Results for Pacific Islands

Already among the most remote countries on earth, Pacific island states saw their vital economic links weakened in recent months with the evaporation of tourism, severe disruptions to international trade, and a reduction in remittances. For these countries, the COVID-19 pandemic may cut deeper than even some of the worst cyclones from years past. Emergency assistance for Pacific island countries will be considered by the IMF’s Executive Board in the coming weeks, says a new report.

No-fishing areas established around Tonga are showing they are helping coral reef ecosystems to recover, says the Special Management Area Report 2020, compiled by the Ministry of Fisheries in partnership with Australia's James Cook University recently. Damaged reefs might take 20 years for full recovery.

Pasifika populations are particularly at risk for CoViD-19, where the risk of hospitalisation is seven times higher than for NZ European and Other ethnic groups, warns a New Zealand report on worse case scenario modelling.

Tonga's stunning ngatu provide testimony to the considerable antiquity of Tongan artistic designs. Variation of the ngatu patterns, and the way these are organized, had been inscribed on the surfaces of Lapita pottery in Tonga almost 3,000 years ago. By David V. Burley.

Conservation management of the rich biodiversity across the Pacific islands region is at the core of the 10th Pacific Islands Conference on Nature Conservation and Protected Areas from 19 to 24 April. An important event, this will help protect our valuable ecosystem services that the world depends upon.

More support in strengthening nursery and midwifery leadership capacity was highlighted at the inaugural Pacific Heads of Nursing & Midwifery Meeting (PHoNM) held on 11th - 14th February in Nadi, Fiji.

People first arrived in Vava‘u between 850 and 810 BC, establishing themselves on the south central islands offshore of ‘Uta Vava’u. The earliest sites at Ofu, Pangaimotu and Otea are all but identical in their age, and they are coincidental with the oldest sites in Ha’apai. Bird remains aside, excavations of other types of food remains at these sites have an unexpected story to tell: one of scarcity. Fish remains were shockingly limited! Shellfish counts and species diversity are similarly impoverished, illustrating limited productivity, or at least limited sustainability, for reef foraging efforts. By David V. Burley.

A Tropical Cyclone Alert remains in force for Tonga today, as Tropical Depression (TD 04F) in the Western Pacific, moving toward Fiji and Tonga, is expected to bring strong gale force winds to the Niuas starting tomorrow morning, with storm force winds over southern Tonga during the weekend. Fua'amotu Tropical Cyclone Warning Centre issued a weather warning at 6:00pm Thursday 16 January 2020.

The installation of new weather stations and sea level monitoring equipment throughout Tonga has been a huge logistical exercise, six months in the planning and another year in the implementation. Tonga welcomes 2020 with 21 new weather stations and two sea level monitoring stations.