NEWSPAGE 13 January
2010

(Photo: Anja Gallas Photography)

NEW ZEALAND: Effective diplomatic representation needed

SAMOA: Samoa considers five new hydro plants
Source: Radio New Zealand International

Samoa’s Cabinet has given approval for feasibility studies to be conducted on five potential hydro electricity schemes.

Cabinet awarded the contract to Egis Bceom International to locate areas suitable for establishing hydroelectric power generators.

A project manager at the Electric Power Corporation in Samoa, Gologaga Gile, says the government is focussing on renewable energy because the cost of fossil fuels continues to rise.

He says the study will look at two potential sites on Savaii Island and three on Upolu.

“We need to find out if they are feasible. If they are feasible then we go ahead and look at building hydro plants in those sites. At the moment we are looking at five sites. If they are all feasible then there’s a possibility of constructing five hydro power stations.”

Gologaga Gile says the aim is to establish small scale or micro hydro plants that can generate two megawatts.
 

(Photo: J. Kneubuhl)

AMERICAN SAMOA: BOH awards economic stimulus grant to ASCC/SBDC
Source: American Samoa Community College Press Release

This past Thursday, the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at the American Samoa Community College (ASCC) received a $5000 award from the Bank of Hawaii Foundation, which SBDC will use to fund a program designed to increase opportunities for individuals affected by recent economic circumstances.

During the local 2009 economic downturn caused by the closing of Chicken of the Sea (COS) Samoa Packing and the lay off of several thousand workers, the SBDC created the Economic Development Stimulus Training Program, designed to assist small businesses and individuals who are looking for new jobs with new management skills. The SBDC took its idea to the Bank of Hawaii Foundation, applying for a grant to assist in underwriting the cost of training materials and other resources for calendar year 2010. In October 2009, local BOH Vice President Mr. Hobbs Lowson notified the SBDC that the BOH Foundation would award $5,000 to the Program.

Through the new Economic Development Stimulus Training Program, SBDC and BOH plan to co-sponsor training for 360 individuals during 2010 (and into 2011 if need be). The first ten qualifying students who sign up for the Business Start-Up and Supervisor Training classes each month will receive training and training materials at no cost through the SBDC and BOH co-sponsorship. The SBDC and BOH are currently promoting the Program to the American Samoa community, and they anticipate a significant client response. Over the past four years, the BOH Foundation Program has assisted the SBDC by awarding funds to make the Center handicapped accessible and to add new classroom space. The latest BOH Grant is the first time a major community member has acted to bring much needed world class business and professional skills training to American Samoa.

The SBDC is a non-profit organization established via an annual grant awarded by the US Small Business Administration (SBA) in partnership with ASCC. The SBDC serves both the business and non-business communities in American Samoa and contributes to the education of adults and youth through technology and business related training.

Photo Caption: Hobbs Lowson (left) of the Bank of Hawaii presents a check for $5,000 to June Tagomailelagi and Herbert Thweatt of the Small Business Development Center at ASCC. The Bank of Hawaii Foundation is supporting the Economic Development Stimulus Training Program initiated by the SBDC to make its classes accessible to workers affected by the recent cannery closures.
 

(Photo: Aaron P. Jenkins)

FIJI: Tilapia feed on Fiji's native fish
Source: Wildlife Conservation Society Press Release

The poster child for sustainable fish farming, the Tilapia, is actually a problematic invasive species for the native fish of the islands of Fiji, according to a new study by the Wildlife Conservation Society and other groups.

Scientists suspect that tilapia introduced to the waterways of the Fiji Islands may be gobbling up the larvae and juvenile fish of several native species of goby, fish that live in both fresh and salt water and begin their lives in island streams.

The recently published paper appears in Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems. The authors include: Stacy Jupiter and Ingrid Qauqau of the Wildlife Conservation Society; Aaron P. Jenkins of Wetlands International-Oceania; and James Atherton of Conservation International.

"Many of the unique freshwater fishes of the Fiji Islands are being threatened by introduced tilapia and other forms of development in key water catchment basins," said Dr. Jupiter, a co-author of the study and one of the investigators examining the effects of human activities on the native fauna. "Conserving the native fishes of the islands will require a multi-faceted collaboration that protects not only the waterways of the islands, but the ecosystems that contain them."

The most surprising finding of the study centers on the tilapia, a member of the cichlid family of fishes from Africa that has become one of the most important kinds of fish for aquaculture, due in large part to its rapid rate of growth and palatability. Aside from its value as a source of protein, the tilapia is sometimes problematic to native fish species in tropical locations.

To gauge the impacts of tilapia and other human activities on native fish species in the Fiji Archipelago, researchers surveyed the fish species and other denizens of 20 river basins on the major islands of Vitu Levu, Vanua Levu, and Taveuni. In addition to catching and identifying fishes with gill and seine nets, the scientists also rated other environmental factors such as: the potential of erosion due to loss of forest cover and riparian vegetation; road density near rivers and streams; the distances and complexity of nearby mangroves and reefs; and the presence or absence of invasive species (tilapia mainly).

The team found that streams with tilapia contained 11 fewer species of native fishes than those without; species most sensitive to introduced tilapia included the throat-spine gudgeon, the olive flathead-gudgeon, and other gobies. In general, sites where tilapia were absent had more species of native fish.

Since tilapia are known to consume the larvae and juvenile fish, the researchers assume that the introduced species may be consuming the native ones as they make their way upstream and down. Absence of forest cover adjacent to streams was also correlated to fewer fish species.

Based on the spatial information compiled in the study, the researchers found that remote and undeveloped regions—with waterways containing a full complement of native species and no tilapia—on the three islands should be considered priority locations for management. The main management activities, the authors recommend, should include conserving forests around waterways and keeping the tilapia out.

"Protecting marine and aquatic biodiversity takes more than managing isolated rivers or coral reefs," said Dr. Caleb McClennen, Director of the Wildlife Conservation Society's Marine Program. "A holistic conservation approach is needed, one that incorporates freshwater systems, the surrounding forest cover, coastal estuaries and seaward coral reefs. As aquaculture continues to develop worldwide, best practices must include precautionary measures to keep farmed species out of the surrounding natural environment."

Photo Caption: The poster child for sustainable fish farming, the Tilapia, is actually a problematic invasive species for the native freshwater fish species of the Fiji Islands.
 

(Photo: Paul Gauguin Cruises)

TAHITI: New era for Tahiti cruises begins as popular vessel changes hands
Source: USA Today

Dreaming of a cruise in the South Pacific? A new era for voyages in the region kicked off Wednesday as the Tahiti-based Paul Gauguin began sailing under new owners.

The 332-passenger vessel, run for more than a decade by luxury line Regent Seven Seas Cruises, has been taken over by French Polynesia's largest luxury hotel operator, the Pacific Beachcomber group. It'll sail under the brand Paul Gauguin Cruises.

The Pacific Beachcomber group already operates four InterContinental resorts in French Polynesia and also is building The Brando, a resort on the late actor's private island, Tetiaroa, that the company says will be ultra-exclusive.

The Paul Gauguin's inaugural voyage under its new owners is a 10-night trip with stops in Tahiti, Huahine, Raiatea, Rangiroa, Bora Bora, Taha'a, and Moorea.

A spokesperson for Pacific Beachcomber says the basic Tahitian-infused experience of the ship and its itineraries won't be changing under the new management, but there will be upgrades to the level of service and activities to bring it closer to what is offered at the company's hotels.

Among the biggest changes coming to the ship, says the spokesperson, will be the addition of a new on-board Algotherm spa that will mirror the award-winning Algotherm spas at the company's InterContinental Bora Bora Resort & Thalasso Spa and InterContinental Tahiti Resort.

Photo Caption: The Paul Gauguin was designed specifically for sailing French Polynesia year-round. She offers an extension of the informal, relaxing environment of the islands, with Paul Gauguin Cruises interpretation of six-star service, comfort and luxury.
 

(Photo: Oceania Football Confederation)

WORLDWIDE: Pacific Youth & Sports Conference 2010
Source: Oceania Football Confederation Press Release

The first ever Pacific Youth and Sports Conference (PYASC) will be a unique place where up to 1400 young people from across the Pacific will have the opportunity to meet, interact and discuss important issues.

OFC together with the Manukau City Council will organise the week-long conference to be held at the TelstraClear Pacific Centre in Manukau City from 15-20 March, 2010.

With Ministers of Education in attendance plus regional, national and international agencies, the event has the potential to hugely impact the future lives of young people in the Pacific.

Objectives

Objectives of the PYASC conference include reinforcing youth and sport networks, planning ways to increase participation of young people in society through sport, and building structures whereby youth associations, government institutions and sports organisations can be more closely linked.

Under the leadership of PYASC chief executive officer Franck Castillo, organisers aim to involve over 1000 young people from 25 Pacific territories. This will include a limited number of young people who are sponsored by the organising committee while all remaining participants will pay a registration fee.

Themes

The conference will be based around four central themes including health, education and training, citizenship and good governance, social integration and anti-discrimination. It will include seminars, workshops, exhibitions and roundtable meetings where concrete action plans will be drawn up and presented at the closing ceremony.

At the completion, the Secretariat of the Pacific Community is looking to hold a meeting involving youth and sports ministers from around the region who can adopt the action plans that are born during the event. OFC will also assist in the implementation of new projects with support from its partners.

Partners

The conference represents a partnership between various stakeholders in the region whose common goal is to assemble the youth of the region together to see how sport can improve individuals and communities.

OFC is working closely with the following organisations to make this event possible:

FIFA, Manukau City Council, Government of Australia through the Australian Sports Commission, Football Federation Australia, Secretariat of the Pacific Community, the Human Rights Commission, Air New Zealand, Cue Sports.

To find out more information, download the PYASC brochure here:
http://210.48.80.94/OFC/Portals/0/Images/Articles/PYASC%20broch.pdf