Latest news with #Pacific-owned
NZ Herald
03-05-2025
- Business
- NZ Herald
On The Up: Artificial reefs in Tauranga Harbour aim to restore marine life
The project, involving local iwi and universities, aims to support marine ecosystems and the 'blue economy'. 'The rest is the circle of life,' Tua said. Deep Dive Division is a Hamilton-based company specialising in commercial and scientific diving services across Aotearoa. It is believed to be the only Māori and Pacific-owned dive company in New Zealand, combining Māori perspectives with environmental science and advanced technology. The nine reefs, situated 13m deep in Tauranga Harbour, were collectively named Peara, meaning 'pearl' in te reo Māori and symbolising the nucleus of change, growth and life, Tua said. The artificial reefs were also given another name, 'social housing for crayfish', and use natural fibres and marine-grade concrete along with proven techniques in how to deploy and rig them to the ocean floor. The artificial reef systems have been deployed in the water to biomimic the habitats of our natural marine ecosystems and restore and protect biodiverse native marine life. Six of the structures were manufactured at Hynds Pipe Systems Ltd under the leadership of Hynds Holdings director and R&D director Aaron Hynds. The remaining three were constructed using a 3D concrete-printing technique. The project was a collaboration between Deep Dive Division, the University of Waikato, local iwi, Hynds Pipe Systems Ltd and the Port of Tauranga. The trial is scheduled to run for an initial period of 24 to 36 months. The effects of the artificial reefs on marine life are plain to see and happen fast, Tua said. Tua said when they started installing the second part of the reef, he saw that crayfish were already crawling on the first part. 'It went straight to the hole that was designed for it.' Projects like Peara were a push into the 'blue economy' and the beginning push into aquaculture, he said. 'We embrace this industry because there will be jobs for local people.' It was a purpose-driven project, starting with surveying the water and marine life and understanding the situation in Tauranga Harbour in real time, Courntey Karalus said. There was also a purposeful New Zealand-led and based approach to creating these artificial reefs, she said. 'Many reef systems going in New Zealand are being bought in from Australia.' Deep Dive Division recognised the strong cultural identity New Zealand has regarding the ocean and freshwater, Courtney said. 'We've got a marine heritage that we need to acknowledge.' Deep Dive was established in 2018 and was involved with urban ocean agriculture structures, with a more real-world approach to environmental science. She said the idea for the artificial reef followed the initial meeting with their partners in Tauranga Harbour. 'We were sitting at our home office whiteboard and sketching something up.' University of Waikato professor Chris Battershill and Professor David Schiel, from the University of Canterbury, have led Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment -funded research to assess marine life loss in the Eastern Bay of Plenty. Battershill has worked closely on the development of Peara, providing scientific guidance on the conditions needed for marine ecosystems to regenerate. The Peara reefs were designed to support the growth of seaweed and shellfish, act as a wave break, and attract marine life. Inbuilt harmonics also helped deter whales and reduce the risk of beaching. By introducing hard substrates, such as natural marine rock or engineered structures like Peara, the reefs provided essential footholds for marine life to grow in sandy or silty environments that typically lacked structure. Reef structures and their acoustic properties were designed using mātauranga Māori to support the colonisation of native marine species in harbours, Battershill said. 'These native colonisers help resist the spread of invasive species.' Native kelps such as Ecklonia and Carpophyllum forest species, along with mats of turfing red seaweeds, provided habitat for important taonga like crayfish, kina and other invertebrates that also served as food for fish, Battershill said. 'These reef outcrops offer refuge for marine biodiversity that is now rare or absent in the harbour.'
Scoop
23-04-2025
- Business
- Scoop
Pacific Islands Forum Mission In Washington Seeking Funding For Resilience Facility
Article – RNZ Tonga's Prime Minister Dr 'Aisake Eke and PIF boss Baron Waqa are leading the regional efforts in Washington, the Forum Secretariat said in a statement on Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) chair and secretary general are in the United States this week, leading a high-level mission to secure funding for the Pacific Resilience Facility (PRF). The PRF is a Pacific-owned and led regional fund that has been set up to support Forum member nations to access finance for climate adaptation, disaster preparedness, and early disaster response projects. Tonga's Prime Minister Dr 'Aisake Eke and Forum boss Baron Waqa are leading the regional efforts in Washington, the Forum Secretariat said in a statement on Wednesday. It said advocacy mission follows the successful endorsement of the PRF Establishment Agreement (Treaty) by Forum Economic Ministers during their Special Meeting held in Tonga in March of this year. Dr Eke said that the mission underscores a commitment to drive innovative financing and investment opportunities that suit and relate to the Pacific's unique challenges. He said the mission is being held to coincide with the global multilateral meetings of the World Bank Group and the International Monetary Fund (IMF). 'It is an opportunity to further engage the Pacific Islands Forum's development partners and multilateral institutions to support the Pacific-owned and Pacific-led regional resilience financing facility for Pacific communities, without incurring a further debt burden for our Members', he said. 'Our message is simple: the Pacific Islands Forum is serious about the PRF. 'We are saying to our development partners that the time to act is now, and to support the PRF so that we can demonstrate the transformative power of this grant investment vehicle, to predictably finance our communities' resilience needs.' Waqa said the mission was important in advancing the Forum Leaders' collective vision under the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent. 'This advocacy mission is about unlocking new capital flows and scaling up investments in the PRF from transformative partnerships that deliver for our Pacific people,' he said. 'We have fundraised about US$150m from COP28 (2023) to COP29 (2024). 'We are committed to mobilising resources to raise the balance of US$350m to reach the US$500m capitalisation target for the PRF by COP31 in 2026. 'We aim to take a ratified PRF Treaty to COP30. We are engaging with institutions and governments that can help the PRF as a Pacific-owned priority to assure access to finance for our communities when we launch our first call for proposals at the 55th Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting in Palau in 2026.' The Forum Secretarait said the PRF Treaty will be presented to Forum leaders at their meeting in September in the Solomon Islands for signature, and thereafter, to deposit their instruments of ratification by the end of 2025.
Scoop
23-04-2025
- Business
- Scoop
Pacific Islands Forum Mission In Washington Seeking Funding For Resilience Facility
The Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) chair and secretary general are in the United States this week, leading a high-level mission to secure funding for the Pacific Resilience Facility (PRF). The PRF is a Pacific-owned and led regional fund that has been set up to support Forum member nations to access finance for climate adaptation, disaster preparedness, and early disaster response projects. Tonga's Prime Minister Dr 'Aisake Eke and Forum boss Baron Waqa are leading the regional efforts in Washington, the Forum Secretariat said in a statement on Wednesday. It said advocacy mission follows the successful endorsement of the PRF Establishment Agreement (Treaty) by Forum Economic Ministers during their Special Meeting held in Tonga in March of this year. Dr Eke said that the mission underscores a commitment to drive innovative financing and investment opportunities that suit and relate to the Pacific's unique challenges. He said the mission is being held to coincide with the global multilateral meetings of the World Bank Group and the International Monetary Fund (IMF). "It is an opportunity to further engage the Pacific Islands Forum's development partners and multilateral institutions to support the Pacific-owned and Pacific-led regional resilience financing facility for Pacific communities, without incurring a further debt burden for our Members", he said. "Our message is simple: the Pacific Islands Forum is serious about the PRF. "We are saying to our development partners that the time to act is now, and to support the PRF so that we can demonstrate the transformative power of this grant investment vehicle, to predictably finance our communities' resilience needs." Waqa said the mission was important in advancing the Forum Leaders' collective vision under the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent. "This advocacy mission is about unlocking new capital flows and scaling up investments in the PRF from transformative partnerships that deliver for our Pacific people," he said. "We have fundraised about US$150m from COP28 (2023) to COP29 (2024). "We are committed to mobilising resources to raise the balance of US$350m to reach the US$500m capitalisation target for the PRF by COP31 in 2026. "We aim to take a ratified PRF Treaty to COP30. We are engaging with institutions and governments that can help the PRF as a Pacific-owned priority to assure access to finance for our communities when we launch our first call for proposals at the 55th Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting in Palau in 2026." The Forum Secretarait said the PRF Treaty will be presented to Forum leaders at their meeting in September in the Solomon Islands for signature, and thereafter, to deposit their instruments of ratification by the end of 2025.
RNZ News
23-04-2025
- Business
- RNZ News
Pacific Islands Forum mission in Washington seeking funding for resilience facility
Pacific Islands Forum secretary general Baron Waqa and Tongan Prime Ministers and Forum chair Dr 'Aisake Eke at the Special Pacific Islands Forum Economic Ministers Meeting (FEMM) in March 2025. Photo: Pacific Islands Forum The Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) chair and secretary general are in the United States this week, leading a high-level mission to secure funding for the Pacific Resilience Facility (PRF). The PRF is a Pacific-owned and led regional fund that has been set up to support Forum member nations to access finance for climate adaptation, disaster preparedness, and early disaster response projects. Tonga's Prime Minister Dr 'Aisake Eke and Forum boss Baron Waqa are leading the regional efforts in Washington, the Forum Secretariat said in a statement on Wednesday. It said advocacy mission follows the successful endorsement of the PRF Establishment Agreement (Treaty) by Forum Economic Ministers during their Special Meeting held in Tonga in March of this year. Dr Eke said that the mission underscores a commitment to drive innovative financing and investment opportunities that suit and relate to the Pacific's unique challenges. He said the mission is being held to coincide with the global multilateral meetings of the World Bank Group and the International Monetary Fund (IMF). "It is an opportunity to further engage the Pacific Islands Forum's development partners and multilateral institutions to support the Pacific-owned and Pacific-led regional resilience financing facility for Pacific communities, without incurring a further debt burden for our Members", he said. "Our message is simple: the Pacific Islands Forum is serious about the PRF. "We are saying to our development partners that the time to act is now, and to support the PRF so that we can demonstrate the transformative power of this grant investment vehicle, to predictably finance our communities' resilience needs." Waqa said the mission was important in advancing the Forum Leaders' collective vision under the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent. "This advocacy mission is about unlocking new capital flows and scaling up investments in the PRF from transformative partnerships that deliver for our Pacific people," he said. "We have fundraised about US$150m from COP28 (2023) to COP29 (2024). "We are committed to mobilising resources to raise the balance of US$350m to reach the US$500m capitalisation target for the PRF by COP31 in 2026. "We aim to take a ratified PRF Treaty to COP30. We are engaging with institutions and governments that can help the PRF as a Pacific-owned priority to assure access to finance for our communities when we launch our first call for proposals at the 55th Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting in Palau in 2026." The Forum Secretarait said the PRF Treaty will be presented to Forum leaders at their meeting in September in the Solomon Islands for signature, and thereafter, to deposit their instruments of ratification by the end of 2025.
