Results for Pacific

Illegal fishing operators will now find it harder to offload and sell the fish they catch, under enhanced United Nations measures to stamp out llegal, unreported and unregulated fishing.

"Deeply disappointing," is how the incoming President of COP23, Fiji’s Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama, this morning responded to the decision by the Trump administration to withdraw from the Paris Agreement on climate change. Bainimarama said the impacts of climate change "are obvious, and humankind ignores these facts at its peril."

The University of the South Pacific (USP) Convention, which legally embeds the university in member countries, was signed by eight country governments including Tonga at the USP’s 84th council meeting in Majuro, Republic of Marshall Islands on 25 May.

As climate change negotiators meet in Bonn, Germany, between 8 – 18 May, to discuss rules and processes to implement the Paris Agreement, the Chair of the Least Developed Countries (LDC) Group, Gebru Jember Endalew is concerned little is being done to support poor and small countries vulnerable to climate change. Underdeveloped Pacific Island nations such as Tonga also lack the capacity to adequately protect their population from natural disasters, increased drought and sea level rises.

“The pollution on this planet has never been worse. The impact of our people has never been more deadly. But the time to fix it has never been better,” said Mr Ibrahim Thiaw, Deputy Executive Director, UN Environment in Geneva, Switzerland, on 24 April. Two toxic substances on the international "watch list", paraquat and chrysotile asbestos, are particularly relevant to Tonga.

Tonga's state owned enterprises are featured on an updated website of the Ministry of Public Enterprises, that was launched by Hon. Poasi Tei, the Minister of Public Enterprises and Tatafu Moeaki, the Asian Development Bank Representative this morning, 19 April at the Tonga Post Building.

Radio New Zealand International (RNZI) has confirmed there will be no reduction of its service to its Pacific broadcast partners after ABC Radio Australia closed its international shortwave transmission service to Papua New Guinea and the Pacific on 31 January 2017.

Climate Change, Oceans and Connectivity are three key issues in the Pacific region that need attention was the message delivered in a Pacific Island Forum (PIF) speech to worldwide leaders at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Ministerial meeting in Lima, Peru, on 17-18 November.

Tongans have big health issues around obesity, diabetes, heart problems and high blood pressure. "If I can get one family or one child moving to live a better lifestyle for themselves - then our future looks a little bit brighter for these kids,” said Valerie Adams, three-time Olympic medalist. Valerie stresses to all Tongans that 30 minutes of moving a day helps toward living a healthier life.