By Linny Folau

The Sasakawa Pacific Islands Journalism Fellowship 2008 for three senior Pacific Islands journalists, begins its intensive week-long program on the theme 'Fisheries and the Pacific' on Monday, October 13 in Tokyo, Japan.

This year's fellows are Tereni Kens the Chief of staff of the Sunday Chronicle, Papua New Guinea; William Jaynes, the Managing Editor of the Kaselehlie Press, Pohnpei of the Federated States of Micronesia, and Photojournalist Linny Folau from Matangi Tonga Online, Tonga.

The annual program designed to give the region's senior journalists the opportunity to develop their professional skills by working in Japan on different issues and themes under the direction of Pacific Magazine Publisher Floyd Takeuchi, will see this year's journalists reporting on the core of Japanese Fishing Culture and Industry.

The fellows will visit to Tsukiji fish market, the biggest wholesale fish and seafood market in the world, located in central Tokyo, and will fly to Nachi-Katsura, the mother port of Japanese longliner located at Wakayama on Honshu Island where journalists will witness first hand the bidding and selling of fresh chilled tuna. They will also visit Taiji, a traditional whale community at the Higashimuro District also located at Wakayama.

The interviews and reporting begins on Tuesday, October 14 and concludes on Saturday, October 18 but journalists kick started the program on October 13 with individual presentations on their country, professional work and news organisations at the Sasakawa Peace Foundation Head office in central Tokyo.

Partnership

Present was the Director of the Office of Regional Funds of the Sasakawa Peace Foundation Chan Woo Lee, Assistant Mizuki Otani, the Secretary for Women's Forum for Fish WFF Akiko Sato, translator Miki Fujii and Floyd.

The Sasakawa Pacific Islands Journalism Fellowship is a partnership between the Sasakawa Pacific Island Nations Fund and Pacific Magazine, last year the program reported on the theme of tourism.