Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — A rare spade-toothed whale is being dissected in New Zealand in a world-first examination of a complete specimen.

The whale, a five-meter long male, washed ashore in Otago in July, sparking interest among scientists and local Māori.

Spade-toothed whales, named for their distinctive teeth, are one of the least known whale species, with only seven specimens recorded since the 19th century.

Most have been discovered in New Zealand, with all previous knowledge based on bones or tissue samples.

The dissection, which began at Invermay AgResearch Centre near Dunedin, involves international scientists and members of Te Rūnanga o Ōtākou.

Tūmai Cassidy said Māori involvement in the process reflects the cultural significance of whales as taonga (sacred treasures).

"Whales are incredibly important animals in our culture … our arrival to Aotearoa (New Zealand) is deeply tied to whales, and like other cultures around the world, we utilize different parts of their bodies," he said.

Mr Cassidy said the collaboration with Western scientists was an "epic privilege" and a chance to share Indigenous knowledge.

"To be part of that process is a huge thing for our hapū but also for our iwi … so that when these events occur, we have local people who can take on some of that responsibility and do it justice," he said.

The dissection aims to uncover details about the whale's anatomy, including its throat structure, stomach layout, blubber weight, and vertebrae.

This information will help researchers better understand the species' life in deep ocean trenches and its unique adaptations as an "exceptionally deep diver".

Scientists are also studying the whale's sound production and feeding habits.

(National Indigenous Times)

BORDER CHECKS AFTER WHOOPING COUGH OUTBREAKS

The Cook Islands has announced border checks in response to whooping cough cases in the wider region.

It follows outbreaks being declared in Samoa and New Zealand.

Health secretary Bob Williams told Cook Islands News flights from Auckland to Rarotonga remain full, and it is important for all new mums with newborn babies and the vulnerable older adults to take extra caution when out in public.

"Monitoring of symptomatic arrival passengers will commence this week by health officials at the border," Williams said.

"The National Coordination Team meets weekly to monitor the outbreak in NZ and Samoa with updates from the Polynesian Health Corridor Team."

American Samoa has also announced border checks.

An announcement from its Department of Health this week said passengers arriving in American Samoa who present with symptoms will be screened on arrival.

People are advised to watch out for symptoms, follow hygiene protocols, and inquire about vaccination.

Acting territorial epidemiologist Adam Konrote said they are intensifying vaccination efforts.

He said the threshold for American Samoa declaring an outbreak is one case.

Samoa's Ministry of Health declared a whooping cough outbreak last week, with six cases of the disease confirmed as 28 November.

It came days after New Zealand had done the same.

(RNZ Pacific)

BEEFING UP FSM BORDER

The U.S Department of Defense is seeking to secure the Federated States of Micronesia’s (FSM) borders, lining up several projects throughout the Pacific nation designed to boost regional security.

FSM officials received project updates from defense officials during the 2024 Joint Committee Meeting held on November 13-14, in Chuuk.

“This two-day meeting brought together officials from both nations to discuss key aspects of their bilateral defense and security partnership under the Compact of Free Association (COFA),” according to a press release from the FSM government.

COFA grants the U.S exclusive defense rights in the FSM, thwarting potential intrusions by other foreign countries such as China.

The agreement allows the U.S. to build defense sites in the FSM. Under the compact, the U.S “has free access to and unrestricted control of the defense sites” as well as their surrounding areas including “seabeds, water areas and air space” deemed “necessary for their use, security and defense.”

Based on the agreement, any rent or other use fees charged by the affected landowners will be paid by the U.S directly to the FSM government “on behalf of its citizens.”

(Pacific Island Times)

CUTTING PLASTIC PRODUCTION

Binding global targets to cut plastic production must be at the center of any continuing negotiations to secure the world’s first treaty to tackle plastic waste, a group of 85 countries has said.

Talks in Busan, South Korea, attempting to secure agreement between more than 200 countries on the details of a plastic pollution treaty ended in failure last weekend.

Graham Forbes, the lead delegate for Greenpeace at the talks, said on Monday: “We stand at a historic crossroads. The opportunity to secure an impactful plastics treaty that protects our health, biodiversity and climate remains within reach.”

The week-long talks, known as INC-5, which were supposed to be the last before the first treaty to cut plastic pollution was signed, ended without agreement in the early hours of Monday in a deadlock over the inclusion of cuts to plastic production between so-called ambition countries and fossil fuel states, which object to any reductions in production.

More than 100 countries supported a draft text that included legally binding global reductions in plastic production and phasing out certain chemicals and single-use plastic products.

But the resistance of countries including Saudi Arabia, Iran and Russia to production reductions, according to statements in their submissions to the treaty talks, led negotiators to concede defeat. They acknowledged they had failed to bridge serious divisions over the aims of the treaty.

Record numbers of plastic industry lobbyists attended the talks in Busan, with 220 fossil fuel and chemical industry representatives present. Taken as a group, they were the biggest delegation at the talks, with more plastic industry lobbyists than representatives from the EU and each of its member states (191) or the host country, South Korea (140), according to a CIEL analysis.

Sixteen lobbyists from the plastics industry attended the talks as part of country delegations. China, the Dominican Republic, Egypt, Finland, Iran, Kazakhstan and Malaysia had industry representatives in their delegations, the analysis showed.

(The Guardian)

TAIWAN'S PRESIDENT TALKS UNITY

Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te received a warm welcome in Guam on Wednesday, during a Pacific tour aimed at reinforcing diplomatic ties with key allies.

His visit to the US territory comes as tensions between Taipei and Beijing continue.

Lai arrived at Guam's Hyatt Regency Hotel late Wednesday night, where he was greeted by cheering community members. Wearing a floral shirt, Lai met with supporters eager to connect.

Guam marked the fourth of five stops on Lai's week-long journey, which includes visits to the Marshall Islands, Tuvalu, and Palau - three of the nations that maintain formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan.

These alliances are increasingly vital as Beijing intensifies its global pressure campaign to isolate Taiwan.

Lai's tour has also drawn sharp criticism from China, particularly for his transit stops on US soil in Hawaii and Guam. Beijing claims these visits violate the "One China" policy, which acknowledges Beijing as the sole government of China.

However, the US has dismissed these claims, emphasizing that such transit stops are unofficial and routine.

(RNZ Pacific)

MARRIAGE LAW UNDER REVIEW

Solomon Islands Law Reform Commission is currently reviewing the Islanders' Marriage and Divorce Act, including assessing whether the marriage age needs to be raised from 15 to 18 years.

A report led be a coalition of charities in Solomon Islands, called Solomon Islands Endim Vaelens Agenstims Pikinini, said one in five girls in Solomon Islands is married before the age of 18, and this increases to one in four in rural areas.

Around six percent of girls are married before the age of 15 in Solomon Islands.

Save the Children, World Vision, and ChildFund interviewed more than 200 children, young people, and adults for the report.

Save the Children advocacy and research director Jacqui Southey said there was widespread public support to increase the age.

"There was consensus between children and adults, parents and community members that children's experiences should be playing with their friends, being at school, learning skills," Southey said.

"They also thought that children getting married too young could lead to problems and we know that through the data that problems such as increased risk of domestic violence is a real concern, the inability to finish school, the inability to have good earnings prospects later in life and greater risk of exploitation."

World Vision's head of advocacy and justice Rebekah Armstrong said Solomon Islands government should heed the strong community support for a law change.

(RNZ Pacific

BIRD FLU

Tonga has restricted imports of raw poultry meat due to bird flu in supplier nations.

Matangi Tonga reports New Zealand, Australia, and the US are Tonga's main sources of chicken, turkey, and duck meat.

A less severe strain of bird flu, H7N6, was confirmed in New Zealand's South Island almost a week ago.

(RNZ Pacific)

CHILDCARE AND PROTECTION BILL

Fiji has passed a Childcare and Protection Bill and a child justice bill in parliament.

Assistant Minister for Women and Children Sashi Kiran said crimes against children increased by 39 percent for the month of October, state broadcaster FBC reported.

The bill makes reporting of abuse mandatory for childcare service and daycare providers, hostels, health professionals, teachers, police, and counsellors.

Kiran said this bill provides for the care of children that are orphaned, or abandoned, as well as those living on the streets.

UNICEF Pacific said it will continue to work closely with the government to ensure full and effective implementation of the new legislation.

(RNZ Pacific)