Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — The New Zealand-based salvage companies engaged by the New Zealand Defense Force (NZDF) are preparing to remove and dispose of the fuel and pollutants from the sunken HMNZ Manawanui.

The NZDF said work continues at the highest level to ensure biosecurity requirements and other approvals are obtained to satisfy Samoan authorities.

"The weather, particularly at this time of year, will play an important and unpredictable part in this operation," NZDF's senior national representative for Operation Resolution Commodore Andrew Brown said.

"The NZDF's intent has always been to get the fuel and other potential pollutants off the vessel as soon as we can, while being cognizant of personnel safety and environmental impact."

The NZDF said it continues "almost daily monitoring and surveillance" of the vessel and wreck site.

"Pleasingly, we can report Manawanui is in a stable state and her fuel, lubrication and hydraulic oil tanks remain intact," Commodore Brown said.

PACIFIC YOUTH GRAPPLE WITH HIGH VAPING RATES

The concerning rates among Pacific youth vaping coincides with health disparities highlighted in the New Zealand Ministry of Health's Annual Health Survey.

The survey's analysis of smoking and vaping trends found that Pacific adults' daily vaping prevalence increased to 21.5 percent in 2023/ 24, up from 18.7 percent in 2022/ 23 and 16 percent in 2021/ 22.

However, Pacific adults had reduced their daily smoking from 22.6 percent in 2011/12 to 12.3 percent in 2023/24.

Despite this, the Annual Health Survey writers told RNZ that it is unlikely New Zealand will reach its 2025 smoke-free goal of reducing daily smoking prevalence below 5 per cent.

"Unless there are dramatic falls in smoking prevalence among Māori, Pacific peoples, and people living in the most deprived areas," they said.

Dr Aumea Herman, chief clinical advisor of Pacific Health at the Ministry of Health, also held a bittersweet perspective on the contrasting Pacific smoking rates.

"Good things are happening, for example, our tobacco smoking rates are coming down.

"On the other hand, our vaping rates are going up amongst our young children, and that's a major concern for us."

FIJI'S CHICKEN SUPPLY WON'T RUN OUT FOR CHRISTMAS

A top poultry company in Fiji has given its assurance that there will be enough supply of chicken to meet the demand from the public during the festive season.

According to a news report by the state broadcaster FBC, this assurance follows concerns raised by consumers about the shortage of chicken.

Leading food manufacturing company Goodman Fielder general manager Tim Carter said it is working both internally and externally to ensure a consistent supply of chicken for Christmas.

"We're working internally to ensure that we have sufficient supply of chicken to support the demand. There is extra demand going into Christmas," Carter was quoted as saying.

Carter also told FBC the company is confident that there will not be any shortage of chicken, as they are collaborating with other poultry companies in the poultry association.

The state broadcaster reports that consumers have been advised to be cautious of inflated chicken prices by retailers.

Last month, Deputy Prime Minsiter and Minister for Finance Biman Prasad said the government is "providing significant duty protection and import restriction" for whole chicken, and warned producers not to hike prices.

"If there are unscrupulous price settings happening between the producers and the retailers, then the government will have no option, but to put up price control, and the government will also consider opening up the import of whole chicken from overseas," he said.

GET IMMUNIZATION AGAINST WHOOPING COUGH

A Pacific public health expert is encouraging Pasifika communities in New Zealand to make sure they are immunized against whooping cough.

This comes after Health New Zealand last week declared a whooping cough epidemic in the country with over 260 confirmed cases in the past four weeks.

Auckland University's associate professor of population health Sir Collin Tukuitonga said recent health figures show a high rate of hospital admissions for Pasifika presenting with whooping cough.

"I saw some figures here in Aotearoa in the last month: 28 percent of Pacific people who were reported to have had whooping cough ended up in hospital," Sir Collin said.

"It's the highest rate of hospitalizations in Pacific people and I would just encourage and remind our people to get vaccinated if they haven't done so."

The Samoa health ministry on Monday confirmed an unvaccinated seven-week-old baby had whooping cough earlier this month; and has since recovered.

COP29 'A FAILURE ON EVERY FRONT’ ADVOCATES SAY'

The United Nations climate change summit COP29 has "once again ignored" the Pacific Islands, a group of regional climate advocacy organizations say.

The Pacific Islands Climate Action Network (PICAN) said on Monday that "the richest nations turned their backs on their legal and moral obligations" as the UN meeting in Baku, Azerbaijan, fell short of expectations.

"This COP was framed as the "finance COP," a critical moment to address the glaring gaps in climate finance and advance other key agenda items," the group said.

"However, not only did COP29 fail to deliver adequate finance, but progress also stalled on crucial issues like fossil fuel phase-out, Loss and Damage, and the Just Transition Work Plan.

"The outcomes represent a catastrophic failure to meet the scale of the crisis, leaving vulnerable nations to face escalating risks with little support."

The UN meeting concluded with a new climate finance goal, with rich nations pledging a US$300 billion annual target by 2035 to the global fight against climate change.

The figure was well short of what developing nations were asking for: over US$1 trillion in assistance.

Campaigners and non-governmental organizations called it a "betrayal" and "a shameful failure of leadership", forcing climate vulnerable nations, such as the Pacific Islands, "to accept a token financial pledge to prevent the collapse of negotiations".

PICAN said the pledged finance relied "heavily on loans rather than grants, pushing developing nations further into debt".

"Worse, this figure represents little more than the long-promised $100 billion target adjusted for inflation. It does not address the growing costs of adaptation, mitigation, and loss and damage faced by vulnerable nations.

"In fact, it explicitly ignores any substantive decision to include loss and damage just acknowledging it."

Vanuatu Climate Action Network coordinator Trevor Williams said developed nations systematically dismantled the principles of equity enshrined in the Paris Agreement at COP29.

"Their unwillingness to contribute sufficient finance, phase out fossil fuels, or strengthen their NDCs demonstrates a deliberate attempt to evade responsibility. COP29 has taught us that if optionality exists, developed countries will exploit it to stall progress."

Kiribati Climate Action Netork's Robert Karoro said the Baku COP was a failure on every front.

"Finance fell far short, Loss and Damage was weakened, and there was no meaningful commitment to phasing out fossil fuels," he said.

"Our communities cannot wait for empty promises to materialise-we need action that addresses the root causes of the crisis and supports our survival."

Tuvalu Climate Action Network's executive director Richard Gokrun said the "outcome is personal".

"Every fraction of a degree in warming translates into lost lives, cultures and homelands. Yet, the calls of the Pacific and other vulnerable nations were silenced in Baku," he said.

"From the weakened Loss and Damage fund to the rollback on Just Transition principles, this COP has failed to deliver justice on any front."

PICAN's regional director Rufino Varea described the outcome of the meeting as "a death sentence for millions".

He said the Pacific Islands have been clear that climate finance must be grants-based and responsive to the needs of frontline communities.

"Instead, developed countries are handing us debt while dismantling the principles of equity and justice that the Paris Agreement was built on. This is a betrayal, plain and simple."