Pacific Community

Seeds bound for Tonga to help farmers replant after volcanic eruption

Both food gardens and commercial production were affected by the eruption of the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai volcano, two weeks ago.

As Tonga begins to rebuild and farmers look to replant their gardens - organisations like the Pacific Community, SPC are stepping forward to help.

SPC’s head of Land Resources Pila Kami said it was the ash that caused the most damage.

“We grow a lot of sweet potatoes or dalo – we also grow a lot of yams. A lot of these root crops will need be harvested and replanted,” he said.

Regional organisations reaffirm partnership towards sustainable tourism practices in the Pacific

The new agreement will provide the opportunity to assign designated sites that focus on unique natural environments and cultural heritage, as well as boost partnership supporting the development of sustainable & diverse tourism opportunities across the Pacific.

Pacific Community members welcome European Union as Permanent Observer

On 1 August 2021, SPC’s member countries and territories welcomed the EU as the first Permanent Observer in the history of the Pacific’s largest development organisation.

Reform seen as solution for split Pacific Forum

The leaders of Nauru, Kiribati,The Marshall Islands, Palau and The Federated States of Micronesia today signed off on a communique agreeing to initiate the formal process of withdrawing from the Pacific Islands Forum.

The five countries are deeply disappointed with the process which led to the appointment of former Cook Islands prime Minister Henry Puna as the Forum's new secretary-general over Micronesia's candidate, Gerald Zackios during a marathon online meeting of Pacific leaders last week.

Meet Patricia Naisara, new host for the Pacific Way

Naisara is a lawyer by profession with a background experience as a TV Producer and Presenter with Fiji’s Mai TV. Naisara is also a former Miss Hibiscus, choreographer and contemporary dancer and Mom to 3 wonderful boys!

Q: What are some highlights of your 'personal achievements'?

New plant health laboratory to boost Pacific food security

The laboratory will allow Pacific nations to develop controls for emerging biosecurity threats, including pests and diseases.

The SPC deputy director-general, Audrey Aumua, said invasive species cost billions of dollars each year to control.

She said the new laboratory would provide biological solutions to aid Pacific farmers and lead to safer food production.

The plant health laboratory enabled scientists to study pests and diseases requiring a high level of biosecurity containment, such as insects, fungi, viruses, and bacteria.

Time for a Pacific Community

“Even the two largest economies in the region, Fiji and Papua New Guinea, do not have the fiscal space to provide immediate recovery packages for businesses to survive or income support to those facing unemployment,” says former Professor of Economics and Dean of the Faculty of Business and Economics at the University of the South Pacific, Biman Chand Prasad.

IAEA signs deal with Pacific Community

This was announced in Noumea by the head of the agency Yukiya Amano and follows the formal signing of an agreement in Vienna last month.

Mr Amano said such technology was effective in a range of fields, such as health, agriculture or the environment.

The community's deputy director Cameron Diver says given the development challenges facing the region, partnerships need to be reviewed and new scientific techniques added.

Mr Diver says nuclear technology could be applied to improve soil quality, in the fight against cancer and to trace marine pollution.

SPC says dengue type 2 now in five Pacific countries

Palau is one of the countries experiencing a surge in dengue victims with 290 cases recorded for the first six months of this year.

The acting deputy director for SPC's Public Health Division Dr Salanieta Saketa said the same type of dengue Palau was affected by is present in five of the six countries the agency monitors each week.

Fiji Olympic gold a win for entire Pacific

“This is a magnificent and emphatic victory by a Pacific Island nation on the world stage,” Dr Tukuitonga said in Suva today.

“While Fijians are rejoicing, this proud victory will be celebrated across all 22 Pacific Island countries and territories,” he said.

In a region beset by youth unemployment and among the highest levels of obesity, diabetes and heart disease globally, Dr Tukuitonga said Fiji’s Olympic Games victory had an added dimension as the rugby players were outstanding role models for the benefits of leading active, healthy lifestyles.