Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — Federal and state agencies teamed up with the Marine Mammal Center to rescue a young Hawaiian monk seal on Maui earlier this month.

Officials say RS52, a juvenile male born on Lanai, was spotted losing significant weight in late September. Over the next few weeks, he became progressively less energetic and continued to thin, prompting a special intervention mission to administer emergency care.

On Oct. 17, Marine Mammal Center volunteers located RS52 hauled out on a West Maui beach. He was taken in by crews from the center, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries, and Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources’ Division of Aquatic Resources, then transported by Coast Guard MH-65 Dolphin helicopter to Hawaii Island for emergency care.

RS52 is currently undergoing testing at the Marine Mammal Center’s Ke Kai Ola Hawaiian monk seal hospital and conservation program in Kona to determine the best possible care for his recovery.

Officials credit RS52’s rescue to the community’s timely reports and vigilant monitoring.

(Hawaii News Now)

NZ TO CONTRIBUTE MILLIONS TO PACIFIC RESILIENCE FACILITY 

New Zealand will contribute $20 million to the Pacific Resilience Facility, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters made the announcement while in Samoa last week for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting.

“The Pacific Islands region faces severe challenges from natural disasters and climate change impacts and New Zealand is committed to doing its part to help meet them,” Mr Luxon says. 

“We’re joining with other countries in helping to progress the Pacific Resilience Facility, which will encourage public and private sector investment in preparedness for natural disasters and resilience to the effects of climate change.” 

Mr Peters says the Pacific Resilience Facility will help ensure Pacific Island countries have access to the climate finance they need. 

“We urge more countries to join us in making it a reality. The Facility’s focus on community-level projects will ensure practical benefits for Pacific Island communities. It is also a demonstration of what our region can achieve collectively.

“As we head into COP29 next month, where a new global climate finance goal will be agreed, it’s important to emphasize small island states and their communities need climate finance that they can actually access.” 

(Tagata Pasifika)

UPDATE ON MANAWANUI

The New Zealand Defense Force’s Senior National Representative in Samoa, Commodore Andrew Brown went on-board HMNZS Canterbury to thank our people for their involvement in supporting the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) and Operation Resolution.

The Canterbury has been in Samoa assisting New Zealand to support CHOGM and has been reloading Hato Hone St John Ambulances, three Royal New Zealand Air Force NH-90 helicopters and other equipment.

The NZDF-led response team, working closely with the Government of Samoa, continues to monitor the coastal areas near the wreck of the Manawanui. To date, assessment teams have not found any oil or affected wildlife on the shoreline.

The HMNZS Matataua Dive team continues underwater surveillance of the ship along with other tasks including evidence gathering for the Royal New Zealand Navy Court of Inquiry.

The Court of Inquiry continues their work gathering evidence to establish the facts on the grounding and subsequent sinking of HMNZS Manawanui.

(Pacific Scoop)

CNMI'S ONLY DAILY NEWSPAPER TO CEASE OPERATIONS

The digital revolution in the media has forced the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) only daily newspaper, the Saipan Tribune, to shut down its operations from the end of the year.

The management of the news outlet has informed its readers and advertisers about their decision.

They said while Saipan Tribune has delivered the kind of news stories its community deserved, shifts in media consumption patterns, driven by advancements in technology, have transformed how audiences access news and information.

They added that the increased availability of internet access and mobile devices has led consumers to demand instant information, prompting many industries to reshape their business models and move online.

"This change has redefined the need for the Saipan Tribune. In addition, unforeseen calamities in recent years and continuing local economic challenges have thwarted our best efforts to sustain the business.

"We are compelled to make this exceptionally difficult decision, so with a heavy heart we would like to inform you that Saipan Tribune will cease its operations on December 31, 2024."

For more than 30 years, the Saipan Tribune has been a proud and reliable source of news for our island community and the Pacific region.

Saipan Tribune covered historic events in the CNMI, featured individuals and groups that created significant impact in our community, highlighted athletes' achievements and students' triumphs, and came up with other newsworthy stories that helped shape public opinion and initiate changes and positive actions.

"We are deeply grateful and proud of all members of the Saipan Tribune family-the editors, writers, photographers, graphic artists, delivery personnel, finance department, sales and advertising team members.

Their dedication and commitment have allowed the Saipan Tribune to advocate for press freedom and champion journalistic excellence in our region. We would also like to express our sincerest gratitude to all our readers, advertisers and community partners for their valuable support and trust."

Saipan Tribune's looming closure follows the shuttering of Hyatt Regency Saipan and Asiana Airlines abandoning its Inchon-Saipan route.

Several small businesses have also closed due to the dire economic doldrums currently enveloping the CNMI, with a lot more contemplating such a move.

(RNZ Pacific)

CHOGM SUCCESS FOR SAMOA BUT WHAT’S IN IT FOR THE PACIFIC?

As CHOGM came to a close, Samoa rightfully basked in the resounding success for the country and people as hosts of the Commonwealth leaders' meeting. Footage of Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mata'afa swaying along to the siva dance as she sat beside Britain's King Charles III encapsulated a palpable national pride, well deserved on delivering such a high-profile gathering.

Getting down to the business of dissecting the meeting outcomes — in the leaders' statement and Samoa communiqué — there are several issues that are significant for the Pacific island members of this post-colonial club.

As expected, climate change features prominently in the text, with over 30 mentions including three that refer to the "climate crisis". This will resonate highly for Pacific members, as will the support for COP 31 in 2026 to be jointly hosted by Australia and the Pacific.

One of the glaring contradictions of this joint COP bid is illustrated by the lack of any call to end fossil fuel extraction in the final outcomes. Tuvalu, Fiji and Vanuatu used the CHOGM to launch the latest Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty Initiative report, with a focus on Australia's coal and gas mining. This reflects the diversity of Commonwealth membership, which includes some states whose economies remain reliant on fossil fuel extractive industries.

As highlighted ahead of CHOGM, this multilateral gave the 56 members a chance to consider positions to take to COP 29 next month in Baku, Azerbaijan. The communiqué from the leaders highlights the importance of increased ambition when it comes to climate finance at COP 29, and particularly to address the needs of developing countries. That speaks to all the Pacific island nations and gives the region's negotiators another drawcard on the international stage.

Then came the unexpected, Papua New Guinea made a surprise announcement that it will not attend the global conference in Baku next month. Speaking at the Commonwealth Ministerial Meeting on Small States, PNG's Foreign Affairs Minister Justin Tkatchenko framed this decision as a stand on behalf of small island nations as a protest against "empty promises and inaction."

As promised, a major output of this meeting was the Apia Commonwealth Ocean Declaration for One Resilient Common Future. This is the first oceans-focused declaration by the Commonwealth of Nations, and is somewhat belated given 49 of its 56 member states have ocean borders.

(BenarNews)