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Otago Daily Times
10-08-2025
- Politics
- Otago Daily Times
Letters to the Editor: nuclear, solar and war
Today's Letters to the Editor from readers cover topics including the use of nuclear weapons, how solar farms impact the environment, and a civilised way out of war. We should all strive to stop nuclear weapon use On August 6 great publicity was given to the marking of the 80th anniversary of the atomic bomb that destroyed Hiroshima, killing 200,000 men, women and children and causing immense suffering from radiation. However, not many New Zealanders know radiation fell on our New Zealand Navy sailors during Operation Grapple on the frigates HMNZS Pukaki and HMNZS Rotoiti in 1957 and 1958 when the British Government tested hydrogen nuclear bombs over Christmas Island and Malden Island in the mid-Pacific. The biggest of the detonations was equal to 140 Hiroshima bombs. The servicemen on these two frigates were ordered to stay on deck to observe nine explosions over many months during this period. Medical investigations here have now proved severe damage to the sailors' health. So, we in New Zealand have had a tragedy that has not been acknowledged by any formal apology from the New Zealand or British Government. Medical evidence has proved that this radiation has caused tragic results for most of these New Zealand servicemen and some of their children and grandchildren. Also, one nuclear explosion in a port or on land in New Zealand would contaminate our food-producing industries. We should all strive to stop the use of nuclear weapons on Planet Earth. Lady Fiona McHardy Elworthy Spare a thought An element of humility might serve Christopher Luxon and Nicola Willis better than flippant comments and brush-offs when asked about unemployment. We know you're "sorted" but the rest of us might not be. Solar farm impact Large solar farms in the United Kingdom do have an impact on the environment, so let's introduce solar power well in New Zealand. I agree with Dr Duncan Connors ( ODT , 3.7.25) their place is best on top of large shopping centres, car parks and new builds, but not over the land. We needed an upgraded waste collection, but look how the highly coloured plastic bins now line our streets and distract from the character and colour of properties. It would never happen in Bath. Visual planning is important. Especially in a heritage city like Dunedin. Metiria Turei's opinion piece ( ODT , 8.8.25) suggests late voting enrolments should be allowed. However after the unnecessary delay in forming the new government, due in part to late enrolments, it seems counterproductive to democracy. In life there are always deadlines. If a person can't take their voting seriously enough to be enrolled in time, then it's a life lesson learned to their advantage. On allowing prisoners to vote, it should be taught in schools that to offend in society means losing societies privileges, one of which is voting. This might disadvantage the Greens, who propose to defund police and abolish prisons, but that's my opinion. Failing to face the truth will get us nowhere Now the world is finally coming to see Benjamin Netanyahu for the criminal he is, it is time to move on to the next phase in the Israel/Palestine tragedy. That is not recognition of a Palestine state which, even if it ever got off the ground would be nothing more than a failure to face the truth. The Arabs hate the Israels almost as much as the Israelis hate the Arabs, which is almost as much as white South Africans hated black South Africans and vice-versa. However, the people holding all the power tend to have an extra bite to their hatred, a sort of paranoia. Ask any colonist. Who thought white and black South Africans would one day live together in a democracy? But that, as difficult as it was to swallow and as difficult as it will continue to be for many years to come, was preferable to annihilation. No-one should be surprised that people who have been oppressed for generations find it difficult to immediately respect democracy. After all, the other lot didn't. Tough as it is, democracy is the only civilised way out of this horrible mess. Talk of recognising a Palestinian State is either foolishness or deliberate deceit. Nothing short of one adult one vote and sharing the land will (eventually) solve the problem. Address Letters to the Editor to: Otago Daily Times, PO Box 517, 52-56 Lower Stuart St, Dunedin. Email: editor@
NZ Herald
26-07-2025
- NZ Herald
Inside the world of private investigators: Catching poachers and solving crimes
Such was the value of the stolen oysters that spending thousands to contract Sabin's Private Investigations Northland was worth it. Sabin - formerly known as the meth lab-busting detective who served as MP for Northland 2011 to 2015 - has spent most of the past 10 years as Northland/Tai Tokerau's busiest private investigator. He's been successful enough to build a team of six ex-detectives with a combined 120 years' experience in a region where employment is low but with plenty of work for PIs. Former police detective turned private investigator Mike Sabin. Sabin blends in as a Northlander, a bloke with a farming and rugby background, which included games for the New Zealand Navy during his days as a seaman, and Northland Māori. 'I spent more time in hospital and recovery than I did on the field,' he says. He's skilled at having off-the-record talks with reluctant sources down rural roads to track stolen horses, oysters, farm implements, and vehicles. He joined the police in the mid-90s and left in 2006 to set up anti-methamphetamine consultancy business Methcon, later serving as MP for Northland from 2011 to 2015. When he's not 'in the weeds' doing surveillance, Sabin keeps abreast of up to 60 cases at a time, and is often either in courtrooms working with defence counsel, or talking to prisoners at Mt Eden Prison or Northland Region Corrections facility near Ngawha. His workload and reputation as a PI has gone up since Sabin began assisting on a case in 2018 that had destroyed two lives and threatened to ruin another. In April that year, a campervan driven by US tourist Reiss Berger collided with a station wagon near Kerikeri. Reiss Berger, aged 21 in 2018, in the dock at Kaikohe District Court. Photo / David Fisher Two people in the station wagon died, and police swiftly laid five charges against Berger. Survivors from the station wagon initially told police Berger's van was on the wrong side of the road and that the tourist was fully responsible. However, it later emerged the station wagon's driver had been drinking, was high on meth and had swerved into the path of the campervan. The truth only emerged thanks to Sabin and his team talking to the crash site tow truck driver, who had witnessed police mishandling the scene examination. The towie had also been told by a survivor that it was the now-deceased station-wagon driver who caused the crash. 'Two weeks of investigating helped turn that one on its head,' Sabin says. 'That piqued my interest and away I went. Finding PI work since has just been word of mouth.' Taking a second look at evidence - including going to the homes of troubled witnesses to revisit their statements - has resulted in a fairer defence for dozens of defendants Sabin's team has helped over the past seven years. 'Accused people are often at a disadvantage,' Sabin says. 'What we do helps ensure it's not a lottery, it's not guesswork. It's important juries have all the available, relevant information to inform their deliberations.' Northland private investigator Mike Sabin talking to his team of PIs and administrative staff. Photo / Michael Botur In one case, a caregiver was accused of abuse by a complainant, until Sabin found a children's book in which a character wore clothing that bore a striking resemblance to the description of the supposed offender - indicating the complaint was a confused fabrication. A swift acquittal followed at the defendant's second trial. 'It was the shortest deliberation I've ever seen,' Sabin says. He has a mind for crucial details, such as remembering what was in a scene guard's notebook at an alleged murder-suicide poisoning in the Far North, or recalling the mishandled metadata on the prosecution's photos of a frying pan in an alleged Kaimai Ranges meth lab. 'I'm a little bit OCD when it comes to these things,' Sabin laughs. 'So much hinges on these factoids. From inquiry to trial might be two and half years so that information gets locked into my brain because I know how important it can be at trial.' The demand for PIs in Northland, Auckland and other parts of New Zealand comes amid a perfect storm over the past 10 years: a surge in serious crime, fewer resources for police to investigate each complaint plus time and resource pressures for the diminishing number of lawyers doing Legal Aid defence work. 'Less investigation plus higher offending is why we exist. We fill that gap,' Sabin says. An ideal place to be a PI Former police officers like Sabin make up most of the 200-odd private investigators operating in New Zealand (the other 1000 licensed PIs are largely security workers or HR and insurance investigators.) Talkative Scotsman Ron McQuilter, 69, says New Zealand is the ideal place for a career as a private investigator. He's the main voice of PIs in New Zealand and chairs the NZ Institute of Private Investigators (NZIPI). McQuilter, founder of private investigation agency Paragon NZ, has not long returned from two months in Britain where there is no licensing system for PIs. Ron McQuilter, of Mount Maunganui, says New Zealand is the ideal place for a career as a private investigator. 'What's different about New Zealand is if we go into court, the jury, defence and judge will regard me as a person of integrity. In Britain, every person will think you're dodgy. 'So the reputation is such that PIs here are held with a respect I don't believe anywhere in the world has, because we're small, it's a village and we're not corrupt. 'Here you can walk up to somebody and ask them a question and you're likely to get the answer. In the United States or Britain, they'll tell you to piss off.' Unlike many of the PIs interviewed for this story, McQuilter, who is based in Mount Maunganui after arriving in New Zealand 42 years ago, loves chatting about cases. In fact he has so much to say that he's written two books about his secretive business. 'Not many people can say that their working day entailed a prominent barrister [...] handing you a container with a pubic hair inside that had been found in their bed and asking you to find the owner,' McQuilter writes in Busted! Stories from NZ's leading private investigator. He estimates 97% of PIs in this country are contractors for small businesses who get paid from legal aid work, corporate investigations, relationship, custody and family cases, or serving legal proceedings around the world. Trying to hunt people down is a service almost all PIs offer. North Shore PI Rod Moratti, 55, says given an unlimited budget he can 'pretty much guarantee to locate anyone on the planet', whether it's lost heirs, debtors, relations or exotic lovers who turn out to be scam artists. Using door-knocking, social media plus what Moratti describes as 'some completely legal channels which people might not know,' he gives the customer a report within 24 hours of being commissioned. He's often asked to help adoptees find their birth parents - work which is always in demand, recession or not. One of the cases Moratti's most proud of was helping a woman find her birth mother, who gave her up for adoption at Auckland's Salvation Army Bethany Home for Single Mothers 40 years ago. North Shore private investigator Rod Moratti is often asked by adopted Kiwis for help in finding their birth parents. All the records about the birth mother were false. But there was a crossed-out piece of information on the back of the information card. 'That mother of the client initially denied being the mum, but once I gave her the information about her daughter, they ended up having a really nice reunion. That was tough, it took quite a long time, but I just didn't let go.' Connecting Kiwis with their birth parent is personal for Moratti. One of his first cases was to find his own mother's birth mother. 'Traditional PI work alongside and DNA is a powerful team,' he says. Cheat-buster Julia Hartley Moore has been a pioneer for women in the industry, gaining expertise as an insurance investigator before founding her own company in 1996. Hartley Moore - phoning from her new home in Biarritz in France - today co-ordinates a team of six in the United Kingdom, New Caledonia, and New Zealand, though most investigations are based in New Zealand. She's a constant advocate for women in the industry. Private investigator Julia Hartley Moore. Photo / Mike Scott (Nearly a third of the 213 private investigators recorded in the 2018 Census were women, and three of the seven NZIPI board members are women). The 71-year-old is best known for '60 per cent infidelity, 40 per cent custody' work and years of TV and radio, including running her own production company, Blonde Ambition. The fact that Hartley Moore has become so well known is a problem in itself. She says, tongue in cheek, that a lot of her work has been 'answering the phone' for the past 20 years – a side-effect of having so many media appearances that she can be easily spotted. She says her team, a mixture of men and women, fit into all situations. 'Trust me, we blend in, and we're not all white.' So you want to be a PI? The websites of most Kiwi private eyes tend to carry a 'Sorry, no vacancies' message, although people persistent enough might find contracting work in one of New Zealand's 70-odd PI businesses. One criminology student who has been contracting for Ron McQuilter's Paragon NZ is thinking of leaving lectures and starting her own outfit. The number one skill a good PI needs is interview skills, McQuilter says. 'If you think because you used to have a badge and power that that's going to take you somewhere, then you're dreaming. It's all about your ability to engage and relate to people.' You don't need to be ex-police, but you do need to know the law, he says. 'There's a lot of scrutiny on your work by the clients. They might know what the outcome should be before you do, and they might know what legal rules you should be working under.' Would-be PIs can take a $550 professional investigations course with C4 Group then pay $680 for a Government-approved PI licence. As for disguises, sporting a Magnum PI moustache isn't important although Sabin confirms altering facial hair occasionally is part of undercover work. Actor Tom Selleck in Magnum PI. Dramatic chases and arrests are extremely rare for PIs who, like all citizens, can make an arrest when a serious offence (punishable by three or more years in prison) happens during the day or when any offence happens at night. Upcoming changes to the Crimes Act 1961 will mean that citizens can intervene to stop Crimes Act offences at any time of the day, regardless of the severity of the crime. Auckland PI Daniel Toresen has occasionally performed citizens' arrests, including two 17-year-old schoolboys who were blackmailing a client. Toresen's team dropped off a bag of fake money for a sting before tackling the blackmailers. 'Members of the public also called the police because it was such a drama,' Toresen says. Auckland private investigator Daniel Toresen. Photo / Michael Craig All the PIs spoken to for this article said they've turned down job requests which were legally borderline. Toresen: 'We had one client who wanted to pay us thousands to provide him with a report which would say we surveilled his ex-wife and we saw the ex-wife's new partner doing something illegal in the house'. The person requesting the dirty work turned out to be a justice of the peace, Toresen's team diligently reported the bad behaviour, police got involved, and the dodgy JP was sent to prison. Sign up to The Daily H, a free newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
The Spinoff
01-07-2025
- Health
- The Spinoff
The odds of the new suicide prevention action plan succeeding are slim to none
To truly reduce suicide rates in Aotearoa, we need to think beyond rehashed policies and one-size-fits-all prevention tactics, writes counsellor Anna Sophia. This post contains discussion of suicide: please take care. For a list of resources that can help if you or someone you know is feeling suicidal, see below. When someone close to you dies by suicide, the space-time continuum cracks open. One moment, you're living your ordinary life; the next, you've been sucked into a vortex. You replay the graphic details of their death over and over. You tell yourself that if you cycle through it one more time you might discover a glitch in the chaotic world system that could bring them back. Soon enough the painful reality sinks in. They made a choice and they are not returning. In Aotearoa, a dark cloud descends and takes away more people each year than car accidents. Psychiatrist and author Kay Redfield Jamison, in Night Falls Fast (1999), describes suicidal despair as a complete loss of hope accompanied by overwhelming psychological pain. People in this state believe that nothing will ever improve. They feel trapped, alone and unable to see any other options. The aftermath of losing someone by suicide is fraught with flashbacks and self-questioning. It blows apart the layered veneers of your life. While you do eventually rebuild, one fragile piece at a time, you always carry with you two unanswerable questions: 1) Why did they do it? 2) Was there anything I could have done to stop it? Over the course of my six decades of life, I have experienced more than my share of this aftermath personally and professionally. In 1990, when my father was 56 years old, he killed himself. It was a cold, wet night in early June. He didn't leave a note, just a couple of TAB tickets with 'good tickets' scrawled on the back. (Yes we checked them. They were not winners.) My father was a heavy drinker and a gambling man, a New Zealand Navy veteran who had joined up as a teenager just in time for dispatch to the Korean War. When he wasn't drinking, even on blue sky days he lay morosely on the couch in a darkened room, chain smoking Pall Mall filters and not speaking. Thirty-five years ago, men like my father did not talk about their feelings, let alone seek counselling. In many parts of Aotearoa, not much has changed. When I was nine years old we lived in Te Awamutu and I attended the Catholic school there. (The Finn brothers did too but they are older than me.) That year two of my class mates lost their fathers to suicide. In the 1990s a university friend died in a mental health ward shortly after her baby was born. Later that decade my former university lecturer, a person of immense talent took her own life, and two years ago my long-time friend Paula died in a suspected suicide. As a counsellor, I have listened to many stories from people who have lost loved ones to suicide and from others who had either attempted to take their own life or seriously considered it. Last week, the latest suicide prevention action plan was published. It looks similar to its predecessors with a few extra embellishments. My father loved horse racing so I'll use his language: it's a rank outsider, the odds of winning are slim to none, and I'm not betting my money on it. In 2008, MP Jim Anderton, whose daughter died by suicide, said: 'We are already fortunate in New Zealand to have people with a range of expertise who are committed to suicide prevention. And we have a variety of initiatives happening right now and contributing to suicide prevention across the country.' Seventeen years later nothing has changed and suicide remains one of our most complex health and social issues. Suicide is an emotive subject and it remains difficult to have open and transparent conversations about it. Media restrictions, a historical residue of whakama and sheer discomfort means bereaved people are often met with silence. I think the silence is the inability of many people to hold the horror and complexity of this kind of death. Alongside shock, grief and overwhelming sadness, there can also be anger and sometimes feelings of relief. In the year ended June 30, 2024, just over 600 people died by suicide. If each had 50 people in their circle – whānau, friends, colleagues, classmates – then 30,000 people this year are carrying that loss and asking the same questions I did. Why did they do it? Was there anything I could have done to stop it? If we want to reduce suicide rates in Aotearoa, we need to think beyond rehashed policies that paper over the cracks in our socioeconomic system. Community initiatives often flicker into life then burn out due to underfunding or exhaustion. In the 2000s, Rick Stevenson biked around the country as a part of his organisation Project Hope, launched after his son Mike's suicide. He wanted mental health education to be mandatory in all secondary schools. I knew Mike. When I dropped out of high school and worked as a cook in a weed-spraying gang, Mike was part of the crew. He and I stayed up late drinking and dreaming up future selves. He was contemplative and intelligent, and his death cut short a future filled with possibilities. If I gathered everyone I know who has died by suicide into a room, the only thing they'd have in common would be their self-inflicted death. One-size-fits-all prevention tactics won't work. A deeper, more nuanced approach is required. Late last year I wrote about the community counselling centre in Marton, in the Southern Rangitīkei district where I work as a manager and counsellor. Oranga Tamariki, with which we had previously enjoyed a long relationship, responded to a mandate from government to cut its spending, and our funding – along with that of similar organisations – was slashed. While the Counselling Centre is unlikely to be on the receiving end of funding from the new suicide prevention initiatives, there is no doubt that in our corner of rural Aotearoa we are stopping people taking their own lives. We've been keeping accurate statistics for 26 years. Most of our clients are depressed. Over 50% are referred from local GP clinics and often the referral notes will say, 'Has suicidal thoughts but no plan to action.' We have on hand evaluations stating the counselling they received made a difference to their lives. Although our organisation is small, it reflects the broader population of Aotearoa. Similar community-based initiatives exist across the country, doing critical preventative work in the mental health realm. After my article was published, local National MP Suze Redmayne visited the centre. We drank coffee and talked and she appeared impressed by our service. She said she would chat with mental health minister Matt Doocey and maybe organise for him to visit us. To date, I haven't heard from either of them. Repeated emails to Oranga Tamariki asking them to restore our funding have also gone unanswered. Our service is still running thanks to philanthropic community support but we have had to reduce our availability from five days a week to four. The Auditor General's report released last month sharply criticised Oranga Tamariki's cuts, noting poor documentation, late decisions and inadequate understanding of the impact of the cuts on children and whanau. How can we have faith in a government that on one hand takes away proven preventative mental healthcare funding and on the other claims it can reduce something as complex as suicide rates? While I strongly back therapeutic support, especially free counselling, I also take a broader sociological view of improving overall mental health and wellbeing. Suicide prevention isn't just a matter of services or slogans. It demands that we reckon with how we live – as individuals and as a society. John Weaver's Sorrows of a Century: Interpreting Suicide in New Zealand (2014) is a powerful exploration of 12,000 coroners' reports from 1900–2000. He concludes that suicide must be understood within wider social forces: economic insecurity, war, illness, trauma. He advocates for 'deep prevention': long-term investment in meaningful employment, cradle-to-grave healthcare, and far-reaching education. He describes these ideas as 'utopian' but necessary, and emphasises extensive social action to improve lives before they slump into despair about the future. Since the book's publication, new stressors have emerged: a devastating pandemic, runaway technology, climate crises, and the psychological burden of constant global violence. In Aotearoa, the cost of living has risen dramatically. The cost of renting even substandard accommodation is taking a huge portion of household income. Every day I walk past long lines of hungry people queueing for food at a local food rescue. The government's suicide prevention plan also doesn't reflect on deeper holistic considerations – like our relationship to Papatūānuku. Contemporary capitalist society has severed us from the whenua and desensitised us from knowing the deeper parts of ourselves which then impacts our relationships with each other. Many people I meet – not just clients – struggle to name what they are truly feeling or to even locate that feeling within their own body. Capitalism demands our compliance and silence. Even our bereavement policy – three days' leave – suggests a culture that minimises death and grief. How can you return to your workplace bereaved by any death, and especially suicide, after just three days? To work with solutions for just an individual is pointless, and no plan, however well-meaning, will reduce suicide numbers if we are blind to the stresses of the socioeconomic and ecological environments where despair festers. As sociologist Alison Pugh writes, 'we are living through a crisis not just of loneliness but of human invisibility'. I haven't lost hope. Not because of any single plan, but because of the people I meet each day doing their best to heal and create fulfilling lives for themselves and their whanau. This is where suicide prevention truly lives – not in glossy plans, policies and shallow governmental rhetoric, but in community, care and the slow, quiet work of rebuilding what we've lost. TAUTOKO Suicide Crisis Helpline – 0508 828 865
The Hindu
30-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Working closely with India on defence, security issues: New Zealand Deputy PM
In the current era of 'great uncertainty', New Zealand has started working 'more closely' with India in the fields of defence and security, said Winston Peters, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of New Zealand in New Delhi on Friday (May 30, 2025). Speaking at an event, Mr. Peters gave an overview of his country's foreign policy, and said that freedom of navigation in the Indo-Pacific region is 'crucial' for New Zealand. Editorial | Navigating differences: On India-New Zealand ties 'During a time of great uncertainty, instability and disorder, we have taken steps to work more closely on matters of defence and security with India. A recently signed Defence Cooperation Arrangement will facilitate closer links between our militaries,' Mr. Peters said, speaking at a fireside chat organised by the Ananta Aspen Centre. Security cooperation Mr. Peters, who was among the global leaders who had joined India in condoling the loss of lives in the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, said that security cooperation between the two sides is increasing. 'The New Zealand Navy is leading Combined Task Force 150, charged with securing trade routes and countering terrorism, smuggling, and piracy in the Indian Ocean and Gulf of Aden,' he added. To deal with the uncertain and unpredictable conditions in the fields of security and economy, New Zealand has 'reset' its foreign policy and is 'significantly increasing' its 'focus and resources' on south and southeast Asia, Mr. Peters said. Describing India as a 'geopolitical giant', he said that India has emerged as an 'indispensable security actor in both regional and global spheres. In the prevailing international circumstances, he argued in favour of giving space to diplomacy saying, 'We need more diplomacy, more engagement, more compromise.' 'Small states matter' 'Since war and instability is everyone's calamity, diplomacy is the business of us all. We have observed that at this moment in time the ability to talk with, rather than at, each other has never been more needed,' Mr. Peters said, arguing in favour of safeguarding rights of countries like New Zealand that he described as a 'small state'. He described New Zealand's foreign policy reset as the outcome of three pillars: the realism of the New Zealand government's foreign policy, importance of diplomacy in the troubled world, and New Zealand's 'unshakeable belief that small states matter and that all states are equal.' Freedom of navigation Mr Peters, who held an official-level meeting with External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Thursday (May 29, 2025), described the maritime interests of his country unambiguously and said New Zealand is 'self-evidently' a maritime nation that regards freedom of navigation as 'crucial' both for itself and for India. Mr. Peters is the second high-level leader from New Zealand to visit India in three months. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon visited India during March 16-20, when the two sides announced the launch of a Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement (CFTA). Deputy Foreign Minister Peters described the launch of FTA negotiations as a 'breakthrough' in bilateral India-New Zealand economic relations. Mr Peters also met with the Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi and discussed 'democratic systems and recent developments in both countries'.
Scoop
27-05-2025
- General
- Scoop
Samoan Villagers Still Fearful Of Contaminated Fish Near Manawanui Wreck
Article – RNZ The New Zealand Navy vessel ran aground on the reef off the south coast of Upolu in early October 2024 before catching fire and sinking. Caleb Fotheringham, RNZ Pacific Journalist People living close to where the Manawanui sank in Samoa are still concerned about fish being poisoned from pollutants, despite the country's Marine Pollution Advisory Committee deeming it safe to collect seafood. Fagailesau Afaaso Junior Saleupu, who lives in Tafitoala village which right next to where the Manawanui sank, said people are still scared to eat fish collected close to the wreck. 'In my village where the Manawanui is grounding, people hardly go for fishing at the moment, the reason why, because they are really suspicious of getting any fish poison,' he said. The Manawanui ran aground on the reef off the south coast of Upolu in early October 2024 before catching fire and sinking. The New Zealand Navy has removed diesel, oil and other pollutants from the ship. Samoa's government has also removed a 20-kilometre squared precautionary zone on 12 February which advised against fishing in the area. Samoa's Marine Pollution Advisory Committee (MPAC) chairman Fui Tupai Mau Simanu said that it was removed following tests by the Scientific Research Organisation of Samoa, which confirmed it was fine to fish in the area. Fui said an impact assessment had also been carried out by MPAC, while another ongoing independent assessment is happening now which is expected to be completed at the end of June. 'The two reports will be the foundation of the decision making moving forward.' He also said MPAC runs routine monthly tests as part of the monitoring programme. However, Fagailesau said people are still worried and there's not the same number of fish as there was before. 'There are some other sea animals that we always use to make food and sell, until now we never see that again.' Fagailesau said the community is still waiting to hear from the Samoan government on financial compensation. 'From the time that the Manawanui grounding, for our village there's beach fales, all the guests cancel.' Fui said that people who lost income due to the Manawanui sinking would have an opportunity to apply for financial compensation. 'Discussions of compensation are going on at the moment. A separate committee has been appointed by Government to handle this,' he said. There's still a 2km prohibitive area around the Manawanui. Fui said the government is having a community engagement on 10 June.
