Cook Islands announces protection zone for migrating Oceania humpback whales
Photo:
Layla Bailey-McDowell / RNZ
Cook Islands prime minister Mark Brown has announced the creation of a zone to protect the migratory corridors of the endangered Oceania humpback whale.
Brown made the announcement at the
UN Oceans Conference in Nice, France
.
"We can apply our traditional Ra'ui practice at ocean scale," Brown told the conference.
"Spanning over 400,000 square kilometres, this zone will adapt with the seasons and respond to emerging threats. Its purpose is not only conservation; it is recovery."
The Cook Islands
set up Marae Moana in 2017
.
Brown said Ra'ui To'ora reflects a growing global truth that traditional knowledge and science can work together to shape powerful solutions.
"With regional cooperation, this could become the foundation of the Pacific's first transboundary whale corridor.
"To support this, we are further exploring the establishment of the Institute of Blue Ocean Sustainability and Science, a national initiative to advance ocean governance, foster applied research, and strengthen partnerships across government, academia, industry, and traditional leadership.
"These are not radical ideas; they are overdue. This is sovereignty matched with stewardship."
Also, at the Ocean Conference, Tuvalu prime minister Feleti Teo has called for an
international treaty on sea level rise
.
Before the conference, French Polynesia's president, Moetai Brotherson, announced his administration's plan to establish
a network of highly protected marine areas
(MPAs).
The conference wraps up on Friday, Nice time.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
RNZ News
17 hours ago
- RNZ News
Suspension of salary 'unjustified', Fiji's chief prosecutor Christopher Pryde says
Fiji's suspended chief prosecutor, New Zealander Christopher Pryde Photo: Christopher Pryde Fiji's chief prosecutor claims the President's suspension of his FJ$250,000 (approximately NZ$184,000) salary is illegal and unjustified. Ratu Naiqama Lalabalavu stopped Christopher Pryde's pay and benefits over two weeks ago after a public backlash about his absence from office. Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka called out the director of public prosecutions last month for failing to turn up for work for almost seven months after he was reinstated in January. Pryde - living in self-imposed exile in Aotearoa - told RNZ Pacific the suspension was unlawful. "I am still the director of public prosecutions, the suspension of my salary is in breach of my contract and illegal under the Constitutution," he said. On Monday Pryde released a copy of the President's letter, claiming "excerpts" from it previously run by local media were "false and defamatory". The crux of Ratu Naiqama's argument is that the 60-year-old was meant to resume work on 20 January, after a Tribunal exonerated him from a "misbehaviour" charge. Two days later he was hit with corruption charges, and the Judicial Services Commission extended his reporting date until 9 May. "I understand you failed to do were still on full pay while not working. You have breached clause 1 of your 4 September Service Agreement," the President wrote. "Pursuant to section 117(5) of the constitution, and acting upon the recommendation of the JSC, after having consulted the acting Attorney-General, your salary and other benefits are suspended forthwith until further notice." The decision came just before Fiji's anti-corruption agency (FICAC) announced plans last week to extradite Pryde on corruption charges. Pryde told RNZ Pacific that the President's decision was "unlawful, since the Constitution does not permit the suspension of my salary". Pryde, hired during the reign of convicted former president Frank Bainimarama, claims they are "bogus" and designed to intimidate and get rid of him. He believes the Fijian government wants to stop him prosecuting those maligned in a Commission of Inquiry report into the former head of the agency. Pryde wrote a lengthy response to the president on 4 August, and said his decision was unconstitutional and "legally flawed". "The suspension is arbitrary and a clear breach of natural justice, particularly in the absence of a formal suspension," he wrote. "It is clear to me that you received and acted upon wrong legal advice on this issue. "The decision by the JSC to recommend to you the suspension of my salary whilst at the same time refusing to deal with the complaints against me demonstrates malice by members of the JSC.... and is an attempt to intimidate me into resigning my position." Pryde said the JSC had an obligation to address the corruption charges he was facing, by either dismissing them or establishing a Tribunal to formally investigate the complaints. He said the JSC was the only legally-mandated commission to determine complaints against him and could not delegate this function to FICAC. Pryde, who lives in Christchurch, said he had already explained his absence from the job in a statement on 24 July. "As outlined in my previous statement (11 April 2025), I remain ready to return to work as soon as the JSC and FICAC have concluded their investigations into further allegations against me, raised by the acting DPP, Nancy Tikoisuva, just prior to my intended resumption of duties in Fiji. "I need an assurance from the JSC that these allegations will not result in a sudden suspension from office and a cutting off of my salary, as happened last time," he wrote. "I also need an assurance that I will not be arbitrarily arrested upon my return to Fiji and served with a stop departure notice. "I can only speculate that the reason for the unconscionable delay in making any decision on these fresh charges against me is a deliberate ploy to ensure I remain outside Fiji and am unable to make any decisions on the results of police investigations stemming from the COI report." Pryde was suspended from the role on full pay in April 2023, pending an investigation into allegations of "misbehaviour" by the then-President, Ratu Wiliame Katonivere, under direction of the Prime Minister. He was charged after being he was seen talking to the former Attorney-General, Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum at a cocktail party in February 2024. Sayed-Khaiyum was under police investigation at the time they met and his file had been forwarded to Pryde's office, although he claimed he had not yet read it. Fiji's Attorney-General at the time, Siromi Turaga, said their meeting was tantamount to misconduct. In April last year he was also charged with receiving superannuation payments that had not been approved by the JSC. Pryde's superannuation ceased; then his salary and all contractual benefits were "unilaterally' cut off by the Fijian government in July 2024. However he was cleared of all allegations last December, following a week-long investigation by a Tribunal, which recommended he not be removed from his position.
RNZ News
18 hours ago
- RNZ News
FBI expands reach to Cook Islands as US seeks to 'counter Chinese influence'
By Talaia Mika , Cook Islands FBI Director Kash Patel at the opening ceremony for a dedicated law enforcement attaché office in Wellington. Photo: Supplied/OLA THORSEN The United States is increasing its presence in the Pacific, including the Cook Islands, due to concerns over China's growing influence in the region. Speaking exclusively to Cook Islands News , US Chargé d'Affaires David Gehrenbeck, who was in Rarotonga last week to celebrate the Cook Islands' 60th self-governance anniversary, said the US is ramping up its own regional presence through an upgraded FBI office in Wellington and increased diplomatic engagement. Gehrenbeck confirmed that the new US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) office in Wellington gives the agency greater autonomy to work directly with partners across the Pacific, including in the Cook Islands. The move comes amid growing geopolitical competition in the region, particularly as China strengthens its ties with Pacific nations, including through the signing of a comprehensive strategic partnership and memorandums of understanding with the Cook Islands earlier this year. "We do have concerns with China and China's efforts to assert its influence in the region," Gehrenbeck told Cook Islands News. "We have questions about what their ambitions and intentions are." US chargé d'affaires at the US Embassy in Wellington, David Gehrenbeck. Photo: Cook Islands News / Talaia Mika Cook Islands News reached out to the Office of the Cook Islands Prime Minister last week after the United States announced it had upgraded the FBI's presence in New Zealand to a standalone office in the capital, Wellington. The newspaper asked the Cook Islands government's official position on the increased FBI presence in the region, particularly given its expanded oversight to include the Cook Islands, and its view on the FBI's stated objective to "counter Chinese influence" in the context of the Cook Islands' foreign relations and economic partnerships with China. It also asked whether the Cook Islands Government has been consulted or engaged in discussions regarding the FBI's expanded role, including as part of the Cook Islands-New Zealand Joint Centenary Declaration (JCD), which defines the constitutional relationship between the two nations. A spokesperson for the Office of the PM said "we won't be providing any comment". In February this year, the Cook Islands signed the four key agreements, including the Action Plan for Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP) 2025-20230, Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Deepening Blue Economy Cooperation, MoU for the Blue Partnership in Seabed Minerals Affairs and Agreement on Economic and Technical Cooperation. The move created a diplomatic rift between New Zealand and the Cook Islands, resulting in New Zealand pausing over $18 million in core sector support funding. New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters earlier said the Cook Islands failed to properly consult New Zealand concerning any agreements it planned to sign with China, as required under the Joint Centenary Declaration. Gehrenbeck stressed the importance of transparency in all international relationships, particularly when small nations are making decisions that shape their future. He said the United States continues to offer itself as a trusted and transparent partner to the Cook Islands - one rooted in shared democratic values and open dialogue. "One of the key elements of being a good partner, I would say, is transparency," Gehrenbeck said. "It's really important that not only the government of the Cook Islands but the people of the Cook Islands are well aware of what's happening." "We think that the United States can be the good kind of partner that the Cook Islands wants to have as it develops as a nation." As the Cook Islands deepens its international ties, Gehrenbeck reaffirmed that the US has made clear it wants to be part of that conversation emphasising a partnership built on openness, shared values and respect for the country's sovereignty. "I think it's important that the people of the Cook Islands hear directly from the government of the United States." The upgraded FBI office in Wellington - now a full legal attaché - shows a stronger US commitment to the region. Previously, the office reported through Canberra, but it now reports directly to Washington. Also read: Cook Islands deal has 'nothing to do with military or security agenda', says Chinese ambassador According to Gehrenbeck, this change will allow the FBI to work more directly with law enforcement partners across the Pacific, including the Cook Islands, with a focus on tackling serious transnational crimes such as narcotics trafficking. "We understand that there are major concerns in the region, for example with narco-trafficking, and that's one of the areas where the FBI can really provide great assistance and be a really good partner to local governments such as here in the Cooks. "Their main job actually is to investigate crimes and try to catch the bad guys, essentially find the perpetrators and then bring them to justice." Meanwhile, China has strongly opposed what it calls "groundless assertions" following comments made last week about an FBI office countering China's influence in the Pacific. "Transnational crime is a common challenge encountered by all countries requiring cooperation to tackle," a spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy said. "On the opening of a new FBI office in Wellington with a permanent Legat (legal attaché) position, we have taken note of the assertions by the American side, as well as the remarks by relevant New Zealand ministers in response to the media. "We believe that relevant cooperation should not target any third party. And we strongly oppose any attempt to make groundless assertions or vilification against China out of the Cold War mentality. Such acts are against people's will and are doomed to fail." Additional reports from RNZ Pacific -This article was first published by Cook Islands News .
RNZ News
21 hours ago
- RNZ News
Australia and Vanuatu close to signing Nakamal Agreement worth $500m
Exclusive by foreign affairs reporter Stephen Dziedzic and Lillyrose WelWel , ABC Jotham Napat, right, was elected Vanuatu's new prime minister in February. Photo: DFAT In short: What's next? Australia and Vanuatu are close to signing an "ambitious" new strategic pact that could see the federal government plough about half a billion dollars into the Pacific island country over the next decade. Vanuatu's government has flagged that its Council of Ministers will consider the Nakamal Agreement Tuesday after months of negotiations between the two countries, and says that the pact is set to be signed by both countries next month. The critical meeting comes as the Foreign Minister Penny Wong, Defence Minister Richard Marles and Pacific Minister Pat Conroy prepare to join Vanuatu's Prime Minister Jotham Napat and other senior leaders on the island of Tanna tomorrow for more discussions on the pact. If both sides can reach agreement then the Nakamal pact is set to be given the initial green light tomorrow, ahead of being signed in September. Napat's office said in a statement the development and security agreement would "cover a wide range of bilateral issues, including infrastructure planning, economic development, and climate resilience initiatives in light of the devastating 17 December earthquake of 2024". "The partnership between Vanuatu and Australia remains strong, especially as Vanuatu continues its recovery efforts," it said. One Australian government source said Vanuatu had driven "quite a hard bargain", but insisted the pact would boost Vanuatu's development while buttressing Australia's strategic position in the country - which is also being energetically courted by China. Under the pact, Australia is expected to make substantial commitments worth up to $500 million over a decade - or $50m a year. For example, Australia would provide approximately $120m to help Vanuatu deliver its plan to build two "large data centres" in both Port Vila and Santo. Australia is also expected to deliver around $100m in security assistance and budget support worth $55 million, and more than $110m to help Vanuatu deal with the impacts of climate change. The federal government is also expected to make smaller financial contributions to boosting labour mobility, fostering cultural connections and improving digital connectivity. But several details in the agreement remain under wraps. For example, it is not yet clear whether Australia will offer any concessions to Vanuatu on travel and migration, which is an issue likely to be closely watched by other Pacific nations. Last month Napat declared he would not sign the Nakamal Agreement unless Australia agreed to offer "visa-free" travel to his country, saying the pact had to be "win-win" for both countries. Successive Australian governments have been unwilling to relax visa and travel rules for Pacific nationals, partly due to fears a large proportion would remain in Australia illegally. Relaxing travel restrictions for the Pacific could also be politically contentious. Australian officials have previously raised deep concerns about Vanuatu's contentious "Citizenship By Investment" scheme - sometimes called the Golden Passport program - which critics say has drawn oligarchs and criminals seeking to evade foreign law enforcement. It is not yet clear what commitments Vanuatu has made to Australia on the security front. The Pacific island nations of Tuvalu and Nauru have effectively handed Australia the right to veto security agreements with third nations under sweeping treaties they signed with Canberra in 2023 and 2024 respectively. But Vanuatu has long maintained a fierce commitment to non-alignment - or "friends to all, enemies to none" - and is very unlikely to make a similar commitment to Australia. In 2022, Vanuatu's then-Prime Minister Ishmael Kalsakau signed a contentious security agreement with Ms Wong that labelled Australia as Vanuatu's "principal security partner" and said both countries would "consult" with each other on any "common security interests." But Kalsakau's cabinet rebelled in the wake of that agreement, accusing the prime minister of going above the heads of his ministers and parliament - and the security agreement was never ratified by either Australia or Vanuatu. The statement from Napat's office suggested the Nakamal Agreement will supersede the 2022 security pact. "It is important to note that a security agreement signed in late 2022 between Australia and the former Government of then Prime Minister Ishmael Kalsakau was never approved by COM, let alone parliament!" it said. A spokesperson for the Foreign Minister Penny Wong said discussions on the Nakamal Agreement were "progressing" but "there is still work to do on both sides." "We look forward to continuing our constructive conversations on the ground as we work towards reaching an agreement that delivers shared objectives," they said. "Our visit to Vanuatu highlights the respect, shared values, and cultural and religious connections that are the platform for deepening the partnership between our countries." "As we have shown through our Pacific partnerships, Australia is open to ambitious agreements where they advance the prosperity and security of our region." -ABC
