The Governor of Ha'apai, Viliami Manuopangai Hingano (46) was today fined $12,500 pa’anga for unlawful possession of 198kg of turtle meat seized at Queen Salote Wharf in 2020. A Supreme Court judge said the accused tried to hide the fact that he was a party to the proposed commercial sale of the uncertified meat of the endangered species. He denounced his offending: “You appear to think that you did not do anything wrong, that you were quite innocent. I want to assure you, that what you did wrong was that you failed to ask ...you ought to have refused to have possession of the turtle meat!"
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Results for endangered species
Wednesday 19 May 2021
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
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Saturday 28 May 2016
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
A project to remove invasive rats from two Tongan islands, Malinoa and Motutapu, is proving to be successful with signs that native plants are recovering along with bird life and marine animals. Other islands of Fangasito and Luahiapo in the Vava'u Island Group are now being included in the programme.
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Friday 13 November 2015
Nuku'alofa, Tonga
A major fire on Late Island, believed to have started on Thursday, has continued to rage throughout Friday night on the island - an important nature reserve. "I can see the red glow of a raging fire on Late now at 20:23... it is heartbreaking," said biologist Nadya Zvyagina on Friday night from Fangasito, Vava'u. There is a lot of dead wood on the island after Cyclone Ian.
Thursday 22 June 2006
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Auckland, New Zealand
Call me a whale-watcher if you like but ‘Ofa-ki-Tonga's enthusiasm for whalemeat for the kingdom is unlikely to find favour in this part of the world where killing whales and dolphins for food is seen as barbaric. The recent Japanese success at the IWC was made possible by support from some Pacific nations who took money and changed their stance. And here in New Zealand there is a call for retribution through the withdrawl of aid or something similar. - Sefita Hao‘uli
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