Results for Pacific Islands

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.

CoViD-19 information for people throughout the Pacific is being compiled by a new FSPI website that provides links to relevant articles on the virus.

‘Ata, Tonga’s southernmost island, is a long way away, separated from Tongatapu by 160 km of open ocean. ‘Ata’s place in the history books is well established. It was here, in June 1863, that the whaling ship Grecian under Captain Thomas McGrath anchored off the northeastern shore and only village, Kolomaile. The details of the events that followed are sketchily recorded, but the consequence is notorious. A large number of ‘Ata’s residents were lured on to the ship, captured, and then sold to a Peruvian slaver for transport to Lima. None were to return. In the aftermath of the raid, and under the orders of Tupou I, the remaining ‘Atans were resettled on ‘Eua, in a village they again named Kolomaile. By David V. Burley.

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.

The South Pacific Tourism Exchange that was set for May 25-26 in Christchurch has been cancelled due to COVID-19. “We will now realign our resources and efforts to support the post COVID-19 Recovery efforts of our members,” said CEO Christopher Cocker.

Air New Zealand halted trading today as it announced capacity cuts across its global network due to the impact of COVID-19 on travel demand.

Sagufta Salma, from Fiji, has won a regional Commonwealth Youth Award and a £3,000 grant for her enterprise in turning waste material into sustainable furniture and home accessories. The awards were presented in London this week.

Last week, New Zealand’s parliament unanimously passed the “Abortion Legislation Bill” by 94 votes to 23. The bill allows pregnant women in the country to have an abortion without the consent of a doctor (except after 20 weeks of pregnancy) and will be determined in a final vote. Among those who voted against the bill were two Tongan born MPs, Jenny Salesa and Anahila Kanongata'a-Suisuiki.

Due to increased uncertainty in the Covid-19 outbreak, Air New Zealand has reduced its capacity across domestic and international routes, including a 26% reduction in Asia. Pacific Islands will experience capacity reductions of 6% through June. The airline's shareholders were told today that the financial impact on earnings will be more significant than previously estimated. The airline has implemented hiring freezes and capital expenditure deferrals.