduce local agricultural output, with sugarcane identified as particularly vulnerable. Rice, cassava, dalo and other crops could also be affected.
The FCCC pointed to the 1997/98 drought, described in research literature as a one-in-100-year event, when the sugarcane harvest was reduced by 50 per cent after decreased rainfall across two consecutive dry seasons. In some areas, crops were destroyed entirely.
Fiji’s reliance on imported finished goods and raw materials also leaves the country exposed to overseas price movements.
If local crop yields decline, demand for imported substitutes could increase, adding pressure to supply and landed costs, particularly for products that are not price-controlled.
International product prices, freight and logistics costs and elevated fertiliser costs associated with the ongoing global conflict in the Gulf region could also affect domestic prices for imported food and groceries.
“Prices will move during this period, and much of that movement may reflect genuine costs. FCCC’s role is to ensure that every increase is supported by evidence and to act where it is not.”
The FCCC said not every price increase during a dry season amounted to exploitation.
It said a genuine crop failure could result in higher market prices, while goods sold in the outer islands legitimately carried freight within their zoned prices.
Traders, however, would be required to provide evidence supporting price increases.
The Master Price List for basic food items, pharmaceuticals and petroleum products will continue to apply.
Traders must be able to show total into-store costs, freight and delivery charges and the calculations behind markups.
The FCCC said records would be requested during routine and unannounced audits, with the absence of records itself considered a compliance failure.
“A drought or El-Nino is not a defence to overcharging. Where a price is controlled, the gazetted maximum applies in full — and any trader who cannot produce the records behind an increase should expect enforcement action.”
The FCCC identified agriculture, water, outer islands and shipping as sectors facing potentially high impacts.
It said reduced local agricultural yields could increase municipal market prices, while expanding water carting could tighten supplies of water tanks, bottled water and plumbing goods.
Shipping demand for water tanks, fuel and relief cargo could also increase across Lau, Lomaiviti, Kadavu, Vanua Levu, Viti Levu and Rotuma.
However, shipping services, freight rates and passenger fares remain controlled under the Maritime Shipping Order 2022, and gazetted rates cannot be increased because of higher demand.
Consumers have been encouraged to check prices against the Master Price List, keep receipts and report unusual or unexplained increases while products are still on store shelves.
The FCCC said consumers should ask one question when confronted with a price increase: “Why has this gone up?”
Consumers who believe they have been overcharged can report the matter to the FCCC…PACNEWS
FIJI – WAGE REVIEW: FIJI SUN PACNEWS BIZ: Fri 18 Sep 2026
Fiji workers cannot wait for wage review: FTUC
SUVA, 18 SEPTEMBER 2026 (FIJI SUN) —Fiji Trades Union Congress (FTUC) national secretary Felix Anthony has urged Government to fast-track its newly approved review of the National Minimum Wage, warning that workers “are suffering” while the $5 (US$2.50)-an-hour rate remains below the poverty line.
Cabinet approved the comprehensive review earlier this month, covering minimum sectoral wages across 10 sectors.
The review will be led by an independent consultant and followed by 30 days of public consultation.
Anthony welcomed the decision but said the process, including appointing a consultant and preparing the report, could not afford to drag on.
“We certainly hope that this review that they have now decided upon is not going to take forever,” he said.
“We’d like to see some very quick results.”
He said Minister for Finance Esrom Immanuel’s comment that the review would be completed within this financial year, which ran until next August, was still too slow.
“That’s far too long. It should be done as soon as possible,” Anthony said.
The review comes as FTUC continues its campaign for an $8(US$4)-an-hour living wage, up from the current $5(US$2.50)-an-hour minimum wage.
The proposal has already been opposed by employer groups, including the Fiji Commerce and Employers Federation (FCEF).
“No one disputes the fact that the current minimum wage is below the poverty line,” Anthony said, dismissing employer objections as “a traditional option that they always take.”
Mr Immanuel said $100,000(US$50,000) had been allocated for the review, with a committee to be set up following the death of Minister for Employment Agni Deo Singh.
Attempts to reach FCEF chief executive Edward Bernard were unsuccessful….PACNEWS
PACNEWS In Focus
The views expressed in PACNEWS are those of agencies contributing articles and do not necessarily those of PINA and/or PACNEWS
The Island President Standing up to Beijing
By Jan Jekielek, Frank Fang
KOROR, 18 SEPTEMBER 2026 (THE EPOCH TIMES) — When Surangel Whipps Jr was pursuing an MBA at UCLA in the early 1990s, his classmates were chasing job interviews and lucrative careers. Whipps had something else in mind.
His classmates wondered why he wasn’t interviewing for jobs. He had a simple answer: “I came here to go to school, but my plan was to go back home, help our family business, and then eventually serve the public.”
Whipps was born in Baltimore to an American mother and a Palauan father, so he held U.S citizenship at the time. But the constitution of Palau bars elected officials from holding dual citizenship.
Even though “it felt at one point it was having to give up half of [himself],” Whipps renounced his claim to American citizenship.
“I talked to my mother about it, and the reality is, we’ve lived here basically all our lives. My mother said, ‘This is our home,’” he said.
“I feel blessed to be a Palauan, to live in this—we call it—pristine paradise.”
Whipps was first elected president in 2020 and reelected to another term in 2024.
Today, Whipps leads a country that he describes as a “bullseye” because of its strategic location and growing geopolitical importance.
“I believe in the theory—that President Reagan said was, if you want peace, it comes through strength—and President Trump says the same thing,” Whipps told The Epoch Times’ “American Thought Leaders” during an interview at his presidential office.
That means finding the right partners to work with—countries that share the same values of freedom, democracy, and the rule of law, he said.
Whipps dismissed the notion that his country could simply sit out the current geopolitical competition. He warned against what he called a “false sense of security”: the belief that “we’re just out here in the Pacific and nobody’s going to be interested in us, and we can just live and be happy.”
Successive colonial powers—Spain, Germany, and Japan—ruled Palau before the archipelago came under U.S administration as a United Nations trust territory in 1947.
Palau gained full independence from U.S trusteeship in 1994 and entered into a compact of free association with the United States.
In March 2024, a renewed compact review agreement entered into force, committing $889 million in U.S. grants and trust-fund contributions to Palau over 20 years for education, health, the environment, administration of justice, public safety, and audits.
Pushing Back Against China
Another of Palau’s longstanding diplomatic partners is Taiwan. The two countries have maintained formal relations since 1999.
But the Chinese regime has been seeking to draw Palau away from Taiwan and establish its own diplomatic ties, Whipps said.
Whipps said Chinese officials have sought to win him over by talking up China, then warning him to play by their rules.
“They first tell me how wonderful they are, and then they turn around and say, ‘Well, if you don’t behave, we’ll beat you up,’” he said.
“I don’t know how that translates into trying to woo somebody, but usually that’s not the way you woo somebody.”
Tourism is one way China has sought to exert leverage, Whipps said.
“They’ve told us, ‘Oh, we can build all the hotels you want, bring you a million tourists,’” he said.
But at the same time, the regime has threatened to cut off the flow of Chinese tourists if Palau does not switch its diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing.
“This has been the narrative,” Whipps said.
Even if Whipps weren’t committed to supporting Taiwan, he said, the prospect of a million Chinese tourists a year is hardly enticing. An influx of that scale “would destroy the beautiful, pristine environment” of his country.
Palau has a population of about 17,600 people.
Tourism-related activity accounts for up to 40 percent of Palau’s economy.
The EconMAP review projects that tourism-related economic activity will grow by 28 percent in the 2026 fiscal year.
Illustrating the role of tourism in Palau’s economy, visitor spending relative to the island country’s gross domestic product has stood as high as 50 percent, according to an IMF report.
China has repeatedly used outbound tourism as leverage, tightening approvals for group tours and issuing travel advisories to pressure countries that rely on Chinese visitors.
Taiwan, Japan, and South Korea have faced similar unofficial restrictions during political or security disputes, showing how the Chinese regime can weaponize tourism as a tool for coercion.
In 2017, Beijing barred Chinese travel operators from selling package tours to Palau, triggering a sharp drop in arrivals.
Palauan government data show Chinese visitor numbers fell to about 55,000 in 2017 and 28,000 in 2019, down from more than 91,000 in 2015.
The pressure resurfaced in mid-August, when Beijing warned its citizens against traveling to the island nation, citing concerns over theft and robbery, despite the archipelago’s international reputation as a safe place to travel with a low crime rate.
Beijing’s travel warning came just weeks before Palau was to host the 55th annual Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) Leaders Meeting, a gathering of 18 Pacific nations, including Australia and New Zealand. The forum ended on 04 September.
Taiwan’s foreign minister, Lin Chia-lung, attended the forum at the invitation of Whipps.
In an earlier exclusive interview with The Epoch Times, Whipps said he had dismissed a challenge from a Chinese diplomat who sought to exclude Taipei from the gathering.
The dispute underscored China’s effort to press its agenda on Palau.
Chinese officials have accused Palau of engaging in “illegal activities” under the “one China principle,” Whipps said.
He rejects that accusation.
“Obviously, Palau recognises Taiwan, so the ‘one China principle’ doesn’t apply in Palau. It only applies in countries that recognise China,” Whipps said. “We believe that every country that has a right to self-determine should be allowed that right.”
Many countries, including the United States, have a “one China policy,” which asserts that there is only one sovereign state with the name “China.” That policy is distinct from the “one China principle,” under which the Chinese regime asserts sovereignty over Taiwan.
Whipps said he was also struck by China’s attitude toward smaller countries. He recounted a conversation with a Chinese diplomat over Palau’s claim to an extended continental shelf.
When he suggested that there might be a misunderstanding at the governmental level over Palau’s claims to the shelf, the diplomat replied Palau was a “small country” that “shouldn’t have so much ocean.”
The incident illustrated a lack of mutual respect and regard for international rules, Whipps said.
In recent years, Palau has repeatedly protested Chinese vessel incursions into its exclusive economic zone, including the Kyushu-Palau Ridge, an ocean floor feature in the Philippine Sea.
Drug Crisis
Palau, like countries across the Pacific, is grappling with an illicit drug crisis involving methamphetamine and cocaine, Whipps said, amid what he described as a lack of cooperation from Beijing.
“We know most of the [drugs] come on flights that come from Macau and Hong Kong,” Whipps said.
He said he had raised the issue with Chinese authorities and urged them to prevent drugs from being loaded onto flights, but that they “haven’t helped us much in that area.”
According to data cited by Whipps in his State of the Republic address this year, Palau had 15 meth-related convictions in 2024, resulting in US$195,750 in fines. The number of convictions was three times the number recorded in fiscal year 2019. In 2025, convictions jumped to 21, while fines rose to US$362,000.
Several Chinese nationals were found guilty of drug-related charges and sentenced in 2025, according to Palau’s Ministry of Justice. The rise in drug-related convictions is putting increasing pressure on Palau’s prisons.
“They fill up our jails,” Whipps said. “It’s overrunning our systems.”
He noted that drug-related offenders now account for 15 percent of the country’s prison population—a share he said continues to grow.
Palau is working with the United States to tackle the drug crisis.
“I’ve brought this up with the United States continuously,” Whipps said.
He has sought assistance from the U.S Drug Enforcement Administration, the FBI, U.S military intelligence agencies, and the U.S Department of Homeland Security and has sought U.S attorneys to prosecute cases.
The issue is at the top of the agenda at the biannual U.S–Palau Joint Committee Meeting, Whipps said. At the March meeting in Koror, Palauan officials met with representatives from U.S Indo-Pacific Command and other U.S agencies to discuss illicit narcotics and broader security cooperation.
In February, Whipps signed an executive order that established a national working group to combat illicit drugs.
Whipps is asking the United States for more direct law enforcement support.
Under the compact between the two nations, “the United States should be taking an active role,” he said.
“We keep on talking, but sometimes [getting] boots on the ground is just not happening as fast as it needs to happen,” Whipps 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
Niue youth gearing up to tell their Loss and Damage stories
ALOFI, 18 SEPTEMBER 2026 (SREP)—Equipping Niue’s youth to tell their loss and damage stories through short films is being made possible by the handover of digital content creation equipment.
Three cellphone stabilisers also known as Gimbals, dual mini mics as well as one-touch deploy stick tripods were presented to the Project Management and Coordination Unit of the Government of Niue to enable Niue´s youth groups to develop short films using their cellphones.
This is part of an activity supported by the Loss and Damage Capacity and Capability Project funded by the Government of New Zealand and implemented by the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) in partnership with the Government of Niue.
“This is an exciting activity for us, to be able to empower and equip the future generation of Niue to tell our stories, sharing intergenerational perspectives on the impacts of climate change that we are experiencing,” said Felicia Pihiga-Talagi, the Director of the PMCU of Niue.
“Applying innovative digital approaches to be able to tell these stories is also exciting – having this equipment is a great step for us all. We all have our climate change stories to tell, and being able to help our youth to project their voices is special for us all. We are excited by what is to come.”
The storytelling initiative has seen concepts submitted by youth groups across Niue to develop short films on loss and damage. Grant funding will be shared with the youth groups to help them complete their films as well as having access to the digital content creation equipment, and a mentor to guide them. All films will be showcased in Niue through a special event before being shared across the Pacific and beyond.
While the short films themselves will have impact, the backstory to them is also special. Niue’s youth are leading every aspect of the activity from the selection of the topics of their short films, through to the concept development, as well as capturing of content and the production itself.
Empowering Niue’s youth to be able to amplify their voices on climate change impacts, and the loss and damage experienced in Niue is at the core of this activity. A significant aspect of which is the intergenerational approach that will be applied as they also share stories from the elders of Niue.
“It’s amazing what can be done these days with today’s technology. We are looking forward to working with this and the creativity of young people to produce and develop short films told by them, through the equipment provided,” said Nanette Woonton, Communications and Outreach Adviser of SPREP.
“Having an experienced mentor guide the youth through this project is a bonus. Pacific ingenuity always results in amazing products and with the innovative technology available to us today – there are no limits to the potential of these films.”
The equipment was handed over to the PMCU Niue during the week of 14 to 17 September during the workshops held to support Niue’s youth groups to undertake this activity.
The Powerful voices, powerful solutions: Telling our Loss and Damage stories in Niue workshop series are being held from 14 to 17 September. The workshop is being supported through the Loss and Damage Capacity and Capability Project (LDCC) funded by the Government of Niue and implemented by SPREP in partnership with the Government of Niue. The LDCC Project spans the Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Niue, Solomon Islands, Tokelau and Tonga….PACNEWS
