Pacific news in brief for October 27

Samoa – bird

A search party of 14 people camping in the Samoan forest for 11 weeks was called off after no sightings of the national bird, manumea, were recorded.

This has raised concerns that the numbers of the endangered bird have now reached critical levels.

The Samoa Conservation Society (SCS) in collaboration with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment has been conducting intensive surveys covering areas on both Upolu and Savaii for the manumea, which also known as the Tooth Billed Pigeon.

The SCS said the total population is believed to have dropped below 200 nationwide.

The Society’s James Atherton said this was the reality Samoa is facing with manumea on the verge of becoming extinct, and they are sparing no efforts in seeking ways to s to prevent the numbers declining further and to try and increase the population.

The call of the manumea was recently found to be very similar to the lupe raising accuracy issues.

SCS also reported sighting a significant population of cats in the forest causing further alarm.

Atherton said the society is determined to continue its work to curb the threats.

New Caledonia – agreement

The government of New Caledonia and the Pacific Community (SPC) have signed a new four-year partnership agreement reconfirming the regional agency’s headquarters will remain in Nouméa.

New Caledonia has housed SPC for almost 75 years and the SPC said their new partnership recognises this shared history.

President Louis Mapou and the SPC director general Stuart Minchin signed the new deal, which also aims to promote regional integration in New Caledonia and enable the SPC to fully play its role in bringing together all of 27 members of the agency.

It has developed a framework for the next four years which includes three main objectives:

• strengthening the organisation’s headquarters in Nouméa
• technical cooperation between SPC and New Caledonia
• communication

Fiji – cooperation

The Fiji Cabinet has approved a cooperation agreement with Volunteer Service Abroad (VSA) New Zealand.

The agreement will allow the Fijian government to engage VSA volunteers to provide technical assistance to community projects as well as larger scale initiatives of Government Ministries.

VSA operates under five broad thematic areas, including business and economic growth; health and wellbeing; education; environment and climate change; and agriculture, fisheries and food security.

Operating since 1962, V-S-A is the volunteer development programme, funded by the New Zealand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade as part of the Aotearoa NZ Aid Programme.

Fiji’s National Employment Centre will oversee the programme under the agreement.

Fiji – adjourned

A Suva court has adjourned the case of Fiji’s former attorney-general Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum to next month.

FBC reports his lawyer said Sayed-Khaiyum is receiving extended medical treatment in Singapore for a kidney-related procedure.

Last month, the Suva Magistrates Courts removed a stop departure order against Sayed-Khaiyum and allowed him to travel overseas for a medical review.

He was ordered to surrender his passport in time for Friday’s court sitting.

Sayed-Khaiyum, 57, has been charged with one count of abuse of office when he was acting prime minister between June 30 and July 12 last year.

It is alleged that he acted beyond his powers and approved for the government to pay the taxes of the country’s former elections chief Mohammed Saneem at the time.

Chief Magistrate Waleen George has adjourned the matter to 16 November.

Samoa – warning

Non-Samoans have been warned against engaging in businesses that are reserved for Samoans.

The warning was published in a public notice issued by the Ministry of Commerce Industry and Labour highlighting that this is against the Foreign Investment Act 2000.

The Act states under section 14 (la) it is an offence for a non-citizen or a company having a shareholder who is a non-citizen to be engaged in or be employed at any business or economic activity which is specified in the prohibited list.

The list includes the bus transport services for the general public, taxi transports, rental vehicles, retailing food and drink items, sawmilling and traditional elei garments designing and printing.

The ministry urged the public to contact it to report any illegal activities.