Latest news with #Vava'u
RNZ News
12 hours ago
- Politics
- RNZ News
'Act responsibly for humankind' - Palau president on deep sea mining order
Surangel Whipps Jr, left, wants US President-elect Donald Trump to see firsthand the impacts of climate change. Photo: RNZ Pacific / PICRC Palau's president says the US order to fast-track deep sea mining is not a good idea. Deep sea mining frontrunner The Metals Company (TMC) has since confirmed it will not apply for a mining license through the International Seabed Authority (ISA), instead opting to apply through US regulations. Surangel Whipps Jr. said the high seas belongs to the entire world so everyone must exercise caution. "We should be responsible, and what we've asked for is a moratorium, or a temporary pause ....until you have the right information to make the most important informed decision," Whipps told RNZ Pacific. Whipps said it's important for those with concerns to have an opportunity to speak to US President Donald Trump. "Because it's about partnership. And I think a lot of times it's the lack of information and lack of sharing information. "It's our job now as the Pacific to stand up and say, this direction could be detrimental to all of us that depend on the Pacific ocean and the ocean and we ask that you act responsibly for humankind and for the Pacific." Pacific Island's Forum Leader's retreat 2024 Vava'u. Photo: RNZ Pacific/ Lydia Lewis Trump's executive order states: "It is the policy of the US to advance United States leadership in seabed mineral development." The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) was directed to, within 60 days, "expedite the process for reviewing and issuing seabed mineral exploration licenses and commercial recovery permits in areas beyond national jurisdiction under the Deep Seabed Hard Mineral Resources Act". It directs the US science and environmental agency to expedite permits for companies to mine the ocean floor in the US and international waters. The Metals Company has praised the US deepsea mining licencing pathway. In a press release, its chief executive Gerard Barron made direct reference to Trump's order , titled 'Unleashing America's Offshore Critical Minerals and Resources'. He said he was heartened by its call "for a joint assessment of a seabed benefit-sharing mechanism" and was certain that "big ocean states" like Nauru would continue to play a leading role in the deep sea mining industry. There are divergent views on deep sea exploration and mining in the Pacific, with many nations, civil society groups, and even some governments advocating for a moratorium or outright ban. However, Tonga, Nauru, Kiribati and the Cook Islands have exploration contracts with mining representatives. Vanuatu's Climate Minister Ralph Regenvanu told RNZ Pacific in 2023 that Vanuatu's position is for no deep sea mining at any point. "We have a lot to think about in the Pacific. We are the region that is spearheading for seabed minerals," he said. The Cook Islands has sought China's expertise in seabed mining through "high-level" discussions on Prime Minister Mark Brown's February 2025 trip to China. Nauru President David Adeang, left, with Cook Islands PM Mark Brown at the opening of the 53rd Pacific Islands Forum Leaders' Meeting in Nuku'alofa, Tonga. 26 August 2024 Photo: RNZ Pacific / Lydia Lewis Whipps said "you have to give [The Metals Company] credit" that they have been able to get in there and convince Donald Trump that this is a good direction to go. But as the president of a nation with close ties to the US and Taiwan, and the host of the PIF Ocean's Commissioner, he has concerns. "We don't know the impacts to the rest of what we have in the Pacific - which is for us in the Pacific, it's tuna [which] is our biggest resource," Whipps said. "How is that going to impact the food chain and all of that? "Because we're talking about bringing, first of all, impacting the largest carbon sink that we have, which is the oceans, right? So we say our islands are sinking, but now we want to go and do something that helps our islands sink. "That's not a good idea." Abstract abyss under sea background. coral reef underwater with sun ray. 3D rendering image. Photo: Copyright: isampuntarat
RNZ News
14-05-2025
- Health
- RNZ News
Pacific news in brief for 15 May
Photo: Tonga Ministry of Health Tonga's Health Ministry says dengue cases have reached almost 700 in the latest reporting period. In an update on Monday, it said the cumulative total was 697, with 331 of these from Tongatapu, 305 from Vava'u and 59 from 'Eua. Ten cases were in hospital. The ministry said the death toll from the dengue outbreak remains at three. An Australian solidarity group for West Papuan self-determination has called on Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to raise the human rights crisis in the Melanesian region with the Indonesian president this week. Albanese is visiting Indonesia for two days this week . Asia Pacific Report said the group has written a letter to Albanese appealing for him to raise the issue with President Prabowo Subianto. Spokesperson Joe Collins said the letter asks Australia's leader to encourage the Indonesian government to allow the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to visit West Papua to investigate the human rights situation in the territory. A leading Sri Lankan food and beverage manufacturer wants to build a joint-venture coconut processing plant in Madang Province in Papua New Guinea. Sri Lanka's Jaindi Export met with Trade Minister Richard Maru this week. NBC reported that Jaindi Export operates two processing facilities in Sri Lanka and exports products like coconut cream, milk, oil, sugar, butter, and whipping cream around the world. Minister Maru said his government is working with Madang Provincial Government to get a partnership off the ground. A plant that can process up to 100,000 coconuts a day is being discussed. A Solomon Islands-Australia Partnership with Our Telekom has delivered six towers to remote areas around the Pacific island country. One tower is in Vadede, which was previously one of the most hard-to-reach areas in Choiseul. The Australian High Commission, which funded the project, said local nurses report they have begun coordinating with other clinics to provide a faster response in times of medical emergencies. A Pasifika state abuse survivor says he no longer believes the historic Royal Commission will produce justice. Last Friday, the government announced next week's budget will "invest" NZ$774 million into the existing redress system for survivors of abuse in state care. This is instead of introducing a new independent redress system, as recommended in the final report by the Royal Commission of Inquiry, and undertaken by the Prime Minister. Criticism of the government's u-turn came from a number of survivors, as well as from the Opposition. David Williams said the survivor community is outraged. "For me this whole thing, even the Royal Commission, they paid out hundreds of millions of dollars and a lot of survivors are asking, what for? We've told our truths. "It is really shocking; it is so disappointing. There is not any words to describe what this National Government is doing."
ABC News
10-05-2025
- ABC News
Tonga's domestic airline Lulutai faces uncertain future
In the turquoise waters off Vava'u, in Tonga's north-east, humpback whales migrate to breed and birth each year. It is a true natural spectacle; one that brings in tourists from across the world. From July to October, they are given the unique opportunity to watch and even swim with the migrating humpback whales. But today, the future viability of Tonga's whale-watching industry is hanging in the balance. "Last year wasn't a good year," Takitoa Taumoepeau, who oversees operations for one of the country's longest-running whale watching charters, told the ABC. "We had a very short season; we lost two months because there were simply no flights. Tourists couldn't get here." Tonga's national airline Lulutai has been at the centre of controversy since its inception in 2020. During last year's whale season, only one of its three planes was operational, with the airline forced to charter aircraft to accommodate demands, resulting in patchy services. This came after concerns from passengers over safety, with repeated groundings of one its main aircraft only a year after it was bought. In one case, the plane was grounded after colliding with a cement block while taxiing on a runway. It comes amid a string of controversial financial decisions and alleged mismanagement. And on the ground in places like Vava'u, the problems with Lulutai are having real-life impacts. "We're not just taking tourists out to sea," Mr Taumoepeau said. "The whale-watching industry supports hundreds of jobs, we're sustaining livelihoods, preserving culture, and trying to keep this industry alive for future generations." Lulutai is not alone in its struggles. Neighbouring Vanuatu Airlines went into liquidation in May last year and is now 49 per cent owned by its government. The viability of Pacific airlines has long been under the microscope, with aviation experts pointing to the vast distances they fly and the high costs of fuel and maintenance. In Tonga, Lulutai was established in 2020 following the collapse of the privately owned airline Real Tonga Limited. The airline, which is owned and operated by the government and propped up by public funds, is struggling to stay afloat, with reports circulating in February that it may collapse and be wound up. The government has since moved to shore up its future. It this week revealed it was in discussions with two parties to operate the airline. The ABC also understands the airline is looking to the one consistently profitable airline in the region, Fiji Airways, for guidance. And the airline's sale has not been ruled out if a buyer can be found. In Tonga, Lulutai is more than an airline — it is now a public investment. Lulutai has been forced to take out a $4 million loan from Tonga's Retirement Fund Board — a fund established for workers' retirement savings. This comes on top of the fund's 2023 decision to take a 27 per cent investment stake in the airline at a cost of $2.6 million. The company has recently taken out another $1.3 million loan to stay afloat. In Tonga, where the economy is small, the loans and public investment make up about 1.5 per cent of the country's annual GDP. Prominent Tongan economic commentator Sione Fifita said the Retirement Fund Board's stake in Lulutai Airlines was "wrong" and it disregarded the fund's core responsibility. "Investment is not to be made for the sake of investment," Mr Fifita said. An internal presentation to the newly appointed board in January this year, obtained by the ABC, reveals a struggling state-owned airline that is reliant on government subsidies, struggling with aircraft shortages and dealing with a lack of public trust. The internal presentation admits Lulutai has had to depend heavily on the taxpayer funds to stay afloat, while passenger numbers fluctuate and critical routes remain under served. The report also cites the grounding of the airline's 34-seater Saab 340 aircraft in December 2023, after it collided with a cement block while taxiing, as a "key disruption" to service reliability. Lulutai has even been used as a trigger to change governments, with the management of the airline cited as one of the main reasons behind the successful push to remove Tonga's prime minister Siaosi Sovaleni last year. The airline this month returned to having three operational planes, two of which are owned by the airline and one of which is leased. Tongan Minister for Public Enterprises Piveni Piukala said efforts to restore Lulutai Airlines's operations were progressing but "financial transparency" remained a concern. He said the government was also negotiating with the Fijian and Australian governments to support its domestic services. "I'm very satisfied with where Lulutai is at right now in terms of gaining [the] confidence of the public to travel," he said. Back in Vava'u, whale-watching operators such as Mr Taumoepeau just want a consistent service they can rely on. "This is where it is important for government to critically look at this and properly prioritise what's important," he said.
