Solomon Islands

Earlier this month, 20 dolphins were rescued from captivity in a joint police and fisheries operation at Rapata Village in the Western Province.

The Ministry's technical secretary Farrah Lafi said 14 suspects would appear in court and could face a penalty of $US65,000 and or imprisonment not exceeding two years.

Mr Lafi said suspects do this illegal activity for the aquarium trade overseas, which was reportedly worth a lot of money.

He said this puts the Solomon Islands tuna industry at risk.

This follows the opposition's defeat of prime minister Manasseh Sogavare in Monday's vote of no-confidence.

The group which successfully moved the motion of no-confidence is basing its lobbying at the Honiara hotel.

Meanwhile the rump of Mr Sogavare's former government is based at the Heritage Park Hotel.

A member of this group, the MP for Nggela Bartholomew Parapalo, said they were not out of the race.

Mr Sogavare lost the vote 27 to 23.

Yesterday's vote in Honiara was triggered by a series of defections from Mr Sogavare's coalition government late last month.

The vote followed an arduous debate that stretched over six hours.

Supporters of the motion said MPs had lost confidence in the prime minister because he was not listening to them any more, while development was stalling around the country.

Mr Sogavare's supporters urged MPs to let him finish the final ten months of his four-year term in office.

Police also arrested 14 suspects from around Western Province.

RNZI reports they are alleged to have been operating a ring that illegally trapped the dolphins for export.

The Western province police commander, Mathias Lenialu, said his team released 20 dolphins and confiscated a number of traps.

Dolphin trapping, while illegal, is not uncommon in Western Province, where there have been disputes over it for years.

The government of Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare is facing a vote of no confidence in parliament next week, after a series of defections from the government.

Mr Sogavare on Thursday announced moves to consolidate his coalition government, announcing eight new ministers.

But in a statement, the opposition group said that consolidation had included attempts at bribery.

It accuses the forestry minister Bradley Tovosia of trying to bribe MP Alfred Ghiro with cash and the fisheries portfolio, which he rejected.

Tinakula volcano in the country's remote Temotu province had what local disaster officials describe as a minor eruption eleven days ago.

On some nearby islands, including in the Reef group, significant volcanic ashfall covered crops and contaminated water supplies.

According to Australia's High Commission in Solomon Islands, an estimated 11,500 people's primary water sources such as tanks, wells and ground water were contaminated.

Fisheries Acting Permanent Secretary Feral Lasi confirmed to the Solomon Star on Wednesday the blue boats are now under government custody.

“….yes the boats are now taken back from Iona Firi after they failed to meet the requirements in the MoU,” Lasi said.

“State will now decide for its destruction site,” he added.

He further revealed that since last week, they consulted Taroniara shipyard group for their possible rate to dispose off the boats.

The Tinakula volcano in the country's easternmost Temotu Province began erupting on Saturday spewing ash over the Reef Islands in the Santa Cruz group.

A volunteer disaster worker in the provincial capital Lata, Jones Harara, said the volcano continued to spew ash and lava.

Mr Harara said people in Lata could hear the eruptions 20 kilometres away.

He said those directly affected by the ashfall were in urgent need of relief support.

The Tinakula volcano in the Santa Cruz islands began erupting on Saturday.

The national broadcaster SIBC reported people in the country's easternmost Temotu province were being told to avoid ashfall from the volcano by closing their doors and windows

The director of the National Disaster Management Office Loti Yates said they should breathe into a mask or handkerchief and wear protective clothing and glasses while they're outside.

Mr Yates said the effects of the ash on nearby communities and flights into the province were the main concerns.

The volcano, Tinakula, which forms an uninhabited island in the northern Temotu province, roared to life at about 2am yesterday.

Villages on nearby islands have reported heavy ashfall.

The director of the National Disaster Management Office in Honiara, Loti Yates, said a police patrol had been deployed from the provincial capital, Lata.

He said information had been slow to trickle out of the remote area, and it could be some time before the full situation was known.

An aviation warning has been issued for the Santa Cruz area.