Results for Press Releases

A new report released today by the International Fund for Animal Welfare documents massive growth in the global whale watching industry over the past decade. The new report, Whale Watching Worldwide, comes as more than 80 countries debate the future of whaling and whale conservation at the 61st annual meeting of the International Whaling Commission (IWC) in Madeira, Portugal.

The Agreement for the US Remote Visa Processing Project between the Governments of Tonga and the United States of America was signed today by Mr. Busby Kautoke, Chief Secretary and Secretary to Cabinet of the Government of Tonga, and Mr. Scott Gallaway of the US Embassy in Suva. The Agreement governs the operation of the new Office at the Fa‘onelua Convention Centre for the consular and diplomatic purposes of the United States of America.

The Asian Development Bank's (ADB) Board of Directors has approved the allocation of $3.4 billion in additional funds to help developing member countries (DMCs) respond to the global economic crisis.

American Samoa's member of the US Congress has warned that the "inept policies and heavy-handed actions" of the New Zealand and Australian governments in the Pacific are putting American interests in the region at risk.

The United Nations has declared 22 May the International Day for Biological Diversity. This year's theme is "Alien Invasive Species". These are not species from another planet, but animals, plants and other organisms that are not native to a country or an island but come from somewhere else. In the tropical Pacific region, the list of such alien invaders is long but some of the common ones are rats, ants, mongoose, and weeds like mile-a-minute.

Journalists' faced an increasingly grim working environment in 2008, with global press freedom declining for a seventh straight year and deterioration occurring for the first time in every region, according to Freedom House's annual media study. The rollback was not confined to traditionally authoritarian states; with Israel, Italy and Hong Kong slipping from the study's Free category to Partly Free status.

Well, well, well.... so Labour now thinks that Maori should have the right to seek customary title to the foreshore and seabed do they? That Maori should be allowed to argue their case before the Maori Land Court, with right of appeal to the High Court?

Papua New Guinea's leading daily newspaper is being subjected to a campaign of litigation and intimidation over reports of government corruption and mismanagement.

Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi is disappointed with recent comments made by American Samoa congressman Faleomavaega Eni Hunkin on the situation in Fiji.