Kiribati is located in the central Pacific Ocean. People living on an isolated island community in the Pacific Ocean are finding ways to reduce their dependence on expensive imported food while promoting climate resilient farming techniques, thanks to a programme supported by the UN Development Programme (UNDP). Islanders in Kiribati have long recognized that they […]
Stories
Posted inStory / New Caledonia
We need to slow down and reconnect with our Ocean for the future of the planet, says SPC
COVID19 has brought the world to a halt. The devastating impact of the global pandemic on people’s lives and the world’s economy is a jarring and historic turning point for all of us but it is also an opportunity to re-think many of our practices. As we mark World Oceans Day, the current global slowdown […]
Posted inStory / Polynesia
World Environment Day 2020 – It’s Time for Nature
Opinion by Sefanaia Nawadra – Head of the UN Environment Programme, Pacific Office Around the globe there are more than one million plant and animal species on the verge of disappearing forever. The planet is not in good shape because of us. Nature is suffering biodiversity and habitat loss, a rapidly heating climate, and toxic […]
Posted inStory / Solomon Islands
Meet the Innovator Protecting our Oceans in Solomon Islands: Dr. Katy Soapi
Katy’s work researching marine Genetic Resources has played an important role in ongoing United Nations negotiations over the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction. Katy is also one of the founders of the Tetepare Descendants’ Association in the Solomon Islands. Tell us about yourself. I grew up on […]
Posted inStory / Fiji
Fiji’s first state of the art greenhouse to be established
A brand new state of the art greenhouse will soon be established at Fiji’s Ministry of Agriculture’s Koronivia Research Station (KRS), the first to be built for the Ministry. This has been made possible through partnership between the Ministry of Agriculture and the Canada Fund for Local Initiatives (CFIL), underscoring the importance of enhancing Fiji’s […]
Posted inStory / Polynesia
Aiming for a ‘Bluer Pacific’ in post COVID-19 recovery plans
As the Pacific islands assess ways to build back economies severely struck by the COVID-19 crisis, the environmental impacts faced worldwide highlight the opportunity we now have in our hands to build back a ‘Bluer Pacific’. Key to this is, is an environmental component in all post COVID-19 recovery plans across our Pacific islands region. […]
Posted inStory / Fiji
Protecting Fiji’s most important marine areas
The Government of Fiji is committed to a national network of 30 percent Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) by the end of 2020. With the support of the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Oceania Regional Office, and other government agencies, and NGO partners, Fiji’s offshore zero draft map was officially presented to the Ministry […]
Posted inStory / Cook Islands
Environmentalist calls on Cooks gov’t to listen to experts on seabed mining
An environmental activist in the Cook Islands says the government must listen to the experts on the merits of seabed mining. The Cook Islands is reputed to have billions of dollars worth of mineral-laden nodules on its ocean floor and is keen to exploit them. It is opposed to a call for a 10 year […]
Posted inStory / Papua New Guinea
PNG rejects observer suspension on fishing vessels
The Papua New Guinea Fishing Industry Association (PNGFIA) has rejected the recent suspension by the Western and Central Pacific Fishing Commission (WCPFC) of observer coverage services on board purse seine fishing vessels. WCPFC, based in Pohnpei, Federated States of Micronesia, is a tuna conservation body whose membership include most countries with fishing interests in the […]
Posted inStory / New Caledonia
Report on New Caledonia’s coral reefs offers a glimmer of hope for the future
A new report from the Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation (KSLOF) provides a promising assessment of the status of coral reefs in New Caledonia. Released today, the Global Reef Expedition: New Caledonia Final Report summarizes the Foundation’s findings from a research mission to study the health and resiliency of the coral reefs of New […]