Latest news with #Polynesia
RNZ News
13 hours ago
- Entertainment
- RNZ News
Samoan teacher pens children's book on cultural values
"Alagaupu Faasamoa ma uiga mo tamaiti" - is a new children's book in both Samoan and English by Samoan language expert and teacher Tauanu'u Perenise Tapu Sitagata, with illustrations by Maori artist Ani Huia Ligaliga. To embed this content on your own webpage, cut and paste the following: See terms of use.
ABC News
a day ago
- Entertainment
- ABC News
Tahitian musician and composer Teiva Viaris makes powerful solo debut with ocean-inspired track 'Hī Rau E'
The release of award-winning Tahitian composer and multi-instrumentalist Teiva Viaris' debut song Hī Rau E is just one chapter in his story as a musician. Born and raised in Tahiti, Viaris taught himself guitar at 10 years old, he said he "never envisioned to make living out of it, but it just stayed with me through everything," he told Nesia Daily. The talented artist shared how he juggles his time as a part-time music teacher, sound designer, and lead composer for the award-winning traditional dance group, Ia Ora Te Hura, which he co-founded with his wife. Originally commissioned by the Tahitian Ministry of Environment but never used, Hī Rau E became such a deeply personal project, leading Viaris to release it as his debut song. Sung entirely in the Tahitian language, the hypnotic track explores "the ocean, and the relationship Polynesian people have with the ocean," said the artist. "The phenomenon behind the birth of the islands, volcanic islands from the ocean. And then it draws a parallel between this phenomenon and the inner-functioning of the human body. So that's how the bond between humans and [the] ocean is established in the song." The accompanying animated music video, created by Mexican 2D artist Erick Cuevas a.k.a Nespy 5 Euro, is rich with references to Polynesian myths and legends — he says, carefully researched to ensure the "graphic vocabulary was respectful and authentic." Whether composing for dance, film, or now as a solo artist, Viaris remains grounded in cultural storytelling, sharing this advice for young musicians out there, "just be authentic, just be yourself. If you feel like you can express yourself in your music, then you're on the right path."
Forbes
7 days ago
- Health
- Forbes
Why Some Islands Have More Sharks Than Others
Reef sharks and rays are in trouble. Around the world, their numbers continue to drop, with overfishing being the biggest reason for their decline. But in order to bring them back, scientists need to know where these animals naturally belong and what shapes their different communities. A new study led by shark ecologist and University of Washington post-doctoral researcher Dr. Naomi F. Farabaugh is helping do just that by focusing on the coral reefs of French Polynesia, home to some of the most protected waters in the world. The study was published in Marine Ecology Progress Series. As the world's largest shark sanctuary, French Polynesia offers scientists a place to study sharks and rays without the intense fishing pressure found in most other parts of the world. By surveying 34 coral reefs across 17 different islands using baited remote underwater video stations (also known as BRUVSs), the research team was able to get a clearer picture of how species vary between islands and what might be influencing those patterns. These underwater cameras record which animals swim by without the noise usually associated with a person at the end of that capture, providing snapshots of reef life that are difficult to capture otherwise. Between 2016 and 2017, the team documented 16 different species (10 sharks and six rays). At least one shark appeared on every reef. Rays, on the other hand, were absent from nearly half of the reefs surveyed, likely due to the specific types of habitat studied. But even in this protected sanctuary, shark and ray diversity wasn't spread out evenly. Some island groups had unique combinations of species, and a few species were found only in certain locations. This raised an important question: If not fishing, then what's causing these differences? The answer lies in the islands themselves. Physical features like the shape of the island, the kind of reefs present and even latitude all played a role in determining which species were found where. The Marquesas Islands — a remote and rocky group in the northeast of French Polynesia — had the highest average number of species per reef. In contrast, the Austral Islands in the south had the fewest. The team of scientists believe that the Marquesas' productive waters, high latitude and rocky underwater structure give sharks and rays more shelter, better hunting grounds and a wider range of resources to thrive. Latitude also appeared to matter; the farther south the reef, the fewer species were found, likely because of colder water temperatures or less productive environments. Islands farther north, closer to the equator, had higher diversity, hinting at the influence of environmental conditions like warmth and nutrient availability. Even the geology of the islands seemed to make a difference! High volcanic islands with steep, rocky shorelines tended to support more diverse shark and ray populations. These environments offer crevices to hide in, slopes to hunt along and a range of habitats packed into a small area. Meanwhile, low-lying islands with flat fringing reefs (where coral hugs the shore) hosted fewer species. Guess the saying, 'Location, location, location' also applies to animals in the marine world! Understanding these patterns is more than just academic, or having a stake in the marine housing market. It has real-world conservation implications. 'If we want to rebuild reef shark and ray populations, we need to understand which species naturally live in which places, and why,' said Farabaugh. Similarly, she says the relationships between species also matters. How sharks and rays interact with each other — whether they compete for food, avoid one another or even benefit from sharing space — is still poorly understood. Yet, these interactions may influence where different species can live, and how many of them a reef can support. Florida International University marine ecologist Dr. Michael Heithaus points out that conservation often overlooks these dynamics. 'Despite the dramatic global declines in shark and marine predator populations, management rarely considers their potentially important ecological roles,' the dean of the College of Arts, Sciences & Education (CASE) and Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at FIU said. 'That's partly because we don't yet know enough about how these animals interact with each other and their environment.' By factoring in island shape, reef type and location, scientists and policymakers can make smarter, more effective decisions. Farabaugh argues that recovery efforts that don't consider these environmental details risk setting unrealistic goals or protecting areas that were never meant to support certain species in the first place. In a time when global populations of reef sharks and rays are shrinking fast, having this sort of place-based knowledge could mean the difference between failure and a real path to recovery. She just hopes those in charge listen before it's too late.
The Guardian
28-05-2025
- Health
- The Guardian
The health impact of nuclear tests in French Polynesia – archive, 1981
By Christopher Price 17 September 1981 A recent Canard cartoon shows Adam and Eve looking at an H-bomb. 'Look, H for Hernu,' (the new Socialist defence minister), says Adam. 'Yes and for Horror, Holocaust, Hecatomb and Hiroshima,' adds Eve. French Socialists have never hitherto allowed the nuclear issue to dominate their politics. If it is beginning to do so now it is partly because keeping their independent nuclear deterrent, which they continue to test underground in Muroroa atoll in French Polynesia, implies continuing colonial domination of the islands of the South Pacific – an issue which is very much alive, both among the Indigenous people of the Pacific and in the rank and file of the Socialist party in France. The official position – 'auto-determination' – as stated by Mr Henri Emmanuelli, the French Colonial minister when he visited France's Pacific colonies was that he would discuss anything if a democratic majority wanted to. But he also said that recent election results made a referendum on the subject unnecessary. That none of these three groups of islands (Polynesia, New Caledonia, and Wallis and Futuna) can immediately prove a majority for independence is partly due to strenuous French efforts over the years to stamp on emerging independence movements. More powerful than anything else [influencing the calls for independence] are the pollutant effects of nuclear tests on the human and natural environment. They are now beginning to make themselves felt. Hitherto everything that happens on Mururoa has been officially secret. But Mr Hernu has now a new 'frankness' about the tests in an effort to allay anxiety; and immediately after he left the Centre d'Expérimentation du Pacifique issued its first-ever admission of an accident; it was not safe to swim off Mururoa. In fact, authoritative reports state that there is now a crack 15 to 19 inches wide and over half a mile long in the atoll below sea level; that radioactive leaks into the Pacific have been taking place for many years; that a neighbouring atoll, Fangataufa, has been literally blasted out of the sea. It is not yet possible to gauge the effect of such leaks, but coupled with the profound disquiet about Japanese plans to use the Pacific as a nuclear waste dumping ground, fears about pollution of fish and other marine life and consequently poisoning of the whole ocean, island populations will undoubtedly put further pressure on the Mitterrand government to reconsider its nuclear testing policy. 'Why don't they do it in Nice?' was the one constant question put to me by the Polynesians. It echoed 'Mururoa and Auvergne', the most telling of the posters in the campaign which forced the French, eight years ago, to put the tests underground. Now there is a new twist to the story. It's not just H-bombs the French are exploding inside Mururoa. It was confirmed by Mr Giscard in June 1980 that France had been undertaking feasibility studies of neutron bombs since 1976, and this week Mr Mauroy, the Socialist prime minister, committed his government to strengthening France's strategic nuclear arsenal and to the development of the neutron bomb. The knowledge that France is as keen as the US on upping the nuclear option can only add to the disquiet. On top of this there is mounting, though not yet definitive evidence of cancer and brain tumours in the area, especially among the young. The French authorities counter that there is still less radioactivity in Polynesia than in the Massif Central. Maybe, but the fact that they go to quite extraordinary lengths of security in the treatment of such cases in French hospitals, suggesting a pathological desire to suppress such evidence as exists. One Actuel reporter, Mr Luis González-Mata, who tried to investigate the issue in Polynesia and in France, met continuous hostility. So far the French government's response to the political pressure has been to offer that decentralisation of local government to its overseas territories which the towns and cities of France are soon to enjoy. But it will be pressed to go further. The Pacific Forum comprising all independent Pacific countries, decided in Vanuatu in August to send a delegation to Mr Mitterrand demanding to know his intentions. This is an edited extract. Read the article in full. Mururoa has been the centre of French nuclear tests for decades, largely in secret and often with scant regard for the people who live nearby. For the first time the native workers and their families tell their side of the story. 7 September 1990 Manutahi started work as a welder on Mururoa in 1965 at the age of 32. That was before the tests had started. He worked on the construction of the blockhouses Dindon and Denise. In 1965 and at the beginning of 1966, we were allowed to eat all the fish in the lagoon but when we returned in 1967, we were forbidden to eat any. I worked mainly on Fangataufa where we were building a new blockhouse called 'Emperor.' It was on Fangataufa that I saw the areas of worst contamination when I went with the guys checking the atoll with Geiger counters. When there was contamination the light would go on and the indicator started to move. In one area the indicator went very high. It was forbidden to touch anything and there were barriers to prevent people from entering the area. Sign up to This is Europe The most pressing stories and debates for Europeans – from identity to economics to the environment after newsletter promotion It was during the drilling work that I got contaminated. I was working in a little hole trying to dismantle an old pipe. I wasn't careful enough and got splashed by some water that had been left in the hole. It was mainly my hair that got wet as I wasn't wearing any protective gear on my head. I tried to wash it but it was difficult to get the stuff out. When I went into the decontamination chamber all the alarms went off. I washed my hair three times but it was still radioactive … So a specialist had to use some special product to decontaminate me. I know of a quite a number of people who gave got sick working at Mururoa and Fangataufa but I don't know what was wrong with them. I think that a lot of them had been poisoned from eating contaminated fish. Tama began working at Mururoa in the 1960s as an office worker. I got sick from eating fish several times. I was itchy all over and my skin peeled just like a snake. One of my friends was less fortunate he died after eating fish and mussels from the sea. I left my job at Mururoa even though I earned as much as a member of the Territorial Assembly and got free flights home every weekend, because of a terrible accident I saw. The first French neutron bomb test codenamed Meknes was supposed to take place on 7 July 1979. A big bunker had been built just for this test. Inside the bunker was a container in which the bomb lay. Above the bunker itself was a control room which was connected to it with a thick double-glazed window. Before entering the main room, you had to go into a room where you put on an 'astronaut' suit. You had to go through a system of several automatic doors before entering the room containing the bomb. There were only two workers inside the bunker at a time and they only worked there for two hours at a time. All in all there was a team of 17 people. On 6 July 6 the accident happened. I had just finished tea. I had been replaced in the control room by one of my mates. While I was walking back up the steps to the control room I was about halfway up the explosion occurred. My colleague was flung out of the control room just in front of me dead instantly. Another 'astronaut' my boss, Rene Villette was killed inside the bunker. The other 'astronaut' had just been on his way out and was severely burnt. He was evacuated to France and died soon afterwards. I asked for an immediate discharge but, while my French workmates were sent home after two weeks, I had to stay on for another two months. I think it was because I was a union member and the military didn't want me to go back to Tahiti and tell people there what had happened, especially as anti-nuclear feeling was growing there. Tolmata has four surviving children. While her husband was working at Mururoa, she had six other babies who died. Our first and eldest child was born in 1975. She always seems to be sick with a chronic cough and stomach pains but she goes to school and is doing alright there. My second baby was born prematurely at seven and a half months and died the day he waw born. My third baby was born at home at full term but died there two weeks later. She had a skin problem. Her skin would come off immediately if it was touched. The doctors said that the baby was fine but obviously she was not. No one knows the cause of her condition. Eugene, my fourth baby, was born at full term but died when he was two months old. He had diarrhoea and we took him to Mamao, the hospital in Tahiti. The diarrhoea continued for some time. When it stopped, it was replaced by another condition. The baby became rigid, like wood. Every part of his body was racked by continuous muscular contractions and he had a high temperature. It was impossible to open his fists. The doctors would not talk about his condition. He was at Mamao for two weeks and then he died. The doctors did not tell us anything and refused to fill out his death certificate. Without a death certificate the baby could not be buried so I pleaded with the doctors. They told me to get my general practitioner to fill in the form. The nurses at the hospital told me to tell people, if anyone should ask me, that my baby had died en route and not in the hospital. In the end I had to give in and ask my general practitioner to fill out the death certificate so that my child could be buried. I have no idea why all this happened and there was nothing that we could do about it. On top of that, we are angry that we were not allowed to stay with him in the hospital when he was so sick. Because of that we weren't there when he died. I think my children have died because my husband worked at Mururoa. Tupou lived and worked on Fangataufa and four years during the first underground tests there. His job was chef d'equipe with a group of workers looking after the drilling gear. After each underground explosion there was a sort of tidal wave that washed over part of Fangataufa and a few days later thousands of stinking dead fish washed up on the shore. Initially there was no ciguatera, but then we were told not to fish any more. We couldn't eat coconuts or anything else that grew there. I know people who got sick and were evacuated but nobody told us what the problem was. Nobody told us whether there were any dangers or what effect the dangers would have. Most of the island was fenced off but we were only told to respect the signs. If we didn't on the first occasion we got a warning, on the second we were sent back to Tahiti immediately. But, of course, we went fishing all the same. The problem is the amount of unemployment in Tahiti. People see all the luxury goods, the fancy cars and the beautiful homes and they want to get them too. Just to earn some money to feed their families, they have no choice but to go out there to Mururoa and Fangataufa and work under those dangerous conditions, even though they may not want to at all. Testimonies Inside Stories of Mururoa Test Site, published this week by Greenpeace New Zealand. This is an edited extract. Read the article in full.
Forbes
12-05-2025
- Science
- Forbes
Shark Bites In French Polynesia Reveal A Hidden Side Of Shark Behavior
Sharks have long been cast as ruthless, mindless predators, a fear so deeply ingrained that it has ... More fueled an entire genre of Hollywood horror films. Sharks have long been cast as ruthless, mindless predators, a fear so deeply ingrained that it has fueled an entire genre of Hollywood horror films. Yet a long-term study from French Polynesia shows that sometimes, when sharks bite humans, it is not out of predatory instinct… but rather self-defense. A team of researchers, led by Dr. Eric Emile Germain Clua of the Paris Science et Lettres (PSL) Research University, have reviewed over 60 years of shark bite data and found that activities like spearfishing and handling fish traps often trigger a defensive response. In such cases, the sharks react immediately to human aggression, typically inflicting superficial wounds that are rarely fatal unless unfortunate circumstances, like arterial damage, occur. These defensive bites lack the typical signs seen when a shark attacks out of fear or predation, such as pectoral fin lowering or hunched swimming, and usually involve little tearing of flesh or removal of tissue. Unlike predatory attacks, where significant injury and loss of flesh are common, self-defense bites are swift, sometimes repeated, but comparatively mild. The waters of French Polynesia, home to over 30 shark species within a 2.1 million square mile (5.5 million km²) exclusive economic zone, provide a unique environment to study shark-human interactions. Since the area was declared a shark sanctuary in 2006, the shark populations have remained relatively healthy, offering a rare opportunity to observe these interactions over decades. The team found that bites classified as self-defense were exclusively initiated after a human acted aggressively toward a shark. Harpooning, speargun strikes, and even rough handling were common triggers. In most cases, the resulting injuries were minor to moderate, reinforcing the idea that the shark's intent was not to hunt or consume but to respond to a perceived threat. The idea that wild animals defend themselves when threatened is not new. Birds, bears, and even snakes and spiders regularly react defensively to human provocation. However, detailed documentation of this behavior in sharks has been lacking until now. Earlier mentions of defensive shark bites were anecdotal or speculative, without comprehensive data, the scientists argue. But this new analysis confirms that sharks, like many terrestrial animals, may bite defensively when cornered or attacked. Out of all the cases reviewed, a small but consistent percentage — about 5% over a 15-year span — involved self-defense motivations. These incidents were concentrated in areas like the Tuamotu archipelago, where traditional fishing practices remain common. Sharks biting in self-defense reminds us that they are not villains of the ocean but animals trying ... More to survive in a world increasingly dominated by humans. The new study also highlights an important caution I personally hope everyone heeds: distressed sharks should not be handled by untrained people. Even a wounded or trapped shark can lash out reflexively, and in these moments, the bite is not calculated or proportionate. Rather, it is an instinctive act of survival, much like a bear swatting at a perceived threat or a bird pecking at an intruder near its nest. By shifting the narrative to acknowledge human responsibility, public attitudes toward sharks could not only become more balanced, but can help prevent unnecessary injuries to both humans and sharks. Sharks are already facing numerous threats from overfishing, habitat loss, and climate change. Misrepresenting their behavior only adds to the challenges they face by justifying unnecessary fear and sometimes lethal retaliation. Understanding the motivations behind shark bites is crucial for developing non-lethal management strategies. As human presence in marine environments grows, so too does the likelihood of human-wildlife conflict (in French Polynesia alone, an estimated 200,000 spearfishing sessions happen annually). Just as we have learned to modify our everyday behaviors around bears, snakes, and other wildlife to reduce conflicts, we can do the same for animals at sea. Avoiding unnecessary provocation of sharks, educating ocean users about shark behavior, and promoting respectful coexistence can lower risks for both sides. Ultimately, by respecting their space and understanding their responses, we can work toward safer waters and a better future for sharks and people alike.
