NEWSPAGE 19 January
2011

(Photo: Pacific Curls)

NEW ZEALAND: Pacific Curls- AOTNZ New Zealand Tour February 2011

(Photo: Samoa Government)

SAMOA: MFAT update on the floods in Queensland
Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade Press Release

Samoa’s High Commission in Canberra has reported that as of yesterday morning (Monday, Australian time) the worst of the flooding disaster in the State of Queensland Australia seemed to have passed and recovery work was already in full progress.

Many lives have tragically been lost and it would be fair to say that the scale of the disaster has deeply affected most people in the State of Queensland in one way or another. However Samoa’s High Commissioner in Canberra has advised that his office has received no reports of injuries to any Samoan citizens, including the seventeen (17) Samoan scholarship students living and studying in the State.

The Samoa High Commissioner in Canberra further advises that the Federal government of Australia and the Queensland State government presently have the situation under control, and there is every reason to expect that they have the expertise and capacity to efficiently deal with the problems of those affected including any Samoans. Of the twenty (20) dead, and fourteen (14) missing, none so far have been identified as Samoan.

The Samoa High Commission in Canberra will continue to monitor the situation and follow up contact with representatives of the Samoan community in the State of Queensland as well as the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) for any new developments.
 

(Photo: Fili Sagapolutele / Samoa News)

AMERICAN SAMOA: FIFA allocates $7 Million + to Oceania Football Federation
Source: Samoa News

The governing body of world soccer, FIFA, is allocating more than $7 million to the Oceania Football Federation (OFC), which is an addition to $300,000 for each OFC member first announced last Friday.

OFC member American Samoa got its $300,000 over the weekend during the OFC's 21st Ordinary Congress held in Pago Pago.

The eleven OFC member countries are:American Samoa, Cook Islands, Fiji, NewCaledonia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tahiti, Tonga and Vanuatu.

FIFA president Joseph S. Blatter told the OFC congress on Saturday that despite the economic downturn, FIFA is doing well with income coming from sporting events especially the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, which "was a success" despite what others say.

With the success financially, Blatter says FIFA is able to provide additional finances to OFC in 2011. "I can confirm a special bonus of $2.5 million to add to the $5 million that the Confederation was projected to receive from FIFA during 2011," said Blatter, adding that this is on top of the $300,000 bonus for each OFC member country. Blatter also said that these dollar amounts are all in U.S. dollars.

He said that by year's end, OFC should get $7.5 million in financial aid from FIFA, a statement received with a round of applause from the audience that included Gov. Togiola Tulafono and local soccer association members.

Gov. Togiola Tulafono, in his address at the OFC congress opening ceremony praised Blatter for his commitment to Oceania, saying that so much improvement has been made to soccer in American Samoa due to Blatter.

Last Friday, Blatter said that he brought to American Samoa a gift of $300,000 to go towards the development of sports and other matters for the territory. He also said that each OFC member country is getting $300,000 as well.

FIFA general secretary Jerome Valcke later told reporters that this is one of the "best financial years" for FIFA, adding that it's an "exceptional year" in FIFA finances.

Highlight of the OFC meeting in Pago Pago was the election of Papua New Guinea's David Chung as the new OFC president, who is now automatically one of the FIFA vice presidents.

Chung, who was unopposed after two New Zealanders withdrew their candidacies, has been acting president since November and will serve for four years.

In his acceptance speech, President Chung acknowledged the support of the Member Associations and FIFA. "I thank you for entrusting me with the position of OFC President for the next four years," said Chung in a press statement.

"I am truly humbled. You can be rest assured that I will do everything possible to promote unity, solidarity and transparency. And to the FIFA President, we are indebted to you for your continued support. In return, I can say that on behalf of all Member Association Presidents we are behind you 100 percent," he said.

Photo Caption: OFC chief 2775 FIFA president Joseph Sepp Blatter, second from left, present to the new OFC president David Chung, third from left, the FIFA flag during a news conference Saturday in Pago Pago, American Samoa at the close of the OFC conference. Also pictured here are FIFA Secretary General Jerome Valcke, far left, and OFC general secretary Tai Nicholas, far right.
 

FIJI: Building a future generation of financially strong and competent people
Source: United Nations Development Programme Press Release

The next generation of children in Fiji will be equipped with skills to better handle spending, saving and investing money throughout their lives. This will be made possible through the Fiji Financial Education Curriculum Development (FinEd) Project which seeks to introduce financial education into both the primary and secondary school curriculum from class 1 to form 7.

“There are many families and communities who struggle financially and who do not have the knowledge, skills or confidence to make good choices and therefore cannot teach their children to make wise ones either. The management, use and handling of money is a life skill and where better to teach this, than in a dynamic learning environment - the classroom,” said the Minister for Education, Ambassador Filipe Bole when launching the project in Suva today.

He emphasized that financial literacy curriculum would be integrated in the existing school curriculum and would not result in additional classes.

“The teaching of financial education will not lead to longer classes or extra periods and it is not intended to replace the time allocated to other subjects, during the school day,” he added.

The project, conducted jointly by the Ministry of Education and the Pacific Financial Inclusion Programme (PFIP) has received funding from AusAID, amounting to FJ$2.3 million. These funds will cater for the development of a curriculum framework, the preparation of resource and assessment materials, training of teachers and the initial roll-out of the curriculum in participating champion schools across the country. There will be a phased rollout of the project, starting next year.

Speaking at the launch, the United Nations (UN) Resident Coordinator and UN Development Programme (UNDP) Resident Representative Knut Ostby said that financial literacy had a role to play in alleviating poverty and achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

“Embedding financial education within the school curriculum will mean that every year, a new set of school leavers will leave being financially competent. It is envisaged that basic financial skills will become just as commonplace as literacy and numeracy. This surely augurs well for the future social, economic and national circumstances of Fiji.” said Mr Ostby.

Sarah Goulding, Counsellor Australian Aid Program, said that Australia had a long history of supporting education in Fiji and more recently had started to support initiatives that increase access to finance. This important work will promote access to financial education and further break down the barriers to economic participation by the poor. It is important to make financial education available to all students in Fiji to build up their competency and resilience in dealing with future financial hardships and opportunities.

“Through the Fiji Financial Education Curriculum Development Project we hope to provide local students, with the work of the Ministry of Education, teachers and schools across Fiji, at all levels of schooling, the opportunity to develop building blocks for life-long skills to better handle money, finances and develop businesses” said Ms Goulding.

The Fiji Financial Education Curriculum Development project is funded by the Australian Aid Programme and managed by PFIP in conjunction with the Ministry of Education and Young Enterprise Trust (New Zealand) as the technical service provider. PFIP is a Pacific-wide programme helping provide sustainable financial services to low income households. It is funded by the UN Capital Development Fund (UNCDF), European Union, AusAID and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and operates from the UNDP Pacific Centre.
 

(Photo: Jesús Gómez-Zurita)

NEW CALEDONIA: 2 new species of 'leaping' beetles discovered in New Caledonia
Source: Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology Press Release via EurekAlert!

Only five species of these so-called 'flea' beetles, out of a global total of 60, had been found to date in New Caledonia, in the western Pacific. A three-year study has now enabled Spanish researchers to discover two new herbivorous beetles - Arsipoda geographica and Arsipoda rostrata. These new beetles hold a secret - they feed on plants that the scientists have still not found on the archipelago.

"The study, financed by the National Geographic, went some way beyond merely classifying species, and investigated the ecology of these herbivorous insects with a prodigious leaping capacity, which they use to avoid their predators", Jesús Gómez-Zurita, lead author of the study and a researcher at the Institute of Evolutionary Biology (CSIC-UPF) who is passionate about New Caledonia and collected hundreds of beetles in order to study them, tells SINC.

The researchers, from Spain and New Caledonia, used previously-developed molecular tools in order to classify the DNA sequences of the animals' diet, in particular chloroplast DNA (which is exclusive to plants). The team used plant matter remains found in the digestive tract of the insects at the time they were killed in order to extract their DNA at the same time.

According to the study, which has been published in the Journal of Natural History, this technique made it possible to discover that one of the new species, Arsipoda geographica, which measures three millimetres, feeds on a tropical plant in the mountains (Myrsinaceae), while Arsipoda isola, which is the same size, feeds on another plant (Ericaceae) in the southern jungles of the island.

"The strangest thing is that the DNA sequences of the plants are from botanical species that have still not been found on the archipelago. This provides indirect evidence of the existence of an enigmatic botanical diversity, which should be more than expected on an island with a wealth of lush vegetation", says the researcher, who has been studying beetles for 20 years.

The study, which is the first in this research line focusing on the Chrysomelidae family (known as 'leaf beetles' because they feed primarily on plants), made it possible to collect more than 2,000 beetle samples on the island of Grande Terre, compare them with other species, and carry out a phylogenetic analysis. So far, three new species have been found, two of which are described here.


New Caledonia, a still unknown territory

"The interest in New Caledonia has recently been renewed as a result of the discovery that the archipelago may have remained completely submerged over a lengthy period up until the Oligocene (more than 23.5 million years ago), when it emerged again, which would mean its fauna and flora originated much more recently than had previously been speculated", explains Gómez-Zurita.

The numerous insects and beetles on the archipelago, are great number of which are endemic, "are the great unknowns of this biota", says the biologist. "This study of their diversity and similarities without any doubt holds the keys to understanding the evolution of life in this part of the world", he adds.

The isolation of New Caledonia in the western Pacific, which became separated from Australia 70 million years ago, has led to "the evolution of some very unusual biotas that have not had any contact with the rest of the world for enormous period of time", the scientist explains.

Photo Caption: Arsipoda geographica and Arsipoda rostrata are the two new beetle species discovered in New Caledonia.
 

(Photo: Stuart Chape / Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme)

WORLDWIDE: The State of Pacific Marine Biodiversity highlighted in report
Source: Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme Press Release

An Outlook Report on the State of the Marine Biodiversity in the Pacific Islands Region is now available. The report provides a clear overview of key areas of the marine ecosystems contained within a combined Regional EEZ of approximately 29 million km2.

Major marine environmental issues identified in the Pacific islands region include impacts from environmental change, habitat loss and the effects of coastal modification, invasive species, fishing pressure as well as land and based marine pollution.

The Pacific islands report provides a summary of pressures, state and responses to these threats for the Pacific Islands region as well as the responses by our Pacific islands countries and territories.

Published by the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SREP), it is hoped that by identifying a common set of indicators in this report we could see the replication of positive responses and approaches utilised by different regions in addressing these issues.

“The report has been prepared by SPREP for the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and the UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre as part of a global assessment by the UNEP Regional Seas Programme. It is a very concise overview of the available data on a number of indicators that reflect the current state of regional marine biodiversity,” said Stuart Chape, Programme Manager - Island Ecosystems, SPREP.

“It looks at the pressures on our marine biodiversity, the current state of key areas and the response that is being undertaken at all levels - in our community as well as on a national and regional level.”

The report concludes that the lack of human, technical, institutional and financial capacity in the Pacific Island Countries and Territories is a key factor in environmental management. Lack of capacity leads to poor monitoring and highlights the need to build capacity and provide appropriate resources and funding for data collection, management and analysis for environmental monitoring in the Pacific Islands region.

“The 2010-2015 SPREP Strategic Plan identifies Environmental Monitoring as a strategic priority for SPREP and the region over the next five years,” said Mr Chape.

“We are aware of the importance of marine biodiversity to the Pacific way of life, including livelihoods. In order for SPREP to strengthen the role of Environmental Monitoring in our region, securing appropriate funding and other resources are top priority.”

The contents of the report include a chapter on “Pressures” which covers Fish Stocks, Nutrient Loading, Port Activity, Sea Surface Temperature and CO2 Flux. The second chapter on State encompasses information on Mean Trophic Index, Marine Fauna - Red List and Acidification. The responses to these issues lies in the Chapter on Response which covers the Fish Stock Agreements, Global Programme of Action (GPA) Implementation, National Adaptation Programmes of Action for Climate Change, Marine Protected Area establishment and Ballast Water Regulations.

You can access an electronic copy of this report in the SPREP IRC online at:
http://www.sprep.org/att/publication/
000890_Kinchetal_2010_MarineBiodiversityOutlookReport_SPREP_UNEP_WCMC.pdf