NEWSPAGE 30 June
2010

(Photo: Auckland Museum)

(Photos: Stuart Chape)

SAMOA: SPREP commends va’a crew from Samoa
Source: Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme Press Release

A historical voyage across our Pacific ocean by a fleet of five traditional twin hulled vaka canoes is navigating towards a successful end.

Crew from the Cook Islands, Fiji, French Polynesia, New Zealand, Samoa, Tonga and Vanuatu have sailed a journey labelled as a “re-enactment of one of the world’s greatest migrations across the Pacific”. It has taken them from New Zealand to French Polynesia, Cook Islands, Samoa, Tonga and Fiji.

The Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) is a proud supporter of crew from the Samoa Voyaging Society that has united with members from Vanuatu and Tonga to sail the Hine Moana captained by Marc Gondard.

The Hine Moana sailed alongside the Uto Ni Yalo from Fiji, Te Matau a Maui from New Zealand, Marumaru Atua from the Cook Islands and Faafaite from French Polynesia as part of the Pacific Voyaging Canoes Project funded by the Okeanos Foundation and Mr. Dieter Paulmann, the founder.

The full project involves the building of seven double hulled canoes for a Pacific voyage to Hawaii via French Polynesia in 2011 to raise awareness of environmental issues as well as recapture traditional voyaging skills and re-establish cultural links between Pacific islands countries.

SPREP’s financial support to the Samoa Voyaging Crew to communicate environmental awareness has been assisted by the Coral Reef Initiatives Programme (CRISP). The support has enabled the Samoa crew to sail as part of the Pacific Voyaging Canoes project, as environment ambassadors sharing valuable messages in each port.

“The Pacific Ocean is home to all of us and we need to value and respect it”, said Seema Deo, the Education and Social Communications Adviser of SPREP. “This is what the crew members are trying to convey during their journey.”

“The vaka offers the opportunity to bridge the science with the spiritual and traditional. We wanted to use this voyage as an opportunity to build a spiritual connection to the ocean and the natural environment in general.”

As environment ambassadors, the crew was tasked with sharing information on the environment during their country visits on this voyage. They also took part in carrying out a visual survey asking people to share their views on the question “what has nature done for you today?”

The findings and footage of this survey will be shared with SPREP upon completion of the voyage and will contribute to a global initiative as part of the International Year of Biodiversity and the “eyes4earth global initiative” from the non government organisation Earth Collective (www.eyes4earth.org).

As part of their preparations towards becoming environmental ambassadors members of the crew spent an orientation day at SPREP before they embarked on their journey. It was there the crew learnt about specific environment issues in the region, with a particular emphasis on the ocean and marine life, as well as the impacts of land-based activities on the health of the ocean.

“Working with the crew as environment ambassadors was not about imparting scientific facts in a formal manner but more about developing a collective spirit across the countries through interactions with the crew.” explained Caroline Vieux, SPREP’s Coral Reef Management Officer.

The Hine Moana arrived into Samoa from Rarotonga on the morning of Saturday 12 June, accompanied by the Uto ni Yalo and Te Matau a Maui, the other two vaka having completed their journeys in Cook Islands and French Polynesia, respectively. Several staff members of SPREP were on hand to welcome the triumphant, but tired crew. A traditional welcoming ceremony was performed for the sailors followed by a day-long feast and entertainment on the Sunday. Samoa’s Head of State and Patron of the Samoa Voyaging Society was present at the Sunday event.

Crew members of the three boats visited SPREP to explore further opportunities for partnership and collaboration.

“The results from this first journey give us confidence that the vaka provide an excellent mode of communication for many different audiences,” said Seema Deo.

“SPREP hopes to work closely with other partners and the different crews to build an ongoing awareness programme for the environment in the Pacific”.

The last leg of the journey commenced on June 17 when the crew of the Hine Moana and Te Matau a Maui departed for Tonga. The two boats will be left in Tonga for whale watching and research while the Uto ni Yalo sails home to Fiji.

The Samoa crew will return to Samoa on 29 June after which they will again take charge of their boat, Gaualofa and begin preparations for a journey to Tokelau.
 

(Photo: J. Kneubuhl)

AMERICAN SAMOA: GEAR UP student invited to national conference
Source: American Samoa Community College Press Release

When a group from GEAR UP American Samoa (GUAS), along with its community partners, travels to Washington, DC in mid-July to attend this year’s National Council for Community and Educational Partnerships (NCCEP) Annual Conference, they will also chaperone a young man from the local GEAR UP cohorts selected from among hundreds of applicants nationwide to participate in the NCCEP Youth Leadership Summit. Anthony Talosaga, 16, a sophomore at Leone High School, will join 31 of his peers from across the United States at the Summit, which takes place in the nation’s capitol from July 17th - 21st.

Anthony, an active member of the GEAR UP program since its inception, comes from a single parent household. His mother Taliilagi, a Star Kist employee, has raised four children with the help of her sister Tiki and the latter’s husband, Tai Tusipa. While doing his share to help his family, Anthony has still managed to excel academically, earning First Place recognition in his class during both the 8th and 9th grade in the subjects of Science and Math. During the 8th grade, he scored highest in his class on the SAT test, and has gone on to score high on the PSAT and ASVAB tests as well. His extracurricular activities include a daily LDS morning seminary from 5:30 to 6:30 a.m., as well as participation in this year’s Math Comp., Speech Festival, Samoa Day, and Science Fair.

The NCCEP asks students applying to attend the Leadership Summit the question, “If you had the opportunity to address [the Summit], what would you tell them is the toughest educational issue that you and your peers face? What solutions would you recommend to eradicate this problem?” For his Personal Statement, Anthony talked of how many of his peers now face a major impediment to learning in the form of alcohol abuse. In his own words, “Because of the use of alcohol and drugs, problems have arisen in families, schools and the community. In addition, students are becoming lazy and some of them get into fights on campus. I feel that the Department of Education should take a closer look at the types of discipline the students get when they get into trouble as a result of alcohol and drug usage. Furthermore, I believe that the government should really enforce the law of not selling alcohol and drugs to teenagers. Parents should also help by making sure that their children are at home doing chores instead of hanging out somewhere else. “

Among the 20 local GEAR UP students applying, as well as hundreds of others from across the USA, the NCCEP found Anthony’s analysis of the problem and its possible solutions suitably impressive to invite him to this year’s Youth Leadership Summit. GUAS will cover his travel costs, while the NCCEP will host him for his stay in Washington, DC. “We feel really proud that Anthony has earned this honor, when you consider that some of the brightest students from across the nation were vying for the 31 open slots at the Summit,” said GUAS Director Tupua Mr. Roy Fua. “All of us at GEAR UP think Anthony will do an excellent job representing American Samoa and all of his peers in the program.”

At the conference, Tupua and partners will give a presentation on “GEAR UP Reforming Schools through Community Involvement.” Some of the local and national GEAR UP partners also attending and presenting at the conference will include DOE Director Dr. Claire Poumele, DHSS Director Ms. Leilua Stevenson, DOH Dentist Dr. Anaise Uso, DOH Health Educator Mrs. Rosita Utu, Fa’asao Marist High School Principal Mr. Victor Langkilde, Tafuna High School Counselor Mrs. Seira Moor, and Mrs. Carol Carpenter, a Pima Prevention Partnership Research Evaluator from Tucson, Arizona.

In an effort to include student perspectives and the opinions of young people, the NCCEP created national opportunities for youth to participate in the NCCEP/GEAR UP Annual Conference. More than 200 GEAR UP high school students have participated in the Youth Leadership Summit since the inception of the program in 2003. The NCCEP has been partnering with GEAR UP for Excellence to present the Summit since 2005. Blending leadership development with the experience of participating in a professional conference, the Summit teaches participants how to be advocates for their schools and communities, empowering them to become the voice for their peers. Youth leaders, known as GEAR UP Scholars, work together to compile a Summit report focused on what educators should consider as they design strategies and programs for increasing student achievement.

For more information about the NCCEP, including the Annual Conference and Youth Leadership Summit, visit www.edpartnerships.org.

Photo Caption: Leone High School sophomore and GEAR UP student Anthony Talosaga (front right) receives congratulations from GEAR UP staff members after being chosen to travel to Washington, DC this July to attend the NCCEP Youth Leadership Summit. He was selected by the NCCEP from hundreds of applicants across the nation.
 

FIJI: PM offers olive branch
Source: Fiji Sun

A move is currently underway to help improve Fiji's relations with Australia.

Prime Minister Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama yesterday revealed to the Fiji Sun that he has written the proposal to new Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard.

"This is to better our (Fiji and Australia) relationship," Commodore Bainimarama said.

He said the proposal was through his congratulatory message to Ms Gillard, after she was appointed the first female Prime Minister of Australia.

Commodore Bainimarama indicated that he is hoping Ms Gillard would re-look at the current policy adopted by the Australian government towards Fiji.

"It should be with the objective of co-operation based on equality and understanding for the mutual benefit of the countries and their people.”

He indicated that he is looking forward to working with Ms Gillard after Fiji’s relations with former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd failed to blossom.

“Links between Fiji and Australia in particular trade, investment, tourism, sports and strong people-to-people links through the emigration of Fijians to Australia are pervasive, strong and cannot be ignored,” Commodre Bainimarama stated in his letter.

“On behalf of the Fijian Government and Fijian people, I extend my hearty congratulations to the Honourable Gillard, the first female Prime Minister of Australia.”

Fiji’s relationship with Australia suffered a major blow after the event of December 2006.

This resulted in Fiji’s suspension from the Pacific Islands Forum and later from the Commonwealth.
 

HAWAII: Council to consider scientists’ suggestion to reduce Hawaii bottomfish catch
Source: Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council Press Release

The Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) of the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council concluded its three-day meeting in Honolulu recently recommending that the total allowable catch (TAC) for the main Hawaiian Islands (MHI) commercial bottomfish fishery be set at 244,000 pounds for the 2010-2011 season. The proposed TAC is 10,000 pounds less than the 2009-2010 MHI bottomfish TAC and represents a 29 percent risk of overfishing based on 2010 stock analysis projections by the NOAA Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (PIFSC). The seven species covered by the TAC are ulaula koae or onaga (Etelis coruscans), ulaula or ehu (E. carbunculus), kalekale (Pristipomoides sieboldii), opakapaka (P. filamentosus), ukikiki or gindai (P. zonatus), hapuu (Epinephelus quernus) and lehi (Aphareus rutilans).

The reduction in the allowable TAC does not represent a decline in the stocks, but is an outcome of the method used to calculate the TAC. The SSC bases the TAC on a percent of the average catch for the prior 25 years. In the 1980s, the catch of MHI bottomfish was high. Beginning in May 2007, the MHI bottomfish catch has been reduced through seasonal closures and TACs, which have in turn lowered the 25-year mean catch level.

The MHI bottomfish season opens on September 1 and runs to August 31. If the TAC is reached before the end of the season, both commercial and recreational MHI bottomfish fisheries are closed in federal and state waters until the next season starts.

During the 2009-2010 season, the fishery was prematurely closed on April 20, 2010, before reaching the TAC due to the state and federal governments double counting catches submitted online and on paper. PIFSC Director Sam Pooley said that PIFSC and the Hawaii Division of Aquatic Resources have subsequently fixed this problem. For more on the MHI bottomfish fishery, visit www.hawaiibottomfish.info.

The MHI bottomfish fishery currently provides 100 percent of the local bottomfish landings, following the closure of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (NWHI) bottomfish fishery this year through the establishment of the NWHI as a marine national monument. The NWHI fishery historically provided half of the local commercial bottomfish catch.

The Council will consider the recommendations by the SSC, other advisory bodies and the public on these and other fishery issues when it convenes next week Tuesday through Thursday, June 29 to July 1, at the Laniakea YWCA-Fuller Hall, Honolulu. The public will also have an opportunity to provide comments on Hawaii seafood issues at the Council’s Fishers Forum, “Hawaii Seafood—Past, Present and Future,” Tuesday, June 29, 6 to 9 p.m. at the Aloha Tower Marketplace Pier 11 Terminal. The Council was established by Congress in 1976 to manage fisheries in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) waters surrounding the US Pacific Islands Decisions made by the Council are transmitted to the Secretary of Commerce for final approval. For more information and agendas, contact the Council at (808) 522-8220, email info.wpcouncil.org or go to www.wpcouncil.org.

Among the other recommendations made by the SSC this week are the following:

Annual Catch Limits:

The reauthorized Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act and associated guidelines call for the setting of annual catch limits (ACLs) and other harvest controls for each stock or stock complex managed by the Council. The first step in this new process is to decide which stocks are “in the fishery” and which are not. Stocks that are not targeted, not subject to overfishing, not likely to become subject to overfishing, and not generally retained for sale or personal use may be designated as ecosystem components and thus are no longer “in the fishery.” Alternatively, such stocks could be removed from being classified as managed species. The SSC supported utilizing the “ecosystem component” designation rather than removing any of the nearly 800 species taken in the fisheries managed by the Council. The SSC also voted to form a working group to further develop methods for setting ACLs.

Swordfish Trip Catch Limit for the Hawaii Tuna Longline Fishery:

The SSC supported modifying the current limit of swordfish that Hawaii tuna longline vessels may retain by allowing 25 swordfish per trip for vessels using circle hooks, retaining the 10 swordfish per trip limit for vessels using tuna hooks and having no limit set for tuna vessels carrying an observer, regardless of the type of hook used. In making its decision, the SSC considered that the North Pacific swordfish stocks are healthy. Additionally, current regulations already impose restrictions on tuna longline vessels, specifying gear dimensions and provisions that result in the gear being set below 100 m. By contrast, longline vessels targeting swordfish set gear above 100 m and use light sticks, which tuna vessels are not allowed to carry. These restrictions prevent longline tuna vessels from targeting swordfish. Hence, the 10 swordfish per trip limit on deep-set fishermen is duplicative and burdensome and can lead to regulatory discards and the undesirable result of throwing away good, marketable fish.

Marine National Monuments Fishing Management Measures:

The SSC supported development of regulations that allow fishing for customary exchange in the Rose Atoll and Marianas Trench Marine National Monuments. Customary exchange was defined by the Council at its March 2010 meeting as “the non-market exchange of marine resources between fishers and community residents for goods, services and/or social support for cultural, social or religious reasons, and may include cost recovery through monetary reimbursements and other means for actual trip expenses (e.g., ice, bait, food, fuel) that may be necessary to participate in fisheries in the Western Pacific Region.” The SSC recommended requiring permits and reporting of numbers and species of fish landed and advised that these requirements or processes should not pose unnecessary or inappropriate burdens on fishery participants. Given the distances involved and the limited amount of fishing before the Marine National Monuments were declared, the SSC thought that significant fishing pressure in these areas under any new regulations is unlikely. Although the SSC favors including traditional indigenous fisheries under non-commercial fishery permits for the monuments, it did not mean to lessen the importance of traditional indigenous fishing.

Aquaculture Management Measures:

The SSC recommended permitting and reporting via federal logbook to monitor the aquaculture fishery. Concerns were raised in prematurely developing a limited entry program because there is not enough information available on operations in federal waters and because of uncertainty regarding how these fisheries may develop in the future. It is also premature to designate aquaculture zones since it is unclear what will be cultured and what technology will be used.
 

(Photo: Ministry of Foreign Affairs Republic of China)

TUVALU: Tuvalu becomes 187th member of IMF, World Bank
Source: Times Of India

The tiny South Pacific island nation of Tuvalu joined the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank on Thursday (June 24, 2010), the sibling institutions said, becoming their 187th member.

The Tuvaluan minister of finance and economic planning, Lotoala Metia, signed documents sealing entry into the financial bodies at their headquarters in Washington, the IMF and World Bank said in separate statements.

IMF managing director Dominique Strauss-Kahn welcomed the country into the multilateral financial institution.

"Tuvalu's membership is a strong reminder of the importance of multilateralism and international cooperation in today's dynamic global economy," Strauss-Kahn said in the statement.

"With its size and remoteness, Tuvalu faces a unique set of economic challenges. I am confident that Fund membership will help Tuvalu strengthen its economic footing," he added.

The World Bank also noted the vulnerabilities of Tuvalu, one of the world's most remote and smallest countries -- slightly bigger than the US capital of Washington, DC.

"As the world's second lowest-lying nation it is particularly vulnerable to impacts from climate change," it said.

The low-lying Pacific archipelago has been calling on the international community for improved cooperation in the fight against global warming. Its nine coral atolls face the threat of rising sea levels due to greenhouse gas emissions.

"The World Bank recognizes that small island countries, like Tuvalu, face massive challenges and increased economic vulnerability due to their small populations, geographical remoteness and extreme susceptibility to external shocks like natural disasters or food and fuel price hikes," said Jim Allen, the bank's vice president for the East Asia and Pacific region.

Allen pledged the development lender would support the government of Tuvalu "in addressing these pressing challenges."

Photo Caption: Tuvaluan minister of finance and economic planning, Lotoala Metia.