Pacific Tuna Commission meets
The new Western and Central Pacific Tuna Commission held its inaugural meeting in December at its headquarters at Pohnpei in the Federated States of Micronesia. Of the 17 foundation members, 14 are also members of the Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency. China, Taiwan and Korea are the others. Several others, including Japan, the United States and the European Union are expected to join after ratifying the convention that established the commission. The commission’s role is to attempt to regulate fishing in international high seas areas beyond the limits of 200-mile economic zones. The Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission will be headed by Australian Glen Hurry, who manages the aquaculture branch of the Australian Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. He will be assisted by Lin Xiaobing of China as deputy chairman.
Kiribati addresses waste problems
The Kiribati Parliament has passed a law to impose a small (5c) deposit on drink cans and plastic bottles. The law is a key part of the Kiribati Government’s strategy to attack waste problems. The deposit is refundable once the empty cans and bottles are returned to designated collection points, after which they will be recycled. Kiribati’s small atolls and high population growth has landed it in a bad rubbish disposal problem.
Tonga goes to the poll in March
Tonga’s next general election will be held in March on a date not announced at the time Islands Business went to press. The election will be for nine “commoner” seats with nine other MPs chosen by members of the nobility and 12 appointed by King Taufa’ahau Tupou. Two of the elected commoner MPs will for the first time be invited to join the cabinet.
Re-establish comptroller officer
American Samoa’s territorial auditor, George Webster, has asked the United States department of the interior, which runs US colonies, to re-establish the office of comptroller so that he has compulsory access to the financial records of government departments, now denied to him.
More help for Nauru from the Forum
Nauru can expect more help from the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat in 2005 for solving its political, economic and social difficulties, according to the Forum’s Secretary-General, Greg Urwin. He says most assistance will be for strengthening Nauru’s law and justice agencies.
Malaita wants secession
A meeting of more than 100 of Malaita’s chiefs and political, community, church and youth organisations has unanimously approved a motion that declares that the island should secede from the Solomon Islands to become an independent state rather than accept a proposed new federal form of national government.
The meeting’s chairman, David Oeta, said Malaita had the resources and manpower to go it alone.
Malaita is one of the largest and is the most heavily populated of the Solomon Islands. Lack of agricultural land and underdevelopment drove large numbers of Malaitans to move to the island of Guadalcanal. Their presence aroused local landowner resentment that led to a two-year civil war.
One more parliamentary seat for HRPP
Samoa’s ruling Human Rights Protection Party has increased its parliamentary numbers from 32 to 33 of parliament’s 49 seats by winning a seat from the opposition Samoa Democratic United Party in a by-election.
Ropati accepts Tuilaepa's suggestion
Le Mamea Ropati, leader of the opposition Samoa Democratic United Party, has accepted the suggestion from Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi that it should form a shadow cabinet.
But he says government funds are needed to do so. The Prime Minister said all that a shadow government needed was information the government would supply to it.
Lakatani resigns parliamentary seat
Niue's former premier, Sani Lakatani, has resigned from its parliament after being absent in New Zealand for more than a year where he said he has tostayto care for his ailing wife.
He was premier from 1999 until an election in 2002 that put Young Vivian in the premier'soffice. Niue's next general election is due in March.
Sandra Pierantozzi defeated
Palau's vice-president, business woman Sandra Pierantozzi was defeated in a November general election by Camsek China.
President Tommy Remengesau easily got himself re-elected.
Samoan connection for mayor
Honolulu's new mayor, Muliufi Hannemann, is the first person of Samoan origin to beelected to the office. His parents moved to Hawaii from Samoa.
Marianas told to ban Chinese tourists
TheUnited States has instructed the Northern Mariana government to ban Chinese tourists from Rota Island, 87 kilometres from Guam, because too many of them are using Rota to smuggle themselves into Guam.
The Mariana Islands area partly self-governing US territory, which had become troubled by the attention of Chinese criminal organisations.Guam is a separate United States territory.
