In this bulletin:
1. PACIFIC — ‘We cannot over-manage and over-regulate the media’ — Fiji Deputy PM Kamikamica
2. PACIFIC — ‘This is not a walk in the park’: Wesley on healing Fiji’s media after 16 years
3. PACIFIC — Pacific newsrooms race ahead on AI without policies, study finds
4. PACIFIC — PNG urges Pacific to turn security dialogue into action
5. PAC — Greens target political influence as Pacific security enters NZ’s general election debate
6. NZ/AUST — Aotearoa and Australia link naval operations under new Plan Tasman
7. AUST — ‘No longer fit for purpose’: Australian PM warns on foreign policy
8. UN — Scientist calls for strict ocean protection ahead of biodiversity summit
9. PACNEWS BIZ — Palau President Whipps calls for fairer tax systems in the Pacific
10. PACNEWS DIGEST — Pacific countries unite to advance One Pacific Voice at CBD COP17
11. PACNEWS DIGEST — Pacific Islands Forum and CARICOM Strengthen Partnership Through New MOU
PACI – PACIFIC MEDIA SUMMIT: PACNEWS PACNEWS 2: Thu 24 Sep 2026
‘We cannot over-manage and over-regulate the media’ — Fiji Deputy PM Kamikamica
By Pita Ligaiula in Savusavu
SAVUSAVU, 24 SEPTEMBER 2026 (PACNEWS)—Governments must work with the media to tackle misinformation and disinformation while ensuring news organisations have the resources to remain sustainable, Fiji deputy Prime Minister Manoa Kamikamica says.
Speaking at the 8th Pacific Media Summit in Savusavu, Kamikamica said media should be recognised not only as a democratic institution but also as an industry that employs people and requires investment in technology.
“Just as a democratic institution, we must also talk about it as an industry.
“It employs people, technology, newsrooms can’t afford. Journalists will eventually produce less journalism or even not survive,” Kamikamica said.
He said rapid changes in technology had blurred the lines between traditional forms of broadcasting, radio, television and digital media, creating new challenges for both governments and news organisations.
“The ability for governments to understand that and try and see how we can work together with the industry is very important,” he said.
Kamikamica said Fiji had relaunched a public service broadcasting grant to support media organisations and their work.
He said misinformation and disinformation were also becoming major issues for governments globally, particularly with the rapid development of artificial intelligence.
“It’s a very topical issue for governments around the world now,” Kamikamica said.
He said Fiji had started work on a framework to address misinformation and disinformation, driven partly by the need for governments to provide accurate and timely information to the public.
“If we don’t provide the right information, clearly people make up their own minds and then the narrative gets distorted,” he said.
Kamikamica said developments in artificial intelligence had added urgency to the issue.
“And of course AI, as we all know, is also one of the drivers of why there’s a need to really get our hands around this particular issue,” he said.
He said the government’s expectation was that media organisations would continue to report responsibly and accurately as the sector moved towards greater self-regulation.
“All the government is hoping for is in this process of allowing the media to manage its own ministry, that reporting continues to be responsible, continues to be accurate,” Kamikamica said.
But he stressed that responsibility did not rest solely with the media.
“It is not a one-way street.
“Us as a stakeholder in the supply of information, we must play our part as well, and ensure that the media is fully informed, and also we are providing enough information so that we can get the right information out there,” he said.
Kamikamica said Fiji’s experience over the past four years showed that cooperation between government and other stakeholders could deliver results.
“When stakeholders in any industry work together, a little bit of trust, a little bit of empowerment, things can go a long way, as opposed to trying to over-manage, over-regulate, and try and place rules on the business,” he said.
Pacific Islands News Association (PINA) President Kalafi Moala welcomed Kamikamica’s remarks, saying confidence and security were important for journalists to perform their work.
“When media feel secure about themselves and what they’re doing, they get to do their job much better than when they are always defensive or always insecure in what they’re trying to do,” Kalafi said.
He said media sustainability also required stronger outreach to remote Pacific communities that remained underrepresented in regional media networks.
Kalafi said the Pacific Islands News Association was working to restructure its organisation to reach more remote areas and countries, including French Polynesia, New Caledonia, West Papua and the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM).
“Remoteness is a key issue, because we think if we reach the remote areas, we’ll be able to help them and assist them.
“But there are also a lot of things that we need to learn from the remote areas,” he said.
Kalafi said greater outreach would also help Pacific media become more culturally relevant.
He said Pacific media must recognise differences in culture and language rather than treating regional unity as requiring communities to adopt one approach.
Using the Tongan language as an example, Moala said there were two words that could be translated into English as “freedom”, but with different meanings.
He said tawatarina referred to freedom of speech, choice and assembly, while faiteleha carried the idea that freedom came with responsibility.
“There’s a responsibility in freedom. There’s a responsibility in our communication,” Kalafi said.
The discussion was held under the summit theme of sustainable and resilient media for a free and democratic Blue Pacific, with misinformation, disinformation, media regulation, media sustainability and the impact of technology among the issues discussed….PACNEWS
PAC – PACIFIC MEDIA SUMMIT: PACNEWS PACNEWS 2: Thu 24 Sep 2026
‘This is not a walk in the park’ : Wesley on healing Fiji’s media after 16 years
By Pita Ligaiula in Savusavu
SAVUSAVU, 24 SEPTEMBER 2026 (PACNEWS)—Fiji will need time to rebuild public confidence in the media after what Fiji Times Editor Fred Wesley describes as 16 years of restricted media space and a government-controlled narrative.
Speaking at the 8th Pacific Media Summit in Savusavu, Wesley said an entire generation had grown up during a period when people were discouraged from questioning authority and journalists faced arrests, court action and other pressures.
“We have a generation that came through 16 years of a narrative being dictated for them.
“16 years of seeing authority coming from two people. 16 years of seeing things done a certain way. And 16 years of not having people standing up and speaking their mind,” Wesley said.
Wesley said the impact of that period would not be reversed quickly.
“This is not a walk in the park. This is going to be something that’s going to take some time to fix,” he said.
He said his own experience included being taken to court twice and sentenced to prison, while other journalists and members of the public were also arrested during the period he was referring to.
Wesley said the challenge was particularly significant for people who spent their formative years in an environment where information was largely controlled.
“If there was someone who was 16 years old, that person would be around 31 or 32.
“Let’s say someone was 20 years old, that person would be 37 years old,” he said.
Wesley said this generation had spent much of its adult life receiving information within what he described as a government-directed narrative.
“Basically what you had was 16 years, a period where an entire generation existed, going through something that they were expected to embrace,” he said.
He said access to alternative information also shifted increasingly to social media and online platforms, with free Wi-Fi hotspots providing another source of information outside traditional news organisations.
“You had free hotspots being opened around the country in rural settings.
“People, because they had free Wi-Fi,” Wesley said.
He said rebuilding the relationship between the public and professional media therefore required more than simply restoring newsroom freedoms.
One of the steps being taken, he said, was greater unity among Fiji’s media organisations through the Fijian Media Association.
“All media organisations in Fiji are now united under the Fijian Media Association,” Wesley said.
He said public forums and media literacy programmes were part of efforts to rebuild understanding of the media’s role.
“This thing about the town hall forum is the first step into pushing the agenda of media literacy.
“It’s about getting people to appreciate the media, understand the work of the media, understand the fact or accept or embrace the fact that there has to be accountability in our country,” he said.
Wesley said governments should be subject to scrutiny regardless of who was in power.
“Accepting the fact that governments, no matter how good or bad they are, should be held accountable,” he said.
“And there has to be transparency right across the board.”
He said the media must provide a platform where leaders can be questioned.
“The Prime Minister should be held accountable. We should be able to look him in the eye and tell him that he’s doing wrong, if he is doing wrong.
“And one of the roles of the media is to ensure that that’s the platform,” Wesley said.
Asked how long it would take for Fiji to fully recover from the effects of the past 16 years, Wesley said he did not have a precise answer.
“You asked how long it’s going to take, I don’t know.
“But we’ve started this process”,” he said.
The 8th Pacific Media Summit is being held in Savusavu under the theme “Reaching the Remote: Media and Digital Innovation for a Connected Blue Pacific.”
The summit is bringing together media leaders, journalists, communications specialists and government representatives to discuss press freedom, media sustainability, artificial intelligence, climate reporting and the future of journalism…..PACNEWS
PAC – PACIFIC MEDIA SUMMIT: FIJI SUN PACNEWS 2: Thu 24 Sep 2026
Pacific newsrooms race ahead on AI without policies, study finds
SAVUSAVU, 24 SEPTEMBER 2026 (FIJI SUN) —Pacific news organisations are adopting artificial intelligence (AI) faster than they are developing policies to govern its use, new research presented at the Pacific Islands News Association Media (PINA) Summit in Savusavu has found.
The study surveyed news organisations across 11 Pacific countries and found that 26 of 49 respondents were already publishing AI-assisted content, while 39 had no formal AI policy or only basic guidelines.
Research lead for Other Labs Eira Martin Edwards said the findings showed AI adoption was moving ahead of newsroom accountability.
“AI adoption is ahead of policy and accountability,” Edwards said.
The research also found that many journalists were using AI through personal accounts, with only six organisations reporting full access to enterprise AI accounts.
Other Labs director and founder Jenni Ryall said the programme was designed to provide Pacific newsrooms with longer-term support rather than short-term training.
“We know that’s a big need. You can’t do a programme and experiment if you don’t have access to the tools that you want to play around with,” Ryall said.
Edwards recommended subsidising enterprise AI accounts, providing long-term capability-building programmes and implementation support, and developing local AI expertise through mentors and trainers.
She also recommended building safety and governance into AI programmes, investing separately in Pacific-language capabilities, and prioritising technology that improves newsroom workflows and business operations over AI-generated content.
The PINA Summit is currently underway at Wasawasa Resort in Savusavu…..PACNEWS
PAC – SECURITY MEET: ISLANDS BUSINESS PACNEWS 2: Thu 24 Sep 2026
PNG urges Pacific to turn security dialogue into action
NADI, 24 SEPTEMBER 2026 (ISLANDS BUSINEWS) —Papua New Guinea has called for stronger Pacific cooperation and concrete action as security threats across the region become increasingly interconnected.
In an interview with Islands Business, PNG Minister for Defence Elias Kapavore said the gathering gives Pacific Island countries a vital platform to speak collectively about the security pressures affecting their region.
“Security is becoming uncertain, challenges are becoming real, and we need to come together more,” Kapavore said.
“SPDMM creates that avenue for us to come in and talk about security matters affecting our region.”
Kapavore, who said he was in his second month in the defence portfolio, acknowledged Fiji’s Minister for Defence and Veterans Affairs for convening the meeting and bringing regional partners together.
For Papua New Guinea, the value of the meeting lies in its ability to connect national security priorities with a broader Pacific response.
Kapavore said countries were confronting a more uncertain environment in which threats crossed borders, stretched limited surveillance capacity and demanded closer cooperation among defence and security agencies.
Transnational organised crime, including drug trafficking, emerged as one of Kapavore’s chief concerns. He said the threat was no longer confined to individual states and required a region-wide response backed by implementation, resources and accountability.
PNG had passed legislation to address transnational crime in the previous Parliament, he said, and now wanted to see wider regional support for stronger enforcement.
“There must be real actions in addressing transnational crimes that are becoming common in our region,” Kapavore said.
His emphasis was on implementation rather than another statement of concern. While each country must respond through its own laws and institutions, Kapavore argued that measures will be more effective if Pacific governments support one another and treat organised criminal networks as a shared regional challenge.
The scale of the task is formidable. Kapavore said PNG’s exclusive economic zone covers about three million square kilometres, while its land mass is roughly 460,000 square kilometres. Taken together, Pacific Island countries must secure a vast ocean space approaching 30 million square kilometres.
Monitoring an area of that size is beyond the reach of any one country acting alone. The minister’s comments pointed to the need for more regular exchanges among Pacific defence forces, better coordination across national boundaries and a common understanding of the risks moving through the region’s maritime domain.
That geography makes information-sharing, coordination and collective planning essential. Kapavore said forums such as SPARDOM allow Pacific defence leaders to confront the realities of their shared security environment, while support from partners including Australia, New Zealand and the United States remains valuable.
Kapavore welcomed the contribution of observers and traditional partners, saying Australia, New Zealand and the United States had provided strong support and that PNG looked forward to that cooperation continuing. His remarks, however, placed Pacific countries at the centre of defining the agenda and deciding how regional priorities should be carried into national action.
Kapavore said the meeting’s security agenda must extend beyond transnational crime to climate-related shocks capable of placing additional pressure on Pacific governments and communities.
“We also talked about the emerging El Niño crisis [and] climate change,” he said, adding that the discussions should be progressed into “an excellent plan”.
The emphasis on El Niño reflects a widening Pacific understanding of security. Climate shocks can intensify demands on essential services, communities and national institutions, while countries already managing large maritime spaces and cross-border crime must also prepare for disruptions linked to drought, water and food pressures, and extreme weather.
Kapavore’s call was therefore for preparedness to be built into the region’s security planning rather than treated as a separate concern.
Kapavore said a regional plan must still define what preparedness means for each island country.
“For us, each of the countries must know what to do, despite it affecting the entire region,” he said. “We have our own specific issues within our own countries, so we implement together.”
He linked that approach to the Blue Pacific agenda advanced by Pacific leaders through the Pacific Islands Forum.
For PNG, the test of this year’s meeting will be whether concern about transnational crime, climate change and El Niño is converted into aligned priorities, strong national preparedness plans and sustained cooperation that delivers greater security and resilience across the region….PACNEWS
PAC – POLITICS/DEMOCRACY: PMN PACNEWS 2: Thu 24 Sep 2026
Greens target political influence as Pacific security enters NZ’s general election debate
WELLINGTON, 24 SEPTEMBER 2026 (PMN)—Green MP Teanau Tuiono says tighter rules around political donations and lobbying are needed to limit the influence of big money, while also warning against greater military involvement by the United States in the Pacific.
Speaking with on Pacific Mornings, Tuiono backed his party’s newly announced plan to cap political donations at $30,000(US$17,000), stop companies from donating and introduce a two-year stand-down for former ministers before they can become lobbyists.
“We need to get big money out of politics,” he says. “The donation should only be by people, not by company.”
The Greens also want a public register of professional lobbyists and an independent body to oversee the rules.
The announcement came as Tuiono questioned the growing US presence in the Pacific, including its involvement in the Cook Islands.
He says the visit by U.S Ambassador Jared Novelly with Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown reflects the wider competition between China and the United States for influence in the region.
“I’ve got to take my hat off to Mark Brown, he’s kind of played it really well,” he says. “He’s managed to play China off against the US and get some investment.”
But Tuiono says the growing U.S role also raises questions about where the relationship could lead.
“Here we have the U.S trying to find a way to get into the Cook Islands, but is this heading towards a military base? That would be something that I would not be in favour of,” he says. “We don’t need more militarisation of the Pacific, for the Pacific to become a more contested space.”
The comments come as the US and New Zealand are helping fund a major wharf upgrade at Tongareva, with the United States contributing US$50 million and New Zealand NZ$17.5 million (US$9.93 million). U.S officials have said a possible military presence at the site is still being negotiated.
Tuiono says the Greens also oppose deep-sea mining in the Pacific and want stronger safeguards around political influence.
He points to Nicky Hager’s recent book on corporate lobbying, saying it details how tobacco, fishing, and oil and gas companies have influenced political parties and targeted their opponents.
“There’s a clear line of sight of how this coalition got into power. They’re benefiting from corporate lobbyists and so much money coming into our democracy,” he says.
Labour MP Dan Rosewarne, who also spoke with PMN, focused on the cost of living, saying his party’s latest policies should be viewed as a wider package rather than separate measures.
Labour wants Woolworths and Foodstuffs to separate their wholesale operations from their retail stores, creating two independently run wholesalers.
“New Zealand has lots of supermarket brands, but most are owned by just two groups, and together they control more than 80 percent of the grocery market,” Rosewarne says.
Rosewarne says the proposal would sit alongside capped public transport fares and three free doctor’s visits.
“If this grocery policy reduces grocery bills by $30 (US$17) a week, and our capped public transport fares reduce commuting costs by up to $40 (US$22) a week, all those things as a system will result in significant cost reductions for our communities,” he says.
Cost of living remains the biggest election issue for Pacific voters, with nine in 10 respondents to the PMN-Horizon Research Pacific Issues Election Survey saying it would influence how they vote.
With the election less than seven weeks away, Tuiono is also urging Pacific communities to enrol and vote.
Enrolment closes on 25 October with advance voting beginning on 26 October ahead of election day on 7 November. Photo/NZ Parliament/Parliamentary Service
“In the last election, Manurewa, Māngere or Tāmaki, on average had about 30 per cent of the people there do special votes,” he says.
“I would encourage our people, please go out and enrol to vote now, and make sure that you have your say on November 7th, and get rid of this horrible, terrible government.”
Enrolment closes on 25 October with advance voting beginning on 26 October ahead of election day on 7 November…PACNEWS
PAC – DEFENCE: PMN PACNEWS 2: Thu 24 Sep 2026
Aotearoa and Australia link naval operations under new Plan Tasman
WELLINGTON/ CANBERRA, 24 SEPTEMBER 2026 (PMN)—New Zealand and Australia are moving to bring their navies closer together with a new agreement setting out how the two forces will train, share information, and operate alongside each other.
Plan Tasman was signed this week by Deputy Chief of the Royal New Zealand Navy, Commodore Karl Woodhead, and his Australian counterpart, Rear Admiral Darren Grogan.
The framework is designed to support a more integrated and interoperable Anzac naval force covering personnel, training, capability development, warfighting, engineering, regulation and international engagement.
Plan Tasman also includes enhanced information sharing, training and operational alignment.
For New Zealand, the move comes as the Government and NZ Defence Force put greater focus on working with Australia and other partners in the Indo-Pacific region.
Woodhead said the latest agreement marked a change in how the two countries approach their long-standing naval relationship.
“Our maritime relationship was established over 160 years ago, strengthened over generations in times of both war and peacetime cooperation.
“As our region becomes increasingly contested against the backdrop of a deteriorating global security environment, our strategic guidance is to deepen and formalise the alliance.
“Plan Tasman is exactly that, signalling a shift from a history of cooperation based on tradition to integration by design.”
The agreement will increase cooperation on information sharing, training and operational planning, with the two navies working more closely on how they develop and use their capabilities.
The agreement comes just weeks after Pacific Islands Forum leaders met in Palau and endorsed a Regional Peace and Security Action Plan while also backing the Waqa Moana initiative to strengthen cooperation against transnational crime and other security threats.
Associate Professor Anna Powles, from Massey University’s Centre for Defence and Security Studies, has said that strengthening the regional security architecture is not a new issue for Pacific countries.
Speaking on Pacific Mornings in July about New Zealand’s consideration of the Ocean of Peace Alliance, Powles said: “I think it’s not surprising, certainly, and this issue, the issue of strengthening the regional security architecture is by no means new either in the region.”
She said there was still uncertainty about what the proposed Ocean of Peace Alliance would mean in practice.
“There is still a degree of ambiguity to this. It is not an automatic mutual defence treaty, for instance,” Powles said.
For Pacific countries, the closer military relationship comes as Aotearoa and Australia continue to describe regional security and stability as a shared priority.
The two governments have already committed to closer defence cooperation, including through the Australia-New Zealand alliance and wider Pacific engagement.
In March, their foreign and defence ministers said closer cooperation was needed as the strategic environment changed and reaffirmed the importance of the relationship to security in the Pacific.
But Pacific leaders have also been calling for greater regional ownership of security decisions.
Solomon Islands Prime Minister Matthew Wale, who was Pacific Islands Forum chair at the time, has called for a Pacific-wide regional security agreement as strategic competition grows.
Speaking to ABC News in July, Wale said Pacific needed to assert its own agency on regional security.
“We cannot continue to naively fumble our way in terms of issues to do with defence security,” he said.
Wale said there was growing support among Pacific leaders for a stronger regional framework.
“I think there is a growing consensus, all the leaders that I have spoken to since [my discussions in] Australia see that there is a genuine need, there are gaps that such an architecture would help to plug.”
Grogan said Plan Tasman would build on the long history of cooperation between the two navies.
“Plan Tasman builds on generations of cooperation between our navies and provides a practical framework to strengthen the way we train, operate and develop capability together.”
“As close neighbours, trusted partners and allies, this agreement will help ensure our navies remain ready to operate side-by-side and respond to shared challenges in support of regional security, stability and prosperity.”
Plan Tasman follows the signing of the Tasman Navy Framework by the two countries’ naval chiefs in November 2024.
The new agreement turns that broader commitment into a framework for closer day-to-day cooperation between the Royal New Zealand Navy and Royal Australian Navy….PACNEWS
AUST – DIPLOMACY: AAP PACNEWS 2: Thu 24 Sep 2026
‘No longer fit for purpose’: Australian PM warns on foreign policy
NEW YORK, 24 SEPTEMBER 2026 (AAP)—The international world order set up following World War II is no longer fit for the present-day environment, the prime minister will declare in a major foreign policy speech.
In an address to the Atlantic Council on Thursday, Australian time, Anthony Albanese will say many of the institutions that were necessary post-1945 were not enough to meet present-day challenges.
The prime minister will use the speech on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York to argue partnerships with alliances remain crucial in a rapidly changing global environment.
“Since the end of the Cold War, the prevailing assumptions of international affairs were clear: openness was security, efficiency mattered more than resilience and international rules would be observed,” he will say.
“Those assumptions rested on the expectation that the influence of the major democratic powers would remain largely unchallenged.
“The post-1945 world order is no longer fit for purpose. Universal institutions that remain necessary are now not always sufficient for the challenges we face.”
The prime minister will say Australia needed to shape a world order that will replace the old one, while preserving diplomatic rules.
Albanese will point to the strategic competition between the United States and China in the Indo-Pacific region as being the most consequential issue facing the region.
While Australia had ties with the U.S and China as its key security and trading partners respectively, Albanese will say the competition between the two powers should not be the only lens the Pacific should be dealt with.
“The Indo-Pacific is not a chessboard on which superpowers move the pieces,” he will say.
“Its countries are not spectators, they are shaping its future and writing their own script.”
The prime minister will make the speech after receiving the Atlantic Council’s Global Citizen award, where he is being recognised for his role in deepening alliances and promoting security and stability in the Indo-Pacific.
He will be among four award recipients at the event, including Formula One boss Stefano Domenicali, Finnish President Alexander Stubb and actress Cynthia Erivo.
The speech comes a day after Albanese met briefly with US President Donald Trump at a gala dinner hosted by the American leader.
The prime minister and Mr Trump have issued divergent calls on whether to rein in the use of AI following safety fears, or in the case of the US leader, accelerate its rollout.
Albanese will be introduced by Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape at the event, who the Australian leader has forged close ties with during his time in office.
Relations with Pacific nations such as Papua New Guinea will be highlighted by Albanese in the speech.
“The Pacific has been a priority for my government since day one,” he will say.
“Our approach to the Pacific is characterised by respect. Respect for Pacific priorities, for their incredible culture and for their sovereignty.
“Our partnerships in the Pacific are building the security, prosperity and resilience of all our countries, so they can advance together, shaped by Pacific priorities.”
Albanese will also point to ASEAN alliances in Southeast Asia as crucial to regional order.
The new global order has forced countries to place a bigger emphasis on building resilience through critical minerals and energy measures, the prime minister will say.
That focus has been heightened by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Iran, which has led to supply chains coming under pressure and fuel prices surging.
“The rules that connect our nations remain essential, and they matter to Australia, to the Indo-Pacific and globally,” he said…. PACNEWS
UN – OCEANS PROTECTION: PACNEWS PACNEWS 2: Thu 24 Sep 2026
Scientist calls for strict ocean protection ahead of biodiversity summit
WASHINGTON, 24 SEPTEMBER 2026 (PACNEWS)— Leading marine scientist Dr Enric Sala has called for strict protection of the world’s oceans as new research shows only about 3.5 percent of the ocean is currently under strict protection.
Sala, founder and executive director of National Geographic Pristine Seas, said countries must deliver on the global commitment to protect 30 percent of the ocean by 2030.
“To safeguard our planet’s future, we must fulfill the global commitment to protect 30 percent of the ocean by 2030—completely and without compromise,” Sala said.
“Half-measures only create ‘paper parks’ that offer the illusion of conservation while marine life collapses.”
The statement comes as two new studies assessing progress towards the 30×30 ocean protection target were released ahead of the biodiversity summit in Yerevan, Armenia.
Sala, who served as chief scientific adviser to the 30×30 campaign ahead of the UN biodiversity conference COP15 in Montreal, said fully protected marine reserves could help restore marine populations, support local fisheries and protect coastal communities from climate impacts.
“Fully protected marine reserves, strictly off-limits to extractive and damaging human activities, are a proven way to restore marine populations, improve local fisheries, and shield our coastal communities from the impacts of global warming,” he said.
“True ocean recovery demands true protection.”
One of the studies highlights the climate impacts of bottom trawling, which involves dragging heavy fishing nets across the seafloor and disturbing carbon stored in marine sediments.
The research found that more than half of the carbon dioxide released from disturbed seabed sediments reaches the atmosphere within nine years.
A separate study by researchers at National Geographic Pristine Seas found that bottom trawling in European waters carries significant costs to society, with annual impacts estimated at up to €16 billion (US418 million).
The study found bottom trawling occurs in more than half of Europe’s marine protected areas and generates societal costs linked to carbon emissions, fuel use, subsidies and food waste.
Researchers said reducing trawling activity and phasing out bottom trawling in marine protected areas could reduce emissions and support the transition towards more sustainable fishing practices.
Research published in 2025 also estimated the scale of marine protected areas required to meet the 30×30 target.
The study found that, in addition to the ocean already under some form of protection, countries would need to establish about 190,000 small coastal marine protected areas and around 300 large offshore protected areas by the end of 2030.
The global 30×30 commitment aims to conserve at least 30 percent of the world’s land and inland waters and of the ocean by 2030.
For Pacific island countries, where communities depend heavily on healthy oceans for food, livelihoods, culture and coastal protection, the push for stronger marine protection comes as governments prepare for further international biodiversity and climate discussions.
Sala is also an Explorer in Residence at National Geographic Pristine Seas and an executive producer of the Emmy Award-winning documentary Ocean with David Attenborough…PACNEWS
PACNEWS BIZ
PAC – TAX: PACNEWS PACNEWS BIZ: Thu 24 Sep 2026
Palau President Whipps calls for fairer tax systems in the Pacific
KOROR, 24 SEPTEMBER 2026 (PACNEWS)— Palau President and Forum Chair Surangel Whipps Jr has called on Pacific countries to strengthen tax systems to ensure economic growth translates into better public services and reaches communities across the region.
Opening the 23rd Pacific Islands Tax Administrators Association (PITAA) Annual Heads Meeting in Koror, Whipps said tax administration was about more than collecting government revenue.
“You are not simply managing ledgers. You are building classrooms, stocking hospitals, paving roads, supporting families, and securing the economic future of our Blue Pacific,” he said.
Whipps said the Pacific faced global economic shocks, climate change and rapid technological change, requiring countries to strengthen public institutions and work together.
“As Pacific people, we are voyagers. We do not drift aimlessly; we adjust our sails and move forward together,” he said.
He said the theme of the meeting, “Rising with the Tides,” reflected the region’s collective journey, but warned that growth must be underpinned by strong foundations.
“A rising tide lifts all boats only when those boats are well built and rest on a strong foundation,” Whipps said.
He said an effective tax system should generate sufficient revenue to provide essential services while remaining fair and supporting economic growth.
“Taxation is one of our most important tools for equity,” he said, noting that revenue enables governments to provide roads, schools, health subsidies and other services.
Whipps said tax systems should be based on three principles — equity, simplicity and ease of enforcement.
“Everyone contributes their fair share,” he said. “Complexity creates confusion and loopholes. Clear rules build public confidence and trust.”
Whipps also outlined Palau’s long and politically difficult path to tax reform, saying the process had changed his own views on taxation.
He said comprehensive tax reform was first proposed in Palau in 1997, when he was in the private sector and opposed the proposal.
But in 2013, while serving as a Senator, Whipps travelled with Pacific Financial Technical Assistance Centre experts to the Cook Islands and New Zealand to examine their value-added tax systems.
“That experience changed my perspective. I came to understand that reform was necessary,” he said.
A tax reform bill failed in 2014, but Whipps said he continued to campaign on the issue, including during his unsuccessful 2016 presidential bid.
He ran again in 2020 on the same platform and won. Palau passed tax reform legislation in 2021 and fully implemented the Palau Goods and Services Tax and Business Profits Tax in January 2023.
Whipps said maintaining political commitment to reform remained important, particularly during election periods.
“It is easy, especially in an election year, to make promises that sound good in the moment. But governing requires courage,” he said.
He warned that poorly considered tax exemptions could narrow the tax base and reduce government resources available for essential services.
Whipps also welcomed PITAA’s approval of the Pacific One Stop Shop, describing it as an important regional initiative for taxing the digital economy.
Under the arrangement, global digital companies will be able to file and pay GST through PITAA, which will distribute the revenue to member countries.
He acknowledged Australia for committing six years of funding to support the initiative.
“For Palau, this system will be available when we are ready to participate. It offers a modern way to collect what is rightfully ours from the global digital economy,” Whipps said.
He said regional cooperation on tax administration was strengthening confidence in the Pacific and welcomed the establishment of the Asian Development Bank’s North Pacific Subregional Office and private-sector hub in Koror.
The meeting brings together 15 of PITAA’s 16 member countries, with Whipps noting that it was the largest participation in the association’s history.
He also acknowledged the Marshall Islands, which was unable to attend as it prepares to launch its own tax reform on 1 October.
Whipps urged tax administrators to maintain integrity, saying public trust depended on transparent and effective institutions.
“Lead with integrity. Keep your systems simple and equitable. And let us ensure that, as the tide rises across our islands, every single boat rises together,” he said.
The 23rd PITAA Annual Heads Meeting is being held in Koror, Palau, with regional tax administrators, development partners and international financial institutions participating…. PACNEWS
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The views expressed in PACNEWS are those of agencies contributing articles and do not necessarily those of PINA and/or PACNEWS
Pacific countries unite to advance One Pacific Voice at CBD COP17
SUVA, 24 SEPTEMBER 2026 (SPREP)—Securing a resilient future for our Pacific communities in the face of the Triple Planetary Crises of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution has brought 14 Pacific Islands countries together, bound by this single focus.
Preparing a coordinated Pacific position for the CBD COP17 to take place in October this year, Pacific delegates representing all 14 Pacific Island Parties to the CBD are translating national and regional commitments. This will ensure a unified, stronger voice during the negotiations reflecting Pacific calls for action and support to protect global biodiversity.
The Pacific islands are home to some of the most unique biodiversity on the planet under threat. Living in the world’s largest ocean, the Pacific Islands contain biodiversity hotspots and have a high rate of endemic species, many of which are at the core of Pacific traditions and cultures. Pacific biodiversity is crucial for the livelihoods of many families.
“For Pacific Island countries and territories, the combined impacts of the triple planetary crises are a part of our daily reality. These affects our communities, our ocean, our food systems, our forests, our livelihoods, and our cultures,” said Senimili N. Baleicakau of Fiji, the Chair of the Pacific Small Islands Developing States.
“This reminds us how our nature, climate resilience, sustainable development, and the wellbeing of our people are closely connected. It is important that we leave this meeting with a strengthened Pacific position, as we work to reflect our national experiences into shared regional priorities.”
The CBD COP17 takes place from 19–30 October 2026 in Yerevan, Armenia this year. It comes at a critical point in the implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. With only four years remaining to meet its 2030 targets, the Pacific is preparing to advocate for decisions that respond to the region’s unique circumstances and enable countries to turn global commitments into meaningful action for the Pacific.
“We must continue to amplify Pacific voices at the Conference of the Parties (COP) and across international negotiation processes,” said Mr Sefanaia Nawadra, the Director General of the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) as he emphases the region is starting its advocacy with a wealth of political mandates, declarations and regional strategies to support the Pacific in its global negotiations.
“From the Pacific Leaders’ endorsement of the Belau Declaration, to the adoption of the Môo Mâ Awé Declaration: Pacific commitments to Nature Conservation and Protected Areas at the 11th Pacific Islands Nature Conference, and the reaffirmation of our commitment to strengthen sustainable weather, climate, ocean and water services through the Siu-i-Alaimoana Ki Likutapu Declaration, the Pacific is well placed to advocate its priorities at COP and other global forums.”
Decisions made at CBD COP17 on biodiversity finance, national planning and reporting, traditional knowledge, marine and coastal biodiversity, digital sequence information, capacity-building and technical cooperation will directly influence the region’s ability to implement the Global Biodiversity Framework. The preparatory meeting will build negotiating strength around the outcomes the Pacific needs.
Delegates are examining developments since CBD COP16, including the outcomes of the twenty-eighth meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice (SBSTTA 28) and the seventh meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Implementation (SBI 7), to determine where Pacific priorities must be defended, strengthened or advanced.
“The united Pacific voice at COP 17 is critical at a time like this and SPREP is committed to supporting the Pacific Member countries in coordinating the voices of the Pacific at the global stage,” said Amena Yauvoli, Director of Biodiversity Conservation Programme of SPREP.
“Together, we will advocate for biodiversity decisions that recognise the special circumstances of Small Island Developing States and deliver the financing, partnerships, technical support and practical solutions needed to protect the Pacific’s biodiversity, communities and future generations.”
The Regional Preparatory: Pacific CBD COP17 is hosted in Fiji from 21 to 25 September and has brought together delegates from the Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Naoero, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu.
The CBD COP17 Pacific preparatory meeting is facilitated by SPREP with support from the Government of New Zealand and the NBSAP Accelerator Partnership. The 17th Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity will be held in Yereven, Armenia from 19 – 30 October 2026…..PACNEWS
For further information please contact monifaf@sprep.org and linad@sprep.org
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The views expressed in PACNEWS are those of agencies contributing articles and do not necessarily those of PINA and/or PACNEWS
Pacific Islands Forum and CARICOM Strengthen Partnership Through New MOU
NEW YORK, 24 SEPTEMBER 2026 (PIFS)— The Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) and the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) have formalised their partnership through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), signed on 23 September 2026 on the margins of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
Signed by PIF Secretary General Baron Divavesi Waqa and CARICOM Secretary-General Dr Carla Barnett, the MoU establishes a framework for strengthened cooperation between the regions and provides a platform to advance shared priorities of Small Island and Low-Lying Coastal Developing States (SIDS).
Secretary General Waqa welcomed the agreement as a foundation for a deeper and more structured Pacific–Caribbean partnership.
“Our voices are strongest when we advocate together on issues affecting our peoples and our future. Today’s signing marks the beginning of a stronger partnership between the Pacific and Caribbean, enabling us to advance shared SIDS priorities and ensure they remain visible, influential and action-oriented in global decision-making,” he said.
Speaking at the signing, Dr Barnett said, “This MoU marks a pivotal moment in South-South cooperation between CARICOM and the Pacific Islands Forum. As regions comprised largely of Small Island and Low-Lying Coastal Developing States, we share common vulnerabilities, from the acute impacts of climate change to the unique economic pressures facing our nations.”
She added, “By formalising our partnership today,we are strengthening our collective advocacy on the global stage, amplifying our shared priorities, and building practical frameworks for collaboration that will directly benefit the people of both the Caribbean and the Pacific.”
The MoU provides a basis for the two regions to strengthen collective advocacy, share knowledge and expertise, and pursue practical cooperation on issues of common interest, reinforcing the voice and influence of SIDS in international processes.
The Pacific Islands Forum is a regional bloc that brings together 18 member countries and territories, and is headquartered in Suva, Fiji. The Caribbean Community is a regional integration movement comprising 15 Member and 8 Associate Member States, with headquarters in Georgetown, Guyana….PACNEWS
