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(Photos:
New Zealand Defence Force) |
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NEW ZEALAND: NZ Defence Force delivers aid to
Aitutaki
Source:
New Zealand
Defence Force Press Release
The New Zealand Defence Force’s 'Operation Cook
Islands Assist' is beginning its third day of
helping the local population of Aitutaki clean
up the damage from Cyclone Pat, which swept over
the island last weekend. Aid has arrived at a
crucial time and supplies of fresh water, food
and temporary shelters are providing relief for
the people of the island. Defence Force
personnel are working alongside local people to
help restore essential services and some sense
of normality after the devastating damage of
Cyclone Pat.
“A C-130 aircraft from No 40 Sqn has been
ferrying supplies from the main island of
Rarotonga to Aitutaki. It successfully completed
four flights delivering a range of aid including
a water purification plant from Australia
capable of delivering 5000 litres of water per
hour, temporary shelters, electrical cabling,
water containers, heavy plant including two
bobcat diggers, blankets and food stuffs. People
on the island have been very welcoming and
appreciate New Zealand’s help,” says the Senior
National Officer for Op CI ASSIST Squadron
Leader Kavae Tamariki.
As well as using air assets, a New Zealand Army
Engineering team of 12 personnel from Linton
Camp have been working with the Emergency
Operations Co-ordination Center. The Engineer
team includes electricians, a builder, heavy
plant operators and a plumber, providing a wide
range of skills. Their tasks will initially
focus on the provision of temporary shelters for
those families who have lost their homes, in
addition to restoring electricity and the main
water supply damaged during the cyclone.
“The reception we received when we flew into
Aitutaki has been fantastic. It was surprising
when you consider the amount of damage and
destruction caused by the cyclone. There is a
lot of work to do restore essential services
before they begin the rebuilding process but the
work has begun. We hope to make a positive
impact while we are here,” says Squadron Leader
Tamariki.
Photo Captions:
NZ Army Engineers deploy to the Island of
Aitutaki in the Cook Islands following damage
from a cyclone. Assisted by the crew of an Air
Force C130 Hercules and Air Movement Staff.
Photo 1 - The final pallet rolls of the
RNZAF C130 as it taxis forward.
Photo 2 - (L-R) LCPL Nathan Hutchings,
Sgt Glen Abbot and LCPL Brendon Clarke of the
Engineers team are greeted at the Rarotonga
terminal by the local people.
Photo 3 - A Red Cross volunteer in the
offloading chain.
Photo 4 - Army and Air Force working
together to load the awaiting trucks with the
Aid relief delivered a RNZAF 40 Sqn C130.
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(Photos:
Courtesy of Lemalu Wayne Schuster / Samoa Rugby Union) |
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SAMOA: Samoa Barbarian names team for first game
Source:
eventpolynesia.com
Samoa Barbarian names its teams to take on
Aotearoa Samoa in the first round of the Samoa
Tri Nations tournament this Saturday 20 February
at Waitemata Rugby Club, Auckland.
Head coach, Fepuleai Selefuti Patu, says the
Samoa Barbarian team is training well and
focusing on one game at a time. Our first game
is against Aotearoa Samoa, one of two teams from
host country New Zealand Samoa Rugby Union.
NZSRU President, Aiolupotea John Roache, said
“The tournament was held last year in Apia, with
Savaii Samoa winning the senior division and
Upolu Samoa winning the Under 20s competition.
This year a Women’s competition is involved with
only Australia and New Zealand fielding a team
each.”
The Samoa Tri Nations 2010 will be officially
launched this Friday 6pm by Samoa Prime Minister
and Chairman of the Samoa Rugby Union, Hon.
Tuilaepa Lupesoliai Sailele Malielegaoi at the
Otahuhu Rugby Club.
Photo Captions:
Photo 1 - Samoa Barbarian Head Coach
Fepuleai Selefuti Patu with backs at training in
Auckland.
Photo 2 - Samoa Barbarian Assistant Coach
Paepae Stan Toomalatai with forwards at training
in Auckland.
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(Photo: J.
Kneubuhl) |
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AMERICAN SAMOA: ASCC/SSI contributes to 2010
Lunar Calendar
Source:
American
Samoa Community College Press Release
The Samoan Studies Institute (SSI) at the
American Samoa Community College has
collaborated with the Western Pacific Regional
Fisheries Management Council and other partner
agencies on the recent publication of the 2010
American Samoa Lunar Calendar. Unlike the
typical Western calendar based on the cycle of
the earth around the sun, the environmentally
based lunar calendar follows the regular 30 day
cycle of the moon. Prior to the introduction of
the Western calendar, Samoans used the lunar
method of measuring time passage, around which
they based a number of cultural practices,
particularly fishing.
While the calendar appears identical to your
typical Western style calendar, it actually
begins with the new moon of January 15, 2010 and
ends on January 4, 2011, the day before the next
new moon. Below a graphic of the moon phase of
each day, the calendar lists the Samoan name for
the day of the cycle, and below that the Western
calendar date and weekday. Each of the twelve
cycles included comes with a colourful
environmentally themed illustration courtesy of
students in Tutuila’s elementary and high
schools.
As stated in the introductory notes, the current
publication is the second lunar calendar created
by the Council. The first appeared in 2007 to a
largely positive response, but the Council chose
to hold off for two years before creating the
next edition. This past November, the Council
convened a lunar calendar workshop with partner
agencies the Department of Marine and Wildlife
Resources, the Office of Samoan Affairs and the
SSI. Other local organizations, fishermen and
elders also attended, along with special guest
Fisheries Officer Tupai Ualolo from the
Fisheries Division in Apia, Samoa. The Apia
Fisheries Division had provided crucial lunar
month and phase names for the 2007 calendar. For
the current edition, SSI principle researchers -
Director Okenaisa Fauolo-Manila, Teleiai Ausage
and Tafito Aitaoto - built upon the previous
work to address informational gaps as well as
variations in the lunar month and phase names
found throughout the Samoa archipelago.
“At the SSI, we count research, publication and
outreach projects with our community partners as
part of our mission,” said Fauolo-Manila. “We
view this calendar as an important means of
ensuring the continuity of Samoan culture and
the preservation of traditional knowledge. Our
people traditionally practiced their own form of
fishery management based on the lunar cycle,
which seems more environmentally conscious
versus what we have today. Our ancestors had a
different name for every day of the moon’s
cycle, so this project also has a strong element
of language retention and usage.”
While satisfied with the SSI researchers’ work
for the new calendar, Fauolo-Mania pointed out
some goals she has already set for the next
edition. “We plan to look further into the
definitions of words used in certain names, ones
that have fallen out of common usage,” she said.
“We’d also like to include more information on
the best times for catching particular fish.
Many longtime fishermen already know this, so it
would really enhance the calendar. We also found
a variation on the Samoan calendar that goes by
15 lunar months instead of 12. We may find a way
of integrating this other model, or perhaps make
it the standard, but that decision would have to
involve everyone.”
Last week, Council On-Site Coordinator Fini
Aitaoto visited the SSI with several hundred
copies of the new calendar, which Fauolo-Manila
says the Institute will share among the 15
Tutuila churches where the SSI staff regularly
conducts community outreach services. Members of
the public interested in a copy should contact
Aitaoto at 633-5102.
Photo Caption: Fini Aitaoto (front,
second left) of the Western Pacific Regional
Fisheries Management Council joins ASCC Samoan
Studies Institute Director Okenaisa Fauolo-Manila
(front, second right) along with faculty and
students to launch the 2010 Lunar Calendar.
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FIJI: Fiji's top seven to swim in Noumea
Source:
Fiji Times
Seven of Fiji's top and emerging swimmers will
represent the country to the New Caledonia
Nation-al Swimming Champion-ships later this
month.
The seven swimmers, all endorsed by the national
federation Fiji Swimming, will have the honour
of representing their local club sides at the
championships.
Babale Club will be sending Kinver Nicholls and
David Dugunacavanua, while Tritons Club will be
fielding Tieri Erasito and Matelita Baudromo.
Fiji's newly-formed Race Club will also be
sending Alisi Takayawa, Meli Mala-ni and
Lagilagi Malani.
Baudromo and Takayawa are members of Fiji's
Development Squad, while Erasito, who
represented Fiji at the World Championships in
Rome, is a member of the newly-formed National
Youth Squad.
For all swimmers, the chance to test their
physical and endurance race skills is of high
appeal. New Caledonia have been known for their
strong regional dominance of the pool.
New Caledonia Swimming has been able to provide
financial easement in a lot of areas for Fiji's
swimmers.
The championships will be held from February
19-21 in Noumea.
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NIUE: Debate over who cleans up Niue's asbestos
Source:
TVNZ ONE News
A stockpile of lethal asbestos has built up on a
tiny pacific island and New Zealand's government
is being blamed for not getting rid of it.
The toxic material stems from damaged caused by
Cyclone Heta that devastated Niue six years ago.
The island is littered with with piles of
leaking asbestos which the people say, New
Zealand promised to remove.
"I remember a number of promises that were made
that they would get on top of the problem and
they will help us get rid of the asbestos from
this country," says former Niue Premier Young
Vivian.
New Zealand experts helped clear it up in the
first place.
"Every time it's broken down further and further
material becomes very fibrous the fibrous
material can be breathed in through the nose and
that's where the health risk is," Health Officer
Graham Ferguson said in January 2004 in Niue.
While some of the asbestos has been packed up
into containers, the rest is exposed posing
years of health risks.
More worrying is that the asbestos is lying
around homes.
"I don't think New Zealand would be willing to
take it back because of the cost and the hazards
associated with it," says Niue MP Terry Coe.
New Zealand's Foreign Affairs says it wants the
material brought to New Zealand for disposal.
But the sticking point is where the money to pay
for this is going to come from.
New Zealand wants to take it from the budget it
already gives to Niue, but Niue disagrees.
"Hopefully after we have collected all the
asbestos on the island and containerise them
then New Zealand will finally agree to remove
the asbestos on Niue ... but I believe our
discussions to date has been very very
favourable," says Richard Hipa, Secretary to
Government.
The Niue government is now doing a costing for
the removal which has been six years in the
making.
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(Photo:
Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme) |
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WORLDWIDE: Review of regional waste strategy
shows good results
Source:
Secretariat
of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme Press Release
A four year regional waste management project
funded by the Japan International Cooperation
Agency (JICA) comes to an end in May this year,
for which a terminal evaluation review was
recently completed. The terminal evaluation
report found that the purpose of the project has
been significantly achieved.
Titled the Solid Waste Management Project in
Oceania Region (SWMPOR), the project began in
June 2006 and involves three partners, namely
the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional
Environment Programme (SPREP), the Ministry of
Natural Resources and Environment of the
Government of Samoa and JICA.
The purpose of the project is to strengthen the
implementation of the Pacific Regional Solid
Waste Management Strategy.
During a meeting of the Joint Coordinating
Committee (JCC) comprising representatives from
the three partners this week, the findings of
the terminal evaluation team were submitted and
accepted by the JCC meeting. The review exercise
was conducted from 2 - 16 February as part of
the project monitoring and evaluation.
“This is very pleasing that the evaluation
report shows the project purpose was achieved
but much more work remains to be done in the
Pacific in relation to waste management“, said
SPREP Director, Mr. David Sheppard at the
meeting of the JCC.
“This project has greatly progressed the
development of solid waste management policies
and strategies in the region, which in turn lays
an excellent foundation on which to build
systems that will achieve visible and tangible
improvements in solid waste management in
Pacific countries.”
SPREP is a key regional partner for this
project, which has four main elements; the
environmental monitoring of the semi aerobic
landfill in Samoa, the development of national
solid waste management strategies within Pacific
islands Forum countries, the development of a
waste information network and the fourth element
relates to the examination of the bulky waste
issue within our region.
Another significant output of this project has
been the Solid Waste Management Strategy for the
Pacific Islands Region for 2010-2015 (RS2010),
which was developed in 2009 in consultation with
SPREP member countries and subsequently endorsed
at the 20th SPREP meeting in Samoa in November
2009.
“We have expressed our sincere appreciation for
the project and its outputs, and we anticipate
that there will be a follow-up project that will
focus on implementing RS2010, as well as the
many national solid waste management strategies
that have been developed under the current
project,” explained the Solid Waste Officer at
SPREP, Esther Richards.
“The groundwork has been done, but there is
still a lot of hard work to be done and the
countries will continue to need our assistance
in the near future.”
In acknowledging the financial support and
partnership from JICA with this joint
initiative, SPREP Director David Sheppard echoed
the need for this regional waste project to
continue after May 2010, reflecting the progress
made with regional waste issues in the Pacific.
“I acknowledge with deep appreciation the
financial support and partnership from JICA for
this joint initiative, which supports the
majority of SPREP’s solid waste work, and I am
pleased at the potential for future support for
waste management from the Government of Japan.
We note with appreciation that the Government of
Japan committed itself to support waste
management in the Pacific region for another 3
years at the 5th Pacific Islands Leaders meeting
(PALM) in Hokkaido in May last year.”
Photo Caption: Representatives from (L -
R) MNRE, JICA, SPREP sign off on the minutes and
witnessed by a representative from the Ministry
of Finance from the Government of Samoa.
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