Democratic leader MP Siaosi Pōhiva told guests in Tongatapu he struggled before deciding to work as an independent Member of Parliament.
He warned that the PTOA (Tongan acronym for Democratic Party of the Friendly Islands) was in disarray.
MP Siaosi Pōhiva
He said if they could not sort out their differences soon there was no way the party would win the election and form the next government.
Hon. Pōhiva made the comments during a speech he made at the launching of a new residential house. He warned Democrats that good judgement toward others must be exercised so that they could all move forward.
Followers left puzzled
Hon. Pohiva told listeners he would only come back and join them if they could unite and work together.
His audience seemed to find his statement ambiguous. Puzzled listeners at the event and online argued about whether Hon. Pohiva had left the PTOA Democratic MPs’ team known as the Core Team. Others said he would no longer support the PTOA Movements.
The new house was built in Hoi under the PTOA Global Movement’s Housing for the Poor Scheme.
Supporters of the PTOA Global Movement who were at the launching event repeatedly applauded Hon. Pohiva during his statements, which was broadcast live on Facebook.
It appears the Global Movement supporters thought Hon. Pohiva was blasting the Core Team and was in support of the Movement.
When Hon. Pohiva was contacted for comment, he replied in just one sentence.
He said: “The people have taken my remarks out of context.”
The celebration last week was also attended by Ha’apai PTOA MP Veivosa Taka. Other PTOA MPs did not attend.
Show approval for Movement
Pōhiva made the startling revelation about a week after the PTOA Core Team released a statement rejecting the PTOA Global Movement’s Housing for the Poor scheme and freebies policy.
In his speech, Hon. Pohiva applauded the Global Movement’s scheme and told guests that without their help they could not see how this family’s housing situation could be resolved.
Hon. Pōhiva’s statements came a week after a PTOA Global leader responded to the Core Team release and said no one had registered the name PTOA and the Movement was free to use the name in its attempt to push for a more democratic reform in Tonga.
The Core Team condemned the Global Movement for using offensive language in its criticisms.
Pohiva’s speech
Online users shared Hon. Pohiva’s Facebook video and said he was quitting the PTOA Core Team. Others said he was quitting the PTOA Movements.
“Siaosi think of the large number of people who followed your father,” Rev. ‘Inoke Masima wrote on the PTOA International Facebook page.
A response from another PTOA activist Sione ‘Eniketi Taufa to Rev Masima said: “Sorry Pastor the MP (Siaosi Pohiva) is moving to join the people. Majority Rule!”
The interpretations were based on a number of statements made by Hon Pohiva.
He appears to have indirectly blasted the Core Team when he said in Tongan that, “they should look beyond the limit of the people and their war of words using offensive language.”
“If our judgement is just based on the war of words using offensive language nothing can be done,” Hon. Pohiva said, to applause from guests in Hoi.
Family attacked
Then he appears to have criticised the Global Movement, He said the group had attacked members of his family.
“But I do not see them that way,” he said in Tongan.
He said he was invited by the man for whom the house was built to have a meal with his family.
He said the man talked about his housing problems.
Then he appears to have applauded the Movement.
“If these people did not sacrifice, where would this man be?”Siaosi said.
“We are happy that people like this did help.
“I do not condone any wrong doing. But that is something for those people to correct if they have done anything wrong.
“It is none of my responsibility to correct people who used offensive language.
“My responsibility is to love and support someone who love others.”
PTOA Disarray
“We are in disarray and the reason for this was because we were picking on each others.
“If we do not unite our endeavour to form the next government will be in vain.
“You continue on with our work. I will step back and work on my own.”
Pope Francis has endorsed same-sex civil unions for the first time since taking the papal role.
The approval came midway through a feature-length documentary, titled Francesco, which had its premiere at the Rome Film Festival earlier today.
The film delves into issues Francis cares about most, including the environment, poverty, migration, racial and income inequality, and the people most affected by discrimination.
‘Homosexual people have the right to be in a family. They are children of God,’ Francis said in one of his sit-down interviews for the film.
‘What we have to have is a civil union law; that way they are legally covered.’
Pope Francis (pictured earlier today) has endorsed same-sex civil unions for the first time since taking the papal role
While serving as archbishop of Buenos Aires, Francis endorsed civil unions for gay couples as an alternative to same-sex marriages.
However, he had never come out publicly in favor of civil unions as pope until now.
Director Evgeny Afineevsky had remarkable access to cardinals, the Vatican television archives and the pope himself.
He said he negotiated his way in through persistence, and deliveries of Argentine mate tea and Alfajores cookies that he got to the pope via some well-connected Argentines in Rome.
The premiere comes after the Popepraised a breastfeeding mother as he reverted to going without a coronavirus face mask during the Vatican general audience today.
‘Example of beauty’: Pope Francis praises breastfeeding mother.
The premiere comes after the Pope praised a breastfeeding mother as he reverted to going without a coronavirus face mask during the Vatican general audience today
Pope Francis praised Switzerland’s Valentina Frey at the start of his Vatican general audience in the the Paul VI hall while she breastfed her daughter Charlotte Katharina
Francis mentioned Switzerland’s Valentina Frey at the start of the audience in the Paul VI hall while she breastfed her daughter Charlotte Katharina.
He said the act was an example of ‘tenderness’ and ‘beauty’ before continuing his speech.
The Pope said: ‘Something caught my attention while the readers were reciting the Biblical passages there was the baby over there that was crying.
‘And I was looking at the mother. Who was nursing the baby and comforting her.
The Pope said: I was looking at the mother. Who was nursing the baby and comforting her and I was thinking about how God is like this with us. How he often tries to comfort us and nurse us’
The Pope reverted to going without a coronavirus face mask while addressing the audience in the Vatican City, Rome, Italy, today
‘I was thinking about how God is like this with us. How he often tries to comfort us and nurse us.
‘It is a beautiful image when we see this happening in church and we hear a baby crying and we see a mother’s tenderness.
The PTOA Core Team MPs’ attempt to take the PTOA name away from the Democrat’s Global movement is wrong.
PTOA for life banner. Photo/Kalino Lātū (Kaniva Tonga News)
Its warning to its followers about inducing voters is equally at fault.
The Core Team has argued that its opposition to the Global Movement’s activities is based on the late ‘Akilisi Pohiva’s teaching that the nation could not be built with offering freebies and money.
The team said ‘Akilisi taught that: “The will of the people could not be bought using goods or money. The will of the people can only be influenced by enlightenment and knowledge.”
Global vs Core Team
The Core Team believe that what the Global Movement did went against the late Prime Minister’s teaching. The Global Movement has regularly launched attacks against the Core Team since they kept silent after a meeting that supposed to decide the fate of MP Mateni Tapueluelu. The Democrats were looking forward to the Core Team making a decision and announcing the results to the public, but they did not.
This has divided the PTOA’s movements, with PTOA International supporting the Core Team against the Global Movement. The two Movements went to war on Facebook with some of their leaders using strong and offensive language.
Akilisi’s teachings
‘Akilisi, a former teacher and lecturer at the Tonga Teachers’ Training College did a great job to teach people of Tonga to know about their right to make decisions about how to use their tax money.
He also taught people about the democratic system and after many years of struggle turned Tonga into a democratic system
‘Akilisi did not support buying voter’s support in any form, but he did not reject doing things to help the poor, including building houses or project which involved millions of pa’anga.
‘Akilisi also appreciated people who donated for his political cause. The best example is MP Semisi Sika and his family and their business. They were one of ‘Akilisi’s big financial supporters and this was one of the reasons why ‘Akilisi chose him to become his replacement before he died.
Wrong track
The Core Team appear to be on the wrong track because the Global Movement was an independent body and they help people using their own money. Not only that but also, politics and democracy are all about money and the people. It’s all about politicians trying to please voters with what they can do for them with their tax money. If there is no money no one will want to take part in politics, especially MPs. Politicians want to go to Parliament and form the government so they can allocate and distribute people’s tax money.
They must create policies to show people what their thinking has been in the way they allocated their tax money. People choose politicians according to policies and how they can be funded using their tax money.
Not only that, politicians are allowed to help and donate for the people in whatever forms as long as the assistance falls within the law, especially when it comes to elections.
‘Akilisi donates for Popua Park
Even ‘Akilisi donated money to poor by building them something to raise their standard of living.
He donated thousands of pa’anga for the Popua National Park. It was a project he initiated and which was later subsidised by the government. He said in an interview with Kaniva News he wanted to beautify that particular place, not just for the people living in Popua and nearby villages, but for the whole of Tonga.
He also said he was saving money to build the same community park at his Tongatapu 1 constituency in Sopu ‘o Taufa’ahau.
Kele’a paper sponsorships
Many people sponsored ‘Akilisi’s Kele’a paper and helped pay his court fines, including Dr Feleti Sevele, former Ministry of Education Director Paula Bloomfield and many others. Sevele was once ‘Akilisi’s best friend, but later fell out with him over political differences.
‘Akilisi also was the main sponsor of his Kele’a newspaper since 1986. He told Kaniva News his paper was the main platform for his political campaign. His son Siaosi Pohiva also said in an interview with Kaniva Tonga that whatever money his father got he saved for Kele’a and for his political works.
‘Akilisi also spent about more than TP$1 million paying court fines as well as his paper’s court fines. He always said this was the pathway that a person who wanted to sacrifice because of the people who were suppressed must follow.
Embarrassing
The Core Team’s announcement on local radio that Global Movement was no longer recognised because its housing and helping the poor policies were attempts to buy votes was embarrassing.
The announcement also appeared to be personal, rather than based on anything concrete, rather than any breach of the electoral laws. If any such breach was suspected it should have been reported to the Electoral Commission to investigate and determine what the case was.
The PTOA Core Team should support any group which supports the people under the PTOA banner. It should recognise the huge level of support for PTOA Global in the US, New Zealand and Australia.
The worst thing is that the PTOA Core Team did not register its name and has no constitution. Prime Minister Pohiva Tu’i’onetoa and his supporters have always mocked them for this, saying they cannot talk with a body which was not legalised in Tonga.
Perhaps the Core Team should sort itself out before it criticises PTOA Global. If it does not, then Hon. Tu’i’onetoa will keep laughing at them and they will have little hope of returning to power.
The Supreme Court has sentenced seven men to jail for terms of between three and four and-a-years after a raid on a marijuana plantation.
Convicted in court were Tonga Wolfgramm, described as the group’s ringleader, Afei Tatafu, who admitted to being in charge of selling the drugs, Sulitomu’a Muna, who kept an armed guard on the plantation, Cullen Pongi, Heuati Toke, Misinale Lavemai and ‘Amini Topui.
The cannabis was hidden inside a kava planation being cultivated by the defendants as a church group of growers.
The court was told sales of the cannabis generated TP$600 a day.
In September 2018, police received information that cannabis was being grown at a tax allotment at Holonga, Vava’u. When they arrived at the allotment they found Sulitomu’a Muna, who fled carrying a .22 rifle. He ran across the adjoining allotments and dropped the rifle in a bush area next to the residence of Luti Wolfgramm and went inside.
Police then brought Tonga Wolfgramm to the tax allotment at Holonga where they read him a search warrant and then conducted a search. Police found a total of 2,665 cannabis plants weighing 99.65 kilograms.
Police then executed a search warrant at Luti Wolfgramm’s residence where Tonga Wolfgramm lived and which the other defendants often visited. There they found 13 ziplock plastic bags containing cannabis leaves and 15 small plastic bags containing cannabis seeds. The combined weight of the leaves and seeds was 22.57 grams. Police also found 26 rounds of .22 calibre ammunition.
When interviewed by police, all the Defendants admitted to the offending and eventually pleaded guilty in court.
The court was told that Wolfgramm controlled the financial side of the operation.
Lord Chief Justice Whitten, presiding, said it was unfortunate there had been no attempt to work out the street value of the cannabis seized by police.
“However, the submissions of other defendants provide some indication of the financial size of the operation,” the judge said.
The defendants were paid $500 each for their work on a crop harvested just before the raid and it seemed likely that Wolfgramm kept most of the money.
The offending fell within the category of large scale growing for commercial purposes.
“A further consideration in assessing the seriousness of the offending is the effect this quantity of cannabis is likely to have had on the community had it been harvested, processed and sold to others,” the judge said.
“It is well known that Tonga is currently in the grips of an alarming war on illicit drugs. Although some in the community may see cannabis as far less insidious drug than methamphetamines, all illicit drugs are potentially harmful to those who use them and the broader community which is inevitably affected by those who succumb to drug addiction.
Lord Chief Justice Whitten handed down the following sentences:
Tonga Wolfgramm was convicted of growing cannabis and was sentenced to four years and six months in prison. He was also found guilty of possessing cannabis, for which he was sentenced to nine months and six months possession of ammunition without a license. These sentences are to be served concurrently. The final 18 months of the lead sentence were suspended for two years.
Sulitomu’a Muna was convicted of the cultivation of cannabis and sentenced to three years and one year for possessing a firearm without a licence. The final two years of the main sentence will be suspended for two years.
Cullen Pongi was sentenced to three years for growing cannabis. The final two years of the main sentence will be suspended for two years.
Heuati Toke was sentenced to three years for growing cannabis. The final two years of the main sentence will be suspended for two years.
Misinale Lavemai was sentenced to three years for growing cannabis. The final 18 months of the main sentence will be suspended for two years.
‘Amini Topui was sentenced to three years for growing cannabis. The final 18 months of the main sentence will be suspended for two years.
Afei Tau’akitangata Tatafu was sentenced to three years and six months for growing cannabis. The final 15 months of the main sentence will be suspended for two years.
Each of the suspensions of sentence depends, among other things, on the defendants not committing any offences punishable by imprisonment, being placed on probation, not consuming alcohol or drugs and completing a course on alcohol and drug awareness.
A government official has died in a single-vehicle crash in Pangai, Ha’apai yesterday.
The van crashes into a pole before it stops few metres away from a school building. Photo/Sela Telefoni (Facebook)
The van collided with a cement fence post before it stopped few metres away from a school building.
Kali Taumoe’anga who worked for the Ministry of Meteorology, Energy, Information, Disaster Management, Environment, Climate Change and Communications was driving a government van when the fatal accident occurred.
Reports claimed two passengers who were in the van with the deceased survived the smash at the Ha’apai High School.
Emergency services attended the scene.
High Speed and alcohol likely contributed to the crash, sources said.
New Zealand’s suspension of the importation of Tongan watermelons on Tuesday has been a big blow to Tongan growers.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry CEO Dr Viliami Manu. Photo/TBC
It reflects the damage caused by what appears to be an ongoing pattern of negligence and failure by Tongan authorities.
Tongan authorities told Tongan Quarantine staff New Zealand had received misleading and false information from the kingdom about its produce.
As Kaniva News reported yesterday, Biosecurity New Zealand has suspended fresh melon imports from Tonga after Pacific fruit fly larvae were detected in a consignment of watermelons during an inspection at the Ports of Auckland.
An immediate suspension was imposed and a decision to lift it will depend on how quickly Tongan authorities can investigate the situation and put measures in place to reassure New Zealand, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Primary Industries told Kaniva News.
Until the suspension was lifted, all watermelons from Tonga arriving at New Zealand’s border would be held with the option of destruction or re-shipment.
A separate consignment of 29 tonnes of watermelon from Tonga was already being held at the border and would not be inspected or cleared.
The ban came after e-mails between New Zealand company EIF International and Tongan government authorities were leaked to Kaniva News.
EIF, which provides services for the clearance of produce and products from Tonga, raised serious concerns about the reliability of information provided by Tonga relating to the health of fruits and plant it exported.
EIF International said it repeatedly found inconsistencies and misrepresentations of information provided by Tonga’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries (MAFF) on the fruit and plant health document known as Phytosanitary Certificate.
In 2017 EIF International escalated its communications with MAFF and sought intervention from other Tongan authorities including Tonga’s Ministry of Customs and Revenue as well as the Ministry of Labour and Economic Development.
“Please we hereby seek your kind assistance and interventions at your level with MAFF on this important issue as per raised from the email correspondence below from EIF International NZ,” an e-mail from EIF to Tonga read.
“Given the importance of this issue in getting products from Tonga cleared under NZ protocols and MPI we seek your kind assistance and interventions with MAFF Quarantine on how they can improve the quality of their processes and information provided under their Phyto Certificate.”
The e-mails were sent to a former CEO of the Ministry of Revenue and Customs as well as the Head of Business Support and Facilitation Division of the Ministry of Labour and Economic Development.
The emails were also forwarded to MAFF CEO Dr Viliami Manu and other then government ministers.
“I am hoping you can be of assistance, as you may be aware we do a bit at the moment of produce from Tonga to New Zealand and we have run into a few problems/issues with regards to Quarantine in Tonga,” one e-mail read.
“Produce from the Islands into New Zealand requires a reconciliation at this end and so far we have experienced these recons not matching up to what Quarantine Tonga issue on the Phyto Cert.
“Last we dealt with MFAT and Pacific Trade and Invest they had concerns with regards to the integrity of the Phyto certs from Tonga.
“I am hoping that you can point me in the right direction as to the best person in Tongan Quarantine that I can direct concerns to. As you can appreciate Phytosanitary Certificates are issued under the ISPM regulations and as such NPPOs rely heavily on this to endorse a countries credibility/integrity.”
“EIF International provide the services for clearance of produce and products from Tonga arriving for Buyers in NZ, however EIF International constantly found inconsistency and perhaps misrepresentation of information provided by MAFF Quarantine on the Phyto Certificate.”
One of the Tongan authorities to whom the e-mails were sent responded and warned MAFF about the importance of addressing the concerns from New Zealand urgently.
“The emails (from EIF) showed how we failed in our responsibilities to work together with each other so we could implement the developments policies we discussed daily.”
The authority said if nothing was done to fix the problems, they would not be showing any respect for the people who paid for the Tongan produce.
Biosecurity New Zealand has suspended fresh melon imports from Tonga after unwanted fruit insects were detected at the border.
New Zealand has suspended imports of watermelon from Tonga
The Pacific fruit fly larvae were detected in a consignment of watermelons during an inspection at the Ports of Auckland on Tuesday.
“On 13 October 2020, live fruit fly larvae were detected at the New Zealand border on a consignment of watermelons from Tonga,” a spokesperson for New Zealand’s Ministry of Primary Industries told Kaniva News.
“We have imposed an immediate suspension,” he said.
“The length of the suspension will depend on how quickly Tongan authorities can investigate the situation and put measures in place to assure New Zealand.”
“It will remain in place until Biosecurity NZ has undertaken an audit and is satisfied that any findings from the audit have been actioned.”
Until the suspension was lifted, all watermelons from Tonga arriving at New Zealand’s border would be held with the option of destruction or re-shipment.
A separate consignment of 29 tonnes of watermelon from Tonga was already being held at the border and would not be inspected or cleared.
Online users were emotional when photos of a grave site from early 1900s uncovered in Houma were shared to Facebook this morning.
Photos of one headstone showed the name of William Dixon ,67, who was born in Glasgow and died on August 24, 1915.
The grave site was abandoned for years and overgrown with bushes.
The discovery came after locals cleared the area today to dig a grave for Viliami Hiva Niupalau, a cancer patient who died last week.
Older Houma people living overseas were quick to recognise the grave and said on Facebook they knew the site.
One Facebook user who shared a photo of the site and Dixon’s headstone with Kaniva News was thinking of the deceased’s family and relatives in the UK.
“I wish their grandchildren in Scotland could see their graves,” Viliami Maumau said.
“In Loving Memory of William Dixon born in Glasgow, Scotland died August 1915 aged 67,” the headstone read.
Locals claimed the graves belonged to palagi soldiers who arrived in Tonga during the First World War.
The World Wars
During the First World War a mixture of 150 Germans, Samoans, and New Guinea Islanders including their wives and families lived in Tonga. Samoa and New Guinea were both German colonies in 1914 when they were captured by New Zealand and Australia respectively.
Some of them were deported as prisoners of war to New Zealand and others continued to live in Tonga, but had land confiscated and strict sanctions placed on their movements.
Young, able-bodied men of European descent living in Tonga when war first declared took a ship to the closest large port to enlist – mostly in New Zealand and Australia. A total of 91 men born or living in Tonga have been identified as having served in World War 1.
Twenty seven years after Dixon’s death, US troops arrived in Tonga.
As Kaniva News reported in April, in May 1942, 7800 US soldiers and 862 sailors sailed into Nuku’alofa harbour to set up a base in Tonga as part of a defensive chain across the Pacific to keep supply routes open to Australia and New Zealand
Late Queen Sālote Tupou III provided land for an airfield and established the Tongan Defence Force, whose soldiers eventually fought the Japanese in the Solomon Islands campaign.
This story originally appeared on Asia Pacific Report and is republished with permissionPacific Climate Warriors – creative action to trigger better responses to climate crisis. Image: Resilience
In this new covid-19 world, environmental and climate crisis defenders are developing new ways to cope and operate under the pandemic constraints.
Groups as diverse as the local branch of the global environmental campaigner Greenpeace Pacific, Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA), the Green Party in French Polynesia and Greenpeace New Zealand have found solutions.
They have followed in the traditions of the Fiji-based Pacific Climate Warriors – part of the global 350 movement – who have drawn attention to environment and climate crisis issues with colourful and dramatic protests.
The Pacific faces mounting climate change issues, environmental degradation, rapidly rising sea-levels, massive king tides with the salty sea affecting arable land, coral acidification, pollution and – just to make matters worse – wildlife poaching as the plundering of the region’s fisheries goes unabated.
“Climate change could produce 8 million refugees in the Pacific Islands alone, along with 75 million in the Asia-Pacific region within the next four decades [has] warned a report by aid agency Oxfam Australia,” wrote the Pacific Media Centre’s director Professor David Robie in Dreadlocks a decade ago signalling the dire need even then for environmental defenders to pick up the pace.
Greenpeace head of Pacific Auimatagi Joseph Sapati Moeono-Kolio realises that need and is thankful that most parts of Pacific are being largely spared from the covid-19 pandemic that has raged across the world, leaving his organisation free to pursue its green goals.
“Fortunately, many island nations in the Pacific are free of covid-19. As a result, Pacific climate leaders are able to continue our moral and ethical fight for climate justice,” says the Samoan climate change campaigner.
“We are doing so by leading the world in transitioning to renewable energy – in fact Samoa is on track for 100 percent renewables by 2025.
Greenpeace Pacific’s Auimatagi Joseph Sapati Moeono-Kolio … “the transition to
renewables, as an important pillar of climate action, has stepped up.” Image: Greenpeace Pacific
“So, while covid-19 has slowed several things down, the transition to renewables, as an important pillar of climate action, has stepped up.”
Climate change on back burner
The pandemic has forced leading climate change advocates of the Small Island Developing States (SIDS), such as Fiji Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama, who was president of the 2017 Conference of the Parties COP23 to push the issue onto the back burner.
Pacific Island climate frontline states such as Kiribati, Tuvalu, Tokelau and Marshall Islands along with Fiji, Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea (Carteret Islands) and the Federated States of Micronesia require a champion for their cause. However, the pandemic has put paid to that, as Auimatagi points out.
“Because of covid-19 our global advocacy moments to elevate the voices of Pacific leaders demanding climate action are limited,” says Auimatagi.
“We are also working on a documentary called Finding Hope: Samoa, where we will meet with people from all walks of life and share their truth of what is happening in their villages as oceans rise and warm.
“With covid-19 and climate change combined, we are seeing dual impacts such as in Vanuatu during the most recent cyclone – Harold in April 2020.
“Communities and families were all social distancing and then the cyclone hit so they needed to decide whether to stay apart at home or take shelter in emergency refuge centres,” he says.
From that occurrence emerges the real and immediate threat of making climate change of secondary importance despite an increase in adverse climate events.
Greenpeace NZ’s Nick Young … “there is a threat that while the world is focused on covid-19, that
climate action takes a back seat.” Image: Greenpeace
Working hard for the Pacific
“Pacific communities are among the first to feel the full impacts of climate change, and there is a threat that while the world is focused on covid-19, that climate action takes a back seat,” says Nick Young of Greenpeace New Zealand.
“Greenpeace internationally is working hard to make sure that isn’t the case.
“The covid-19 recovery also offers a unique opportunity in this regard as billions are spent to stimulate economies around the world and Greenpeace in New Zealand and elsewhere in the world is pushing for a Green Covid-19 Recovery that invests in climate resilience.”
Greenpeace initiatives and campaigns as environmental defenders are still continuing, albeit at a slower pace than usual.
“All of the core Greenpeace campaigns around transforming agriculture and energy, protecting the oceans and shifting away from single-use plastics remain active,” Young says.
However, it is more than the pollution that is a concern with the ocean. Auimatagi talks about this.
Ocean poaching problem
“Ocean poaching is ongoing, carried out by the Chinese and Japanese flagged vessels. While Samoa has one of the smallest Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs), places like Micronesia and Kiribati are much harder to enforce as they have much larger EEZs.”
As Jacky Bryant, president of the Green Party in French Polynesia points out: “The 5 million km/2 of the EEZ (Exclusive and Economic Zone) are open to all kinds of abuse by foreign ships and is under surveillance by only one ship belonging to the French state.
“From time to time we have a fishing vessel that gets stranded on the reef carrying tonnes of fish, some legal, some illegal.”
Jacky Bryant of Tahiti’s Greens … economic zone “open to all kinds of abuse by foreign ships”. Image: Heiura Les Verts
Last month, the Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA) continued its coordination and commitment to regional fisheries surveillance operation.
The 17-nation organisation is based in Honiara, Solomon Islands and its members comprise: Australia, Cook Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, New Zealand, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu.
The FFA is charged with protecting Pacific fisheries from poaching among other cooperative activities.
It has recently completed its “Operation Island Chief” (August 24-September 4), conducting surveillance over the EEZs of Cook Islands, Niue, Samoa, Tonga and Tuvalu this year.
Challenging pandemic times
FFA’s Director-General Dr Manu Tupou-Roosen says: “During these challenging times with the focus of the world on the pandemic, we welcome the commitment and cooperation demonstrated across the region to deter illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing in our waters.”
That concerns Greenpeace as well. Young says: “Illegal and unregulated fishing is still an issue in many places, and certainly in the Pacific.
“It threatens ocean life as well as the resilience of Pacific communities who rely on the oceans for their food and way of life.”
The FFA Regional Fisheries Surveillance Centre (RFSC) team, supported by three officers from the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force (RSIPF), had an increased focus on intelligence gathering and analysis, providing targeted information before and during the operation in order to support surveillance activities by member countries,” the FFA said in a statement.
Aerial surveillance of the nations of the EEZ was provided by New Zealand, Australia, USA and France, assisting the fragile small island developing states in protecting them from poaching or overfishing.
In addition to that the cooperation goes as far as working together to prevent covid-19 from being transmitted in the fisheries operations allowing them to continue contributing Pacific Island economies.
“It is crucial for fisheries to continue operating at this time, providing much-needed income to support the economic recovery as well as to enhance contribution to the food security of our people,” says Dr Manu Tupou-Roosen.
Pollution and climate change still major
Greenpeace Pacific’s Auimatagi says that other than poaching, pollution and climate change remain major issues in the Pacific.
“While marine wildlife poaching is, of course, a big issue, the biggest polluter is one of our nearest neighbours. Australia digs up, burns and exports climate destruction to the whole world in the form of coal.
“Climate change is the number one issue on all fronts, including the environment as it is a threat multiplier. The impacts of climate change such as rising sea levels and warming oceans make the impacts of cyclones and ocean wildlife poaching more severe and more difficult to manage.”
Not so in Tahiti as Bryant explains, where covid-19 has taken hold on that part of the Pacific paradise.
Covid-19 cases in French Polynesia (population 280,000) have now reached more than 2700 cases – including territorial President Edouard Fritch and 10 deaths, and Bryant say this crisis has pushed climate change and environmental issues into a secondary status.
“Attacks to our natural environment such as the exploitation of the biodiversity, our cars’ carbon emissions (Papeete has 120,000 cars but luckily, we are an island with regular easterlies) are of governmental responsibilities,” says Bryant.
“There is no clear scrutiny of the climatic effects on the town planning code for example; no compulsory measures for double glazing; using solar panels is not mandatory and the same for photovoltaic, not even for experimental purposes on
an urban area.
No environmental friendly designing
“There are no projects towards designing more environmentally friendly interisland means of transport in order to anticipate any energy crisis with petrol, for example. We carry on training our youth for the combustion engine,” he adds.
While Bryant laments the lack of action in Tahiti, the Greenpeace organisation remains committed to making a better, environmentally safer world.
“We have pushed for a green covid-19 recovery that puts people and nature first, and we are calling for the replacement of current industrial agriculture system with regenerative farming methods – where we farm in harmony with nature and don’t use synthetic nitrogen fertiliser,” says Young.
“Regenerative farming involves growing a large diversity of crops, plants and animals. Synthetic inputs like nitrogen fertiliser are replaced with practices that mimic natural systems to access nutrients, water and pest control required for growth.
“Replace unnecessary single-use products like plastic drink bottles with reusable and refillable options, including glass. Plastic bags, and bottles are just the tip of the iceberg,
“All of the core Greenpeace campaigns around transforming agriculture and energy, protecting the oceans and shifting away from single-use plastics remain active,” he says.
The last word on the issue comes from the Samoan who has been a strong activist for a greener world, Auimatagi Moeono-Kolio.
“When it comes to the environment, Pacific Islanders are always vigilant no matter what is happening in the outside world: It’s a question of means and resources and geopolitics, it’s a very complicated web.”
This is the fifth in a series of articles by the Pacific Media Centre’s Pacific Media Watch as part of an environmental project funded by the Internews’ Earth Journalism Network (EJN) Asia-Pacific initiative.
A Tongan woman who used her time while she was locked down in New Zealand to complete a six-month sewing course said she planned to run her own sewing business when she returned to Ha’apai.
(L-R) ‘Ōlive Ramanlal Vulabh, Director of Tuitui Fashion Academy Tuitui Folauhola and Suitaisa Fine Tonga’onevai. Photo/Kalino Lātū (Kaniva Tonga News)
Siutaisa Fine Tonga’onevai said she was over the moon after she was awarded her certificate.
She has sent a sewing machine to Ha’apai.
“This will help my family,” she said.
As Kaniva News reported earlier this week Tonga’onevai was one of the nine Tongan women at the Tuitui Fashion Academy who received their Level One Achievement Certificates after completing six months’ training at the Three Kings’ school.
The successful women completed a number of modules, including skills such as Measurement, Academic, sewing of Women and Men’s wear Normal Dress, Pacific Wear, Off the shoulder, Suit Jacket, Evening Gowns, Shirt and Suit and Russian Collar.
Tonga’onevai was in New Zealand on a one month visiting visa and was supposed to return to Tonga in April, but the country went into lockdown and flights between New Zealand and Tonga were suspended.
Tonga’onevai, who heard about the Tuitui Fashion training from a friend, has described the opportunity she has received as “extraordinary.”
She said she may have missed the opportunity if the flights had not been suspended.
She said she could sew before she enrolled with Tuitui Fashion, but did not have the proper skills.
“After the course I learned how to measure and sew different types of clothes.”
Another woman who completed the course while she was in lockdown was Olive Ramanal Vulabh.
She is a well-known businesswoman in Tonga.
In presenting the closing speech during the award ceremony in Auckland last week, Vulabh said she was elated after she completed the course.
She said she could now sew various beautiful styles of garments for her family using inexpensive cloth.
She showed the green dress she was wearing during the award ceremony to the guests and told them it looked expensive but the tutor, Tuitui Folauhola helped her buy the material from a store at Otara, South Auckland for only $3 per metre.
She applauded the course and said she was happy to learn about budgeting.
