Latest news with #HildaHeine
RNZ News
6 days ago
- Business
- RNZ News
Fisheries conservation and sustainability focus of seminar in Marshall Islands
Speaking to the opening of a National Ocean Symposium Tuesday, Marshall Islands President Hilda Heine called for communities throughout the Marshall Islands to get active in protecting their ocean resources for current and future generations. Photo: Giff Johnson Fisheries and marine resources are the driving force behind the economy, health and culture in the Marshall Islands and conservation and sustainable development are the focus of discussions at the three-day National Oceans Symposium that opened in Majuro on Tuesday. The symposium opened in the Marshall Islands against a backdrop of an innovative fisheries authority that is employing conservation and management tools to break into the tuna value chain in unprecedented ways. Marshall Islands President Hilda Heine in her keynote speech to the opening of the symposium underlined the importance of conserving and protecting ocean resources for today and future generations. She exhorted participants to take individual and community-level actions to keep the ocean environment healthy. "While the government can set policies, and experts can offer solutions, lasting change will only happen when our communities lead the way," President Heine said. "When we take ownership of our waters. When we blend the wisdom of our ancestors with the tools of today. When we value not just the resources in the ocean, but the responsibility that comes with them," she said. The recent purchase of a tuna "star loader," with the support of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) FISH4ACP project, has been a game-changer for improving the speed and handling of tuna unloaded from purse seiners into freezer containers for later export to canneries. Photo: Jojo Kramer Playing an important role in helping the fisheries authority expand tuna value chain opportunities for the Marshall Islands is FISH4ACP, an initiative of the Organization of African, Caribbean and Pacific States aimed at making fisheries and aquaculture value chains in Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific more productive and sustainable. Implemented by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the program is funded by the European Union and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development. FISH4ACP is working in collaboration with the Marshall Islands Marine Resources Authority (MIMRA) to increase opportunities in the domestic tuna industry. During the Oceans event, FISH4ACP and MIMRA are showcasing these efforts. Dozens of elected leaders, women, youth, fishers and other community representatives are participating in the National Ocean Symposium. The National Ocean Symposium is focused on engaging with community leaders from remote islands to involve them in the dual government goals of conservation of fisheries resources while pursuing sustainable development opportunities. It is this nexus of ocean conservation and sustainable development of tuna and other marine resources that is guiding the Marshall Islands. The goal of MIMRA is to expand tuna operations domestically to increase jobs and revenue flow, as well as moving into other tuna value chain opportunities, including work to access international markets such as the European Union. This is where the FISH4ACP project has played an important role: Providing community education about jobs and opportunities in the commercial fisheries sector, supporting training programs to expand the skills of tuna industry workers, and co-funding a game-changing tuna loader that is expected to provide a significant boost to onshore unloading of frozen tuna for export. These FISH4ACP collaborative actions support MIMRA's aim to gain approval to export tuna and other marine products to the EU market. MIMRA has already taken the unprecedented step for a Pacific Island of breaking into the tuna supply market in the United States through a deal with the world's largest retail company Walmart. Over the past three years, tuna supplied by a Marshall Islands-based company has resulted in over 70 million cans of Walmart's house brand tuna being produced. Using an innovative conservation management system employed by the tuna organization Parties to the Nauru Agreement, which controls western Pacific waters where over half of the world's skipjack tuna is caught, MIMRA has met stringent chain of custody rules ensuring tuna supplied to Walmart is sustainably and legally caught. The key to sustaining the tuna supply agreement with Walmart "is to continue meeting the highest standards, including seafood safety, preventing illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing, and crew safety on board fishing boats," said MIMRA Director Glen Joseph. "MIMRA, together with Parties to the Nauru Agreement members, is supporting expansion of tuna processing initiatives, with the goal of increasing the volume of tuna tonnage unloaded in PNA Member ports for processing and export, thereby increasing jobs and revenue generated for our islands," he said. FISH4ACP's program works to add value to these fisheries initiatives in the Marshall Islands. "Both the new tuna loader and the reefer container training are part of FISH4ACP's broader strategy that supports a sector that maintains a high-quality product while also ensuring environmental, economic and social sustainability," said Victoria Stansberry, FISH4ACP National Project Consultant in the Marshall Islands. "Proper handling of the tuna is crucial to quality control. The (tuna) loader allows for hygienic and efficient operations that encourages increased tuna landings. Reefer trainings are a way to equip local workers with the skills to confidently maintain the tuna cold chain and reduce post-harvest losses. Building local expertise also strengthens the workforce and strengthens the sector," she said. FISH4ACP has also supported the rollout of hygiene and food handling training programs for tuna processing plant workers. "FISH4ACP looks forward to continuing these trainings as the program enters its final year," said Stansberry. "A significant impact of these trainings that cannot be ignored is the employee reception from a work culture standpoint. It demonstrates to the local workforce and anyone considering joining that they are a valued part of the tuna industry and that there is value in investing in their performance," she said.
ABC News
05-08-2025
- Politics
- ABC News
Hilda Heine questions Marshall Islands' place in Pacific Islands Forum
On the program today Marshall Islands President Hilda Heine has questioned whether the Micronesian Republic should stay in the Pacific Islands Forum as Solomon Islands considers whether it will restrict attendance of non-members at September's Pacific Islands Forum. The trial of Fiji's former prime minister Frank Bainimarama over allegations he used his position to get two policemen fired gets underway. Nauru approves the first successful applicants to its new citizenship by investment program. High level talks take place in Geneva to produce an international legally binding treaty on plastic pollution. PNG's Censorship Office embarks on a grassroots campaign to stamp discriminatory music out of the industry. And Samoan cricketer Darius Visser, who broke a world record by scoring 39 runs off a single over in a T20, joins the show.
RNZ News
05-08-2025
- Politics
- RNZ News
Marshall Islands President warns of threat to Pacific Islands Forum unity
Marshall Islands President Hilda Heine, flanked by Speaker Brenson Wase, right, and parliament Chaplain Rev. Lawson Matauto, at Monday's opening session of parliament where she delivered strongly worded remarks supporting Taiwan's participation as a development partner in the Pacific Islands Forum Photo: Wilmer Joel Leaders of the three Pacific nations with diplomatic ties to Taiwan are united in a message to the Pacific Islands Forum that the premier regional body must not allow non-member countries to dictate Forum policies - a reference to the China-Taiwan geopolitical debate. Marshall Islands President Hilda Heine, in remarks to the opening of parliament in Majuro Monday this week, joined leaders from Tuvalu and Palau in strongly worded comments putting the region on notice that the future unity and stability of the Forum hangs in the balance of decisions that are made for next month's Forum leaders' meeting in the Solomon Islands - just three years since the organization pulled back from the brink of splintering. Marshall Islands, Palau and Tuvalu are among the 12 countries globally that maintain diplomatic ties with Taiwan. At issue is next month's annual meeting of leaders is being hosted by Solomon Islands, which is closely allied to China, and the concern that the Solomon Islands will choose to limit or prevent Taiwan's engagement in the Forum, despite it being a major donor partner to the three island nations as well as a donor to the Forum Secretariat. President Surangel Whipps Jr Photo: Richard Brooks China worked to marginalize Taiwan and its international relationships including getting the Forum to eliminate a reference to Taiwan in last year's Forum leaders' communique after leaders had agreed on the text. "I believe firmly that the Forum belongs to its members, not countries that are non-members," said President Heine Monday in parliament's opening ceremony. "And non-members should not be allowed to dictate how our premier regional organization conducts its business." Heine continued: "We witnessed at the Forum in Tonga how China, a world superpower, interfered to change the language of the Forum Communique, the communiqué of our Pacific Leaders…If the practice of interference in the affairs of the Forum becomes the norm, then I question our nation's membership in the organization." She cited the position of the three Taiwan allies in the Pacific in support of Taiwan participation at next month's Forum. Tuvalu's Prime Minister Feleti Teo Photo: LUDOVIC MARIN "There should not be any debate on the issue since Taiwan has been a Forum development partner since 1993," Heine said. Heine also mentioned that there is an "ongoing review of the regional architecture of the Forum" and its many agencies "to ensure that their deliverables are on target, and inter-agency conflicts are minimized." The President said during this review of the Forum and its agencies, "it is critical that the question of Taiwan's participation in Forum meetings is settled once and for all to safeguard equity and sovereignty of member governments."
RNZ News
14-07-2025
- Health
- RNZ News
Guam governor drums up regional support for US$1b hospital project
By Ron Rocky Coloma , Pacific Island Times Guam Governor Lou Leon Guerrero with Marshall Islands President Hilda Heine. Photo: Office of the Governor of Guam The 27th Micronesian Islands Forum (MIF) has adopted a resolution supporting the development of a regional medical complex on Guam. "For years, patients from across Micronesia have come to Guam to access healthcare services, so we already have a clear picture of where the needs are and what services people are seeking when they arrive," Guam's Governor Lou Leon Guerrero, who introduced the resolution during the Forum's meeting in Majuro this month, said. The governor is proposing to build a US$1 billion hospital in Mangilao. The goal is to scale care and keep patients closer to home. The governor also noted the economic and staffing opportunities that could follow. "With the strong ties we share among our island communities, the other MIF leaders agreed that making Guam a medical hub would help improve the quality of care available to their citizens, while keeping them closer to home," she said. "I also believe that by creating a regional healthcare system, we can more easily attract specialists to Guam. When we combine the patient populations of our region, we create the demand needed to support more advanced and specialized services-something that benefits all of us in the Pacific," she added. When island leaders gathered in Majuro for the Forum meeting, Guam showed up with urgency. Climate change topped the agenda, but the meeting also laid groundwork for regional healthcare, connectivity and gender equity. According to the governor, leaders pointed to gaps in healthcare, workforce development and resilience planning. Guam's experience navigating these same pressures helped shape the forum's priorities. "The experiences of our Pacific neighbors mirror many of our own, and several of our administration's key initiatives, such as the establishment of a new public hospital, workforce development programs and expanded air transportation, hold promise not only for Guam but for the broader Micronesian region," she said. The forum also reached consensus on another priority: equity. Leaders unanimously endorsed the Micronesian Gender Equality Framework, a regional commitment that brought together state actors and traditional leadership. "MIF leaders unanimously endorsed the Micronesian Gender Equality Framework, a landmark commitment that brought together governments, development partners and traditional leaders to establish a culturally grounded, inclusive and actionable path toward gender equality across the region," Leon Guerrero said. She sees the endorsement not only as a moral imperative, but a development strategy. "This endorsement marks a significant step forward," she said. "As leaders of smaller island jurisdictions commit to advancing gender equity, they are also opening doors to economic growth by empowering more women to enter the workforce, pursue higher education and take on leadership roles. Women's participation is crucial to shaping effective responses to the region's most pressing challenges, including climate change, transportation and community resilience." Still, some issues proved sensitive. Deep-sea mining, currently permitted in Nauru, raised concern among some participants. The governor said leaders addressed it with caution and a call for more research. "On more sensitive issues, MIF leaders exercised thoughtful diplomacy," she said. "For instance, concerns over the unknown effects of deep-sea mining-currently permitted by the Republic of Nauru-were met with a collective call for further research and ongoing dialogue. The 27th MIF Communiqué reflects this consensus, affirming the need for continued information sharing and regional cooperation on the matter." Leon Guerrero also emphasised Guam's potential role in solving a core challenge across the Pacific: funding. Even when money is available, many island governments struggle to access it. "I recently had the opportunity to speak at the Global Islands Summit, and I'm honored that a portion of my remarks was also shared at the United Nations Ocean Conference 3, or UNOC3," she said. "In both forums, I spoke about Guam's unique position as a financial hub in the region-and how we can use that strength to help shape financing guidelines that are appropriately scaled for small island communities facing the impacts of climate change." She believes the Pacific Islands Development Bank, headquartered on Guam, could help bridge that gap. "The leaders of Micronesia serve as its board of directors, and I believe that growing the bank's capacity could be a true game changer for our region," the governor said. But even that requires systemic change. "Right now, the biggest bottleneck to accessing hundreds of millions in climate financing is not the lack of available funds. It's the inability of our island governments to meet the complex requirements of the application process," she said. "These guidelines are designed for countries with populations in the millions. For many of us in the Pacific, with populations under 20,000, those requirements are simply too burdensome. Guam can lead the way in advocating for financing systems that work for communities like ours," she added. -This article was first published by Pacific Island Times .
RNZ News
30-06-2025
- Politics
- RNZ News
Micronesian Summit in Majuro this week
Flags from most of the Micronesian islands participating in the regional summit this week fly outside the International Conference Center in Majuro on Monday. Photo: RNZ Pacific / Giff Johnson The Micronesian Islands Forum cranks up with officials meetings Monday and Tuesday this week in Majuro, with the official opening for top leadership from the islands on Wednesday morning. Marshall Islands leaders are being joined at this summit by their counterparts from Kiribati, Nauru, Federated States of Micronesia, Guam, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and Palau. "At this year's Leaders Forum, I hope we can make meaningful progress on resolving airline connectivity issues - particularly in Micronesia - so our region remains connected and one step ahead," President Hilda Heine said on the eve of this subregional summit. The Marshall Islands and the Federated States of Micronesia have been negotiating with Nauru Airlines over the past two years to extend the current island hopper service with a link to Honolulu. "Equally important," said President Heine, "the Forum offers a vital platform to strengthen regional solidarity and build common ground on key issues such as climate, ocean health, security, trade, and other pressing challenges. Ultimately, our shared purpose must be to work together in support of the communities we represent." Monday and Tuesday feature official-level meetings at the International Conference Center in Majuro. Wednesday will be the official opening of the Forum and will feature statements from each of the islands represented. Outgoing Micronesian Island Forum Chair Guam Governor Lourdes A. Leon Guerrero is expected to hand over the chair post to President Heine Wednesday morning. Other top island leaders expected to attend the summit: FSM President Wesley Simina, Kiribati President Taneti Maamau, Nauru Deputy Speaker Isabela Dageago, Palau Minister Steven Victor, Chuuk Governor Alexander Narruhn, Pohnpei Governor Stevenson Joseph, Kosrae Governor Tulensa Palik, Yap Acting Governor Francis Itimai, and CNMI Lt. Governor David Apatang. Pacific Islands Forum Secretary General Baron Waqa is also expected to participate. Pretty much every subject of interest to the Pacific islands will be on the table for discussions, including presentations on education, health and transportation. The latter will include a presentation by the Marshall Islands Aviation Task Force that has been meeting extensively with Nauru Airlines. In addition, Pacific Ocean Commissioner Dr. Filimon Manoni will deliver a presentation, gender equality will be on the table, as will updates on the SPC and Secretariat of the Pacific Region Environment Program North Pacific offices, and the United Nations multi-country office. The Micronesia Challenge environmental program will get focus during a luncheon for the leaders hosted by the Marshall Islands Marine Resources Authority Thursday at its new headquarters annex. Pacific Island Development Bank and the Bank of Guam will make presentations, as will the recently established Pacific Center for Island Security. A special night market at the Marshall Islands Resort parking lot will be featured Wednesday evening. Friday will feature a leaders retreat on Bokanbotin, a small resort island on Majuro Atoll's north shore. While the leaders gather, other Forum participants will join a picnic or fishing tournament. Friday evening is to feature the closing event to include the launching of the Marshall Islands' Green Growth Initiative and the signing of the Micronesian Island Forum communique.
