Plastic bottle and can collection and recycling programme launched in Tonga
Tongatapu residents are now able to earn money from returning their empty PET plastic beverage bottles and cans, in a new programme formally launched in Nuku’alofa Saturday. The programme is the result of a
Offshore firm to develop seafloor minerals: PNG Mining Department
Papua New Guinea will licence an offshore mining company to develop the mineral resources found on the seafloor, according to the Mining Department. It said offshore (deep-sea) mining was never considered possible due
Cook Islands government accused of misleading public on seabed mining
Cook Islands government is misleading the public into believing the country is undecided on whether to allow deep seabed mining, claims an advocate for ocean conservation and protection. Louisa Castledine’s
Giant clams rapidly vanish from the Pacific: IUCN
Giant clams have rapidly been disappearing from the world’s oceans, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature
Tonga keeps whale watching in check amid global concerns
Tonga, a popular destination for whale-swimming, has carefully balanced its tourism appeal with marine conservation
Paris Agreement ‘a failure’: Solomon Islands Foreign Minister Agovaka
Solomon Islands believes the Paris Agreement is failing humanity and so the world needs a stronger legally binding
Nauru uses high-profile UN address to press case for sea-bed mining
Nauru’s President David Adeang declared in a speech to the United Nations that the international community must not let “fear and misinformation” block the exploitation of sea-bed
Poll: Cook Islanders oppose deep sea mining
A recent online opinion poll conducted in the Cook Islands revealed that 66 per cent of residents oppose deep sea mining, while 49 percent disapprove of exploration. The government regulator overseeing seabed minerals
Opinion: World’s biggest deforestation project gets underway in Papua for sugarcane
Excavators have begun clearing land in the Indonesian region of Papua in what’s been described as the largest deforestation undertaking in the world. A total of 2 million hectares (5 million acres) of forests,
In French Polynesia, boom in whale-based tourism sparks concern
A giant whale stole the show at the Summer Olympic Games, shooting out of the water as athletes competed in women’s surfing semi-finals on the French Pacific island of Tahiti last month. It is for spectacular
Cook Islands Opposition welcomes regulations, warns against premature mining
The Cook Islands Opposition leader has welcomed the regulatory framework for deep-sea mining but maintains the stance against any mining activities until ‘environmentally friendly technology’ is available and Cook
Recyclers deserve respect and recognition, not handouts: PRA
In a significant shift for the local recycling sector, the Pacific Recyclers Alliance has recently gained formal recognition, marking a critical step forward for grassroots recycling advocates. This acknowledgment
New EU regulations challenge Fiji’s fairtrade producers
A balancing act between global standards and local realities Fair trade practices in Fiji are under increasing scrutiny as new international regulations push producers to meet stringent environmental and human rights
Sailing to sustainability
The arrival of the SV Juren Ae into Majuro Lagoon under full sail at the end of last month was a majestic sight. It was also an important moment for sustainable shipping in our region. In 2020, Marshall Islands
Addressing Kiribati’s ‘alarming’ water situation
In Kiribati, many people still struggle to get adequate access to safe, clean drinking water. But work is well underway to try and ensure more schools can provide this basic human need to students. “If you don’t
More gold to be mined, says PM Marape
Papua New Guinea has an estimated 100 million ounces of gold that is yet to be mined, says Prime Minister James Marape. Marape said this when closing the three-day Geoscience, Exploration and Extraction Conference 2024
A Lawsuit Promises Justice for Rio Tinto’s Mining Disaster in Bougainville. Some Say It’s Nothing But a Cash Grab.
The Panguna mine made a fortune but left war and pollution in its wake. A new lawsuit backed by anonymous investors is now seeking billions in compensation – and raising concerns about who stands to benefit. High in
Tackling the Pacific’s plastics crisis
The Pacific Ocean Litter Project (POLP), an initiative under the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP), is fighting the threat of single-use plastics to the Pacific coastal environment. With
Opinion: Most plastics are made from fossil fuels and end up in the ocean, but marine microbes can’t degrade them
Marine plastic pollution is a massive environmental issue, with a plastic smog of an estimated 170 trillion particles afloat in the world’s oceans. This highlights how urgently we need to develop strategies to
$10 million project aims to reduce single-use plastics in Cook Islands
A project to reduce the number of plastics entering the country, focused on the food and beverage sector, was discussed during a workshop in Rarotonga last week. Like other countries around the world, the Cook Islands
‘Greenwashing’: Cook Islands Environment group slams ‘mineral harvesting’ in Seabed Mining Act
The introduction of the term ‘mineral harvesting’ in the legislation governing seabed minerals in the Cook Islands is an attempt to ‘greenwash this destructive industry’, says a local environment group. Te
Opinion: What can the Pacific learn from the EU Parliament vote against Norway’s decision to advance deep-sea mining
On February the 7th, the European Union (EU) Parliament voted against Norway’s recent decision to advance deep-sea mining in the Arctic by reaffirming its moratorium position and called for the European Commission and
