PACNEWS ONE, 02 NOVEMBER 2026

In this bulletin:

1. PACIFIC — Pacific nations warn rising sea levels pose human rights and legal challenges
2. FIJI — Fiji Military ready to surrender coup immunity
3. FIJI — Military may have to bring things back to order if “things go wrong” : Fiji PM Rabuka
4. TUVALU — Tuvalu Parliament passes Public Health Act 2026, modernizing century-old public health legislation
5. PACIFIC — Pacific wins in Protected Areas at the CBD COP17
6. PACIFIC —  Pacific calls for fossil fuel phase-out
7. FIJI — PM Rabuka signals readiness to serve another term
8. PACIFIC — Record overseas enrolments as Pacific voters and visitors cast ballots from abroad
9. PNG — Pangu to back party MPs during GE27: Marape
10. PACNEWS BIZ — FFA Members to push for landmark bigeye tuna management measure at WCPFC23
11. PACNEWS BIZ — U.S fish stocks show improvement as seafood industry generates US$321 billion
12. PACNEWS BIZ — Australian traveller claims $58,000 in gold vanished during Nadi Airport customs inspection
13. PACNEWS IN FOCUS — PCIS Forum Balances U.S – China Geopolitics with Micronesian Human Security
14. PACNEWS DIGEST — Harnessing youth collective power for biodiversity justice at CBD COP17

PACIFIC – SEALEVEL RISE: PACNEWS         PACNEWS 1: Mon 02 Nov 2026

Pacific nations warn rising sea levels pose human rights and legal challenges

By Pita Ligaiula

NEW YORK, 02 NOVEMBER  2026 (PACNEWS)—Pacific nations have warned that rising sea levels pose serious human rights and legal challenges, calling for stronger international cooperation and clear legal frameworks to protect communities affected by climate change.

Speaking during a debate on the International Law Commission’s annual report at the United Nations Sixth Committee (Legal) on 29 October, Papua New Guinea said rising sea levels were compounding existing threats to Pacific communities.

The PNG representative described the phenomenon as “a twin disaster that seriously compounds an already-grave threat for our people”.

He recalled the regional conference convened by the Pacific Islands Forum on the protection of people affected by sea level rise, stressing that the issue was fundamentally “a human-rights issue”.

He also raised concerns about gaps in regional human rights protections, including the absence of a comprehensive regional human rights architecture and institutional mechanisms that could affect the consistent application of human rights obligations across the Pacific.

Peru also highlighted the growing legal implications of rising sea levels, saying the impact extended beyond environmental concerns to fundamental questions of international law.

“As a country on the Pacific Ocean, whose communities, ecosystems, infrastructure and economic activities are closely linked to its coastlines, we know the challenges this phenomenon represents,” its representative said.

The representative said the implications of rising sea levels “transcend the environmental dimension and touch upon key aspects of the international legal order”.

He called for sustained international cooperation and legally grounded collective responses, noting the cross-border and multidimensional nature of the challenge.

Belize, speaking on behalf of concerns raised within the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), called for an international framework defining the responsibilities of affected and receiving States.

The framework should establish pathways for cross-border movement and guarantee the right to self-determination, its representative said.

She noted that although international law recognises the duty to cooperate, there was insufficient clarity on how that obligation should be applied in the context of rising sea levels.

“That question should not be left to inference,” she said.

Belize also called for further consideration of international obligations relating to cooperation, prevention and reparation.

The debate formed part of the Sixth Committee’s consideration of the first cluster of topics in the International Law Commission’s annual report, with speakers emphasising the need for legal certainty as international law responds to emerging global challenges.

For Pacific Island countries, the discussions carry particular significance as rising sea levels threaten communities, territory, infrastructure and livelihoods, raising questions about the protection of human rights and the legal responsibilities of States….PACNEWS

FIJI – CONSTITUTIONAL REFORM: FIJI SUN  PACNEWS 1: Mon 02 Nov 2026

Fiji Military ready to surrender coup immunity

SUVA, 02 NOVEMBER 2026 (FIJI SUN) —The Republic of Fiji Military Forces (RFMF) has declared its willingness to surrender constitutional immunity for past coups, acknowledging its role in overthrowing Fiji’s governments and calling on Parliament to remove the protections.

In a submission to the Special Parliamentary Committee considering the Constitution (Amendment) Bill No. 32 of 2026, RFMF Commander Major General Jone Kalouniwai said the military was prepared to submit itself to the law.

The declaration marks a significant position by an institution that has been central to Fiji’s history of military intervention in politics.

Major General Kalouniwai told the committee that the RFMF did not seek the immunity provided under Section 206 of the Constitution and wanted Chapter 14 removed.

He said the military had formally declared its position on 16 October 2026.

“The RFMF does not seek the immunity in section 206, and we do not wish to receive it. We ask Parliament to remove Chapter 14. We accept, without condition, the civilian authority set out in section 151. And we will cooperate with any lawful process of accountability.”

The Commander said the decision had not been imposed on the military.

“No court has ordered it. No Government has demanded it. No law compels it. It is a willing sacrifice, and only a willing sacrifice carries moral weight.”

He argued that surrendering immunity voluntarily would demonstrate the military’s commitment to accountability and civilian rule.

Major General Kalouniwai acknowledged the RFMF’s involvement in the upheavals of 1987, 2000 and 2006.

“The RFMF does not come before you with clean hands. In 1987, in 2000 and in 2006, the constitutional order of our nation was overturned, and the RFMF was at the centre of those events. Lives were lost, families were broken, and in some homes the wound has never healed.”

He said the military’s examination of its past had identified a pattern it called the Architecture of Rebellion.

According to the submission, successive coups had been sustained by secrecy, governance through fear, misplaced loyalty and constitutional immunity.

The Commander argued that immunity had protected those responsible for destabilising Fiji rather than the people affected by political upheaval.

“Immunity has never protected the widow, the farmer or the child. It has protected only those who held power.”

He said the military was now determined to dismantle the system that had allowed unconstitutional seizures of power to recur.

“The architecture of rebellion was built, in large part, by the institution I now lead. An architecture can be torn down from outside, but it is only truly dismantled when its own builders refuse to defend it.”

The RFMF wants Chapter 14 replaced with a Truth, Accountability and Reconciliation Commission.

Under its proposal, protection would be conditional on full disclosure and would not extend to the gravest crimes.

Major General Kalouniwai said removing constitutional immunity would not automatically establish anyone’s guilt.

“Removing immunity convicts no one. It restores the ordinary law, with all its protections.”

He also referred to the military’s reconciliation efforts since 2022, including its acknowledgement of past wrongs in March 2024 and the presentation of a matanigasau to affected families, the Church and the Great Council of Chiefs in August 2025.

The Commander said the military had a responsibility to demonstrate that it deserved the forgiveness it had received.

He told the committee that the RFMF’s position was grounded in the principle that no individual or institution should stand above the law.

“We ask nothing for ourselves, Mr Chairman. We ask only that the law stand above every person, including us.”

The military has asked the parliamentary committee to consider its recommendations before the Bill proceeds further….PACNEWS

FIJI – CONSTITUTIONAL REFORM: FIJI TIMES        PACNEWS 1: Mon 02 Nov 2026

Military may have to bring things back to order if “things go wrong” : Fiji PM Rabuka

SUVA, 02 NOVEMBER 2026 (FIJI TIMES)—Fiji Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka has suggested that the military could be called upon to restore order if things go wrong in the country’s constitutional process.

“Because if things go wrong, either you or your successor will have to bring it back to order,”  Rabuka told Republic of Fiji Military Forces Commander Major-General Ro Jone Kalouniwai in Parliament last week.

His remark came shortly before Major-General Kalouniwai presented the military’s submission to the Special Parliamentary Committee reviewing the Constitution Amendment Bill.

Rabuka said Fiji had reached a point where Parliament was once again opening its doors to listen to the people and consider their views on the country’s supreme law.

He questioned how the country had arrived at this stage, referring to previous constitutional consultations, including those involving the Great Council of Chiefs and the late Jai Ram Reddy.

Rabuka said those consultations had demonstrated that the people’s voices were heard in the process of developing the Constitution.

“We once again come back to that point where we open Parliament, we open the legislative arm of the Government of Fiji to listen to the people and construct a Constitution,” he said.

He said the hope was that the Constitution would stand for generations to come.

Rabuka welcomed the Commander’s presence and the RFMF’s views, saying its submission would form part of the considerations before the parliamentary committee.

Meanwhile, Fiji Labour Party leader Mahendra Chaudhry says Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka’s remarks about the military restoring order if the constitutional reform process goes wrong were either careless or calculated, and neither was acceptable.

Chaudhry has demanded an explanation from the Prime Minister over comments he made to Republic of Fiji Military Forces Commander Major General Ro Jone Kalouniwai during proceedings of the Special Parliamentary Committee examining the Constitution (Amendment) Bill 2026.

“Until that clarification is given, the country is left with a statement that is either careless or calculated, and neither is acceptable from a Prime Minister who is simultaneously pressing for a new constitution,”  Chaudhry said.

According to the Labour leader, Rabuka told the Commander that if things went wrong during the constitutional process, either he or his successor would have to bring the country back to order.

Chaudhry said the remarks were made shortly before the Commander presented the military’s submission on the proposed constitutional changes.

He questioned the significance of the statement, particularly given Fiji’s history of military intervention in politics.

“The Prime Minister was at the camp in 2000. He led the events of 1987. When a man with that record tells the serving Commander that he or his successor may have to restore order, the country is entitled to ask what he means.”

Chaudhry said the comments were especially troubling because Major General Kalouniwai had declared that the military did not want the constitutional immunity proposed in the Bill.

The Commander had also confirmed that the RFMF had signed a declaration rejecting immunity and was prepared to cooperate with lawful accountability processes.

In his submission, Major General Kalouniwai acknowledged the military’s involvement in the events of 1987, 2000 and 2006 and recommended replacing Chapter 14 with a Truth, Accountability and Reconciliation Commission.

Chaudhry said the Prime Minister’s reported remarks raised questions about the military’s possible role in the constitutional process.

“Is he acknowledging the broad wording of section 131 of the 2013 Constitution, which gives the military overall responsibility for the security, defence and well-being of Fiji and all Fijians, and inviting the Force to treat itself as the enforcer of the constitution he now wishes to pass?”

He also questioned whether the reference to a successor carried a warning for the serving Commander.

“Is he warning the Commander that a successor can be found if the present Commander does not share the government’s view of what ‘order’ requires?”

Chaudhry said the remarks could also be interpreted as a reminder of the military’s past involvement in resolving political and constitutional disputes.

“None of these readings is reassuring. All of them are available from the words he used.”

He maintained that the RFMF’s decision to reject immunity and accept civilian authority represented a clear commitment that should not be undermined by suggestions of military intervention.

“The Republic of Fiji Military Forces has placed on record that it wishes to surrender the immunity that has protected it and that it accepts civilian authority. That is a statement of principle.”

Chaudhry said constitutional disagreements must be resolved through established democratic institutions rather than military involvement.

“Order in a constitutional democracy is restored by elections, by the courts, and by the observance of the rules that already exist.”

He called on Rabuka to explain whether his reported comments referred to section 131 of the Constitution and whether he envisaged any military role if the Bill failed to secure parliamentary approval or was rejected in a referendum.

“The Fiji Labour Party calls on the Prime Minister to state, in plain terms, what he meant by the remark, whether he was referring to section 131, and whether he contemplates any role for the military beyond the ordinary duty of defending the State if the third reading or the referendum does not produce the result he seeks.”

Chaudhry said the country deserved clarity from the Prime Minister at a time when major decisions were being considered about Fiji’s constitutional future…..PACNEWS

TUVALU – HEALTH: WHO PACIFIC              PACNEWS 1: Mon 02 Nov 2026

Tuvalu Parliament passes Public Health Act 2026, modernizing century-old public health legislation

FUNAFUTI, 02 NOVEMBER 2026 (WHO PACIFIC)—Tuvalu reached a milestone in strengthening public health protection with the Parliament’s passage of the Public Health Act 2026, replacing legislation first enacted 100 years ago.  

The new law provides an updated framework for preventing, managing and responding to public health risks from the community level through to national emergencies, public health emergencies of international concern, and pandemics.  

It also includes flexible and updated approaches to communicable disease management, planning, standard setting, collection and use of health information, and coordinating with partners.  

“Tuvalu’s health needs have changed significantly over the past century, and our laws must evolve to meet these challenges with the right attention and care,’ said Tuafafa Latasi, Minister for Health and Social Welfare.

“The Public Health Act 2026 gives us a stronger foundation to protect our communities. This is an important moment for all Tuvaluans.” 

Tuvalu’s previous Public Health Act was first enacted in 1926 and was amended several times over the decades.  

However, as the country’s health needs evolved, a more comprehensive update became necessary.  

For people across Tuvalu, the updated legislation aims to support safer and healthier communities by ensuring different level of health risks have identified pathways for escalation and response, with clear powers and responsibilities to support decision-making.   

It also has provisions to support the involvement of different sectors. Ultimately the new law will support Tuvalu meet its obligations under the International Health Regulations.  

“For Pacific Island countries like Tuvalu, having a modern legal framework is essential to ensuring that health systems are able to adequately respond to the health risks communities face today,” said Dr Mark Jacobs, WHO Representative to the South Pacific and Director of Pacific Technical Support. 

“WHO congratulates the Government of Tuvalu on this important achievement and remains committed to supporting the country as it works to translate the new legislation into stronger public health protection for its people,” he said…. PACNEWS 

PAC – BIODIVERSITY: SPREP                       PACNEWS 1: Mon 02 Nov 2026

Pacific wins in Protected Areas at the CBD COP17

YEREVAN, 02 NOVEMBER 2026 (SPREP)—Pacific breakthroughs have been made on the Protected Areas work during the 17th Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity. 

Pacific Island delegates have been calling for Other Effective Area-Based Conservation Measures (OECMs) to be recognised as a Protected Area under Target 3. 

This was agreed during negotiations, as well as the text inside the preamble that recognises the contributions of indigenous and traditional territories.

While this text is in there now – on the final day of the COP, it is not officially closed and agreed until the gavel bangs to signify the end of the CBD COP17 in Yerevan, Armenia from 19 to 30 October. 

“The recognition of indigenous and traditional territories must be formalised by the CBD COP so we can recognise their work and contributions towards meeting Target 3 of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework,” saidDean Wotlolan of Vanuatu. 

He has been following this negotiation thread both for Vanuatu and for Pacific Small Islands Developing States.

“In Vanuatu the majority of the conservation areas that we are targeting to contribute to Target 3, the 30 by 30 are owned and managed by traditional indigenous owners so we must have this recognition from the COP.”

Target 3 of the KMGBF is to conserve 30 percent of Land, Waters and Seas by 2030. It is to “ensure and enable that by 2030 at least 30percent of terrestrial, inland waters, and of coastal and marine areas, especially areas of particular importance for biodiversity and ecosystems functions and services, are effectively conserved and managed through ecologically representative, well-connected and equitably governed systems of protected areas and other effective area-based conservation measures, recognising indigenous and traditional territories where applicable, and integrated into wider landscapes, seascapes and the ocean, while ensuring that any sustainable use, where appropriate in such areas, is fully consistent with conservation outcomes, recognising and respecting the rights of indigenous peoples and local communities, including over their traditional territories.”

For the Pacific Islands region OECMs are also crucial, these are geographically defined spaces—outside of formal protected areas—that are governed and managed in ways that deliver long-term, positive results for biodiversity conservation. While the Cook Islands is the only OECM across the Pacific, there are plans for others to establish these.

Vanuatu is currently reviewing its Principle Environment Act and has the specific inclusion and recognition of OECMs. 

Dean

“For Vanuatu, approximately 90 percent of all conservation areas are owned and governed by indigenous people,” said Wotlolan.

“It’s a win for us to have this recognised to date, as well as the inclusion of the OECM’s.

The latest Protected Planet Report (2024) indicated that globally, 8.5 percent of the world’s terrestrial land is both protected and connected, up from 7.84 percent with the inclusion of OECMs in 2020. 

Regionally, connectivity of protected terrestrial land varies greatly between countries and territories ranging from 0 percent to 60 percent, due to their spatial arrangement, size and coverage. According to the State of Protected and Conserved Areas in Oceania report, Pitcairn, New Caledonia, and Tuvalu have the highest level of land both protected and connected at 58 percent, 56 percent, and 37 percent respectively.

The 17th Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity hosted in Yerevan, Armenia from 19 to 30 October 2026…..PACNEWS

PACIFIC – CLIMATE CHANGE: ISLANDS BUSINESS     PACNEWS 1: Mon 02 Nov 2026

Pacific calls for fossil fuel phase-out

SUVA, 02 NOVEMBER 2026 (ISLANDS BUSINESS)—Pacific  climate priorities include an immediate phase-out of coal, oil and gas, alongside stronger accountability from major emitting countries to keep the 1.5°C temperature limit within reach.

The call forms part of the Funafuti Call for Climate Justice, an outcome of the Civil Society Regional Dialogue for Pacific Voices Ahead of Pre-COP31 and COP31, held in Tuvalu on 10 – 11 September2026.

The outcome statement describes 1.5°C as a non-negotiable survival threshold for Pacific peoples, cultures, health, livelihoods, sovereignty and future generations.

It calls for stronger accountability measures to ensure major emitting countries deliver climate action consistent with the temperature target and meet their legal obligations.

It also urges states to stop fossil fuel exploration, licensing and expansion, and end fossil fuel subsidies.

The statement says developed countries must lead the managed decline of fossil fuels first and fastest, in line with their responsibilities and capabilities, while all states must follow.

It rejects what it calls false solutions, including carbon capture and storage, nuclear energy, offsetting, geoengineering, and managed transition pathways when used as substitutes for reducing fossil fuel production and consumption.

Pacific leaders are urged to endorse the Tassiriki Call for a Fossil Fuel Free Pacific and demand grant-based finance and technology transfer from development partners to help the region reduce its dependence on imported fossil fuels.

The statement says this year’s energy crisis showed that no Pacific state can end this dependence alone.

It calls for renewable and sustainable energy systems that reflect Pacific development priorities, including the needs of highland communities, outer islands and maritime populations.

However, it warns that energy development must not come at the expense of climate adaptation, land or food security, or reproduce extractive practices.

It also calls for climate transitions to be just, equitable, inclusive and gender-responsive, with safeguards for women, girls, children, youth, older people, persons with disabilities, migrants, Indigenous Peoples and local communities.

The statement links plastic pollution to fossil fuel production and calls for action across the entire plastics life cycle, from raw material extraction and production to the remediation of existing marine pollution.

It further emphasises the importance of Indigenous knowledge systems, scientific evidence, traditional practices and lived experiences in guiding climate decisions, adaptation and resilience-building.

Meaningful participation by civil society and communities must be embedded in climate governance, policy development, financing, implementation and accountability at national, regional and international levels. The statement calls on Pacific leaders and international partners to carry these priorities through Pre-COP31 and COP31 and beyond…..PACNEWS

FIJI – POLITICS: FIJI SUN                             PACNEWS 1: Mon 02 Nov 2026

PM Rabuka signals readiness to serve another term

SUVA, 02 NOVEMBER 2026 (FIJI SUN) —Fiji Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka has indicated he is prepared to lead Fiji for another term, saying he is confident in his mental and physical ability to continue as Prime Minister if The People’s Alliance (PA) party returns to government.

Rabuka admitted that leading the Coalition Government at this stage of his life has “not been easy.”

Questions emerge over whether he will lead the party into the next general election.

Addressing delegates at the PA party assembly in Lami on Saturday, Rabuka said his decision to continue leading would depend on his ability to carry the responsibilities of the country’s top job.

Rabuka also revealed that he had begun the process of transitioning his leadership and identifying new leaders for the future.

“I came in knowing I could transit my leadership here so we can start the journey to find new leadership in the years ahead of us,” he said.

He said his future in leadership would also depend on the confidence placed in him by party members and the people of Fiji.

“I am a servant of your will, and we will continue to serve as long as we have your confidence in us,” he said.

Rabuka reminded party members of the influence they would have in the upcoming general election, urging them to recognise the responsibility that came with their support.

“I ask you all to be aware of the power you have in the upcoming election. I believe in you just as much as you believe in me,” he said.

His remarks leave the question of PA’s future leadership open, with Mr Rabuka indicating that another term remains a possibility while also acknowledging the need to prepare the party for new leadership in the years ahead….PACNEWS

PACIFIC – ELECTION/POLITICS: PMN         PACNEWS 1: Mon 02 Nov 2026

Record overseas enrolments as Pacific voters and visitors cast ballots from abroad

WELLINGTON/AUCKLAND, 02 NOVEMBER 2026 (PMN)—Pacific voters outside New Zealand say the 7 November election result will be felt well beyond Aotearoa’s borders, with one Cook Islands voter saying rising New Zealand prices hit the realm “twice”.

About 126,000 enrolled voters have told the Electoral Commission they live overseas, up from 92,600 in 2023. Nearly two-thirds are in Australia.

They can vote online or at 64 overseas locations, 10 of them in Australia.

Glenda Tuaine, who runs a company in Rarotonga, has voted at the New Zealand High Commission in every election since moving back to the Cook Islands.

Asked how easy it is to vote there, Tuaine tells PMN News it is really easy.

“It’s just like when you paper vote, you do it like you do in Aotearoa. Exactly the same system, exactly the same structure.”

But she noticed fewer voters this time and believes election fatigue, after the Cook Islands’ own election, is a factor.

“I think that people are really over the rhetoric and the game playing of politicians globally.”

Asked what is top of mind for Pacific people this election, Tuaine says it is the cost of living, and with a lot of products coming from New Zealand the effects flow straight into the Cook Islands.

“It has to get shipped or air freighted to us. Cost of aviation fuel and cost of diesel has gone up significantly. Therefore, we’re hit twice.”

She says a kilogram of cheese costs $28 (US$15.77) in Rarotonga and a pound of butter $13.20(US$7.43).

Asked why voters outside New Zealand should have a say, Tuaine says the issue is often seen through a “colonised lens” and that Pacific genealogies are interwoven.

“We have people from New Zealand that also have chosen to live in our country and have become permanent residents. And guess what? They vote in our election. It’s called democracy.”

Her message to Pacific voters unsure about voting: “Voting is a privilege, but it’s also a gift. So get off the couch, get down to your polling station and tick,tick, done”’

Stella Teariki is on holiday in Western Australia, says voting was a real priority and she went online with her sister as soon as voting opened.

“I have in the back of my head that these are special votes that get counted at the end, and these are the votes that could make a difference to the outcome.”

Overseas votes are counted as special votes and added in the official count after election night.

Electoral Commission data shows that in 2023 77,295 overseas votes were cast, among about 567,000 special votes.

Teariki says the vote nz website was the biggest challenge, and the only language option she could find was English.

“While my sister and I are in our 50s and 60s, our computer literacy was enough to get us through. But for an older age bracket, it definitely would pay to tap into family.

“If it means that my one vote is the difference to the change of this government, I’ve done my job.”

Election day is Saturday 7 November, with voting places open 9am to 7pm. Advance voting opened on 26 October….PACNEWS

PNG – ELECTION/POLITICS: THE NATIONAL       PACNEWS 1: Mon 02 Nov 2026

Pangu to back party MPs during GE27: Marape

PORT MORESBY, 02 NOVEMBERR 2026 (THE NATIONAL) —The Pangu Pati says leadership must continue for development to happen and therefore will support its members of Parliament in General Election 2027, says Prime Minister James Marape.

Marape was addressing a crowd attending the opening of a district office, police station, district market and water supply in Menyamya, Morobe.

“On behalf of the Pangu Pati council, we will not unseat performing members because leadership must continue working so that development must happen,” Marape said.

“And development does not happen only in five years, it takes time.”

He said Pangu would support Menyamya MP Solen Loifa “whether he is in Government or Opposition”.

“It does not matter. We see a leader that is working for the country,” Marape said.

“We support leadership that is at work.”

Loifa is a member of Our Pati led by Morobe Governor Rainbo Paita.

Deputy Prime Minister John Rosso, deputy leader of the Pangu Pati, said Pangu would not endorse a candidate to challenge Loifa in General Election 2027 despite him standing under the Our Pati banner.

He said a performing candidate should not be replaced because of petty politics.

“We cannot just replace a performing candidate because of petty politics,” Rosso said.

That person deserves another chance because people need performing MPs despite political differences.

“Menyamya, you have a good leader, so hold onto him, but it is your democratic right to appoint a leader of your liking,” he said…. PACNEWS

PACNEWS BIZ

PACIFIC – TUNA INDUSTRY: FFA              PACNEWS BIZ: Mon 02 Nov 2026

FFA Members to push for landmark bigeye tuna management measure at WCPFC23

HONIARA, 02 NOVEMBER 2026  (FFA)– The 17 Members of the Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA) will push for a landmark management procedure for bigeye tuna at the upcoming 23rd Regular Session of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC23) in Port Vila, Vanuatu.

The proposal is among several fisheries management priorities formally submitted to the Commission following the 22nd Management Options Consultation (MOC22), a weeklong series of meetings involving FFA Members, partners and stakeholders on key regional fisheries management issues.

The outcomes of MOC22 were endorsed yesterday at a Special Forum Fisheries Committee (FFC) Officials Meeting in Honiara, before being submitted to the Commission.

If adopted, the proposed bigeye tuna measure would be the Commission’s first management procedure covering both purse seine and longline fisheries, two major fishing methods used to catch tuna.

It would be an important step towards strengthening the management of the world’s largest bigeye tuna stock, which accounts for approximately 40 percent of global bigeye tuna catches and, according to the latest stock assessment, has never been overfished.

Managing bigeye tuna remains a challenge because both purse seine and longline fisheries catch the same stock. Existing restrictions on purse seine fishing help protect bigeye tuna but also reduce fishing opportunities and potential revenue for Pacific Island countries, while benefiting longline fisheries.

FFA Members are seeking a more balanced approach that protects bigeye tuna while recognising the economic interests of Pacific Island countries and ensuring that conservation responsibilities are shared more fairly between the two fishing methods.

Other proposals submitted by FFA Members include new arrangements for managing South Pacific Albacore, stronger fisheries reporting and monitoring and  stronger management of transhipment activities.

For South Pacific Albacore, FFA Members are seeking agreement on how fishing opportunities should be allocated between coastal States and high seas fisheries and established rights on the high sea; supported by robust monitoring and reporting; for the implementation of the Management Procedure adopted by the Commission in December 2025. The proposal is grounded on the recognition of rights and special requirements of Pacific Small Island Developing States and Territories (SIDS) and of the Commission’s agreed allocation criteria.

FFA Members are also calling for stronger fisheries monitoring and compliance, including a prohibition on transferring fish between vessels on the high seas until the Commission adopts clear guidelines. Other priorities include improving fisheries data reporting and protecting Pacific Island countries’ fishing rights and economic interests as climate change affects tuna distribution.

FFA Director-General Noan David Pakop acknowledged the commitment demonstrated by Members throughout the consultations.

“Members, the 22nd Management Options Consultation demands flexibility, compromise and commitment to our collective interests and I recognise that this is not always a straightforward process.  However, over the past few days, your engagement has once again demonstrated the strength of our membership: your ability to come together, reconcile differing views and work towards consensus,” Pakop said at the FFC Officials Meeting.

With their common positions now endorsed and formally submitted, FFA Members will focus on building support for their proposals ahead of WCPFC23, scheduled for 30 November – 05 December 2026 in Port Vila, Vanuatu.

The 17 FFA Members include Australia, Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Naoero, New Zealand, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu….PACNEWS

PAC – FISHERIES: PACNEWS                    PACNEWS BIZ: Mon 02 Nov 2026

U.S fish stocks show improvement as seafood industry generates US$321 billion

WASHINGTON, 02 NOVEMBER 2026 (PACNEWS) — The number of United States fish stocks subject to overfishing has fallen to a record low, while the country’s commercial and recreational fishing industries generated US$321 billion in economic activity and supported 1.7 million jobs in 2024.

The findings are contained in three annual reports released by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries, covering fish stock conditions, commercial and recreational catches, seafood trade and the economic contribution of the fishing industry.

NOAA Fisheries said the reports provide important data for monitoring the sustainability of US marine fisheries and measuring their contribution to the national economy.

The 2025 Status of Stocks report shows that the number of fish stocks subject to overfishing dropped from 23 to 15, the lowest level recorded.

Of the 372 stocks with known overfishing status, 96 percent are not subject to overfishing.

The number of overfished stocks remained unchanged at 42, while 84 percent of the 265 stocks with known status were not overfished.

The report also recorded progress in rebuilding fish populations, bringing the total number of rebuilt stocks to 52 since 2000.

Atlantic blue marlin was removed from the overfishing list for the first time since 1998, while California’s quillback rockfish was added to the rebuilt list in 2025.

NOAA Fisheries monitored 522 stocks or stock complexes and conducted 173 stock assessments during the 2025 fiscal year, resulting in two first-time stock status determinations through improved or new scientific assessments.

The agency said sustainable fisheries management depended on sound science, effective enforcement, innovative management approaches and partnerships with regional fishery management councils, States and international organisations.

The two 2024 economic reports also highlighted the industry’s contribution to employment, coastal communities and national revenue.

U.S commercial fisheries recorded total landings of 7.7 billion pounds, generating US$4.9 billion in revenue.

The commercial fishing industry supported one million jobs and generated US$175 billion in sales, US$44 billion in income and US$70 billion in value-added economic impacts nationwide.

Recreational fishing supported another 685,000 jobs, generated US$146 billion in sales and contributed US$78.9 billion in value-added impacts.

NOAA Fisheries said the figures demonstrated the importance of commercial and recreational fishing to coastal economies and the wider U.S economy.

The reports also highlighted the country’s dependence on international seafood markets, with the United States importing US$25 billion worth of edible seafood products and exporting US$4.4 billion in 2024.

U.S seafood consumption stood at 18.4 pounds per person, while domestic aquaculture production reached 561 million pounds of farmed seafood valued at US$1.3 billion.

NOAA Fisheries said the data would support informed decisions on strengthening domestic seafood production, improving competitiveness and addressing unfair trade practices.

The agency said sustainable fisheries remained important to food security, economic growth and recreational opportunities.

The full datasets from the 2024 Fisheries of the United States and Fisheries Economics of the United States reports are available through NOAA’s Fisheries One Stop Shop database…..PACNEWS

AUST – CUSTOMS: FIJI TIMES                    PACNEWS BIZ: Mon 02 Nov 2026

Australian traveller claims $58,000 in gold vanished during Nadi Airport customs inspection

NADI, 02 NOVEMBER 2026 (FIJI TIMES)—An Australian traveller is demanding answers after claiming that two gold bars worth approximately US$26,000 (FJD$58,000) went missing following a customs inspection at Nadi International Airport.

Ronnie Wong alleges that the two 100-gram gold bullion bars disappeared from his bag while he was transiting through Fiji on October 15, 2026, on his way from Los Angeles to Adelaide.

 Wong said he was stopped by customs officers at approximately 7am and that an officer took his bag containing the gold away from his sight for inspection.

The bag was subsequently returned, but he claims he discovered the gold was missing only after arriving home in Australia.

“At the time, I had no reason to believe anything was missing. However, when I arrived home, I discovered that both gold bars were no longer in the bag,” he said.

The missing bullion has a combined weight of 200 grams and an estimated value of US$26,000.

Wong said he reported the incident to Fiji Customs, Fiji Police, Nadi International Airport management and the Australian High Commission.

However, he claims that despite repeated follow-ups, he has yet to receive a substantive investigation report or satisfactory explanation.

In an email dated 19 October,  Wong requested that CCTV footage from the airport be preserved and examined.

“I was carrying a quantity of gold bullion and pulled aside by customs around 7am,” he wrote to Fiji Airports..

In a response on the same day, seen by The Fiji Times, a Fiji Airports representative acknowledged the complaint and confirmed that the matter would be referred to the airport’s security team.

“We acknowledge your report and will coordinate with our Security team to investigate and request preservation and review of the relevant CCTV footage,” she said.

Wong followed up again on 23 October and subsequently sent another email seeking an update on the investigation.

“It has now been 11 days since I reported the incident to Fiji Customs, Fiji Police, Nadi Airport management and the Australian High Commission,” he wrote in the later correspondence.

“So far, I have only received an acknowledgement advising that the matter would be investigated.”

He requested confirmation that relevant CCTV footage and customs inspection records had been preserved, along with details of which authority was leading the investigation.

“Given the extremely high value of the missing gold I can also fly out to assist and meet with the team,” he wrote in his 23 Octoberemail.

Wong stressed that he was not accusing any particular customs officer of wrongdoing but wanted an independent investigation to establish what happened.

“I understand that an investigation needs to establish the facts, and I am not making an allegation against any particular individual,” he said.

“However, the circumstances surrounding the disappearance of such valuable property are deeply concerning.”

He said he decided to approach the media after becoming frustrated by the lack of detailed information about the investigation.

“I am hoping that media attention may encourage the relevant authorities to take the matter seriously, provide answers and establish what happened to my property.”

Questions have been sent to Fiji Airports….PACNEWS

PACNEWS In Focus

The views expressed in PACNEWS are those of agencies contributing articles and do not necessarily those of PINA and/or PACNEWS

PCIS Forum Balances U.S – China Geopolitics with Micronesian Human Security

SAIPAN/HAGATNA/MAJURO, 02 NOVEMBER 2026 (MARIANAS PRESS) —As the United States and China intensify their strategic competition across the Western Pacific, Micronesia has increasingly become the focal point of military war-gaming and defence buildup—a reality that regional scholars, diplomats, and defence analysts say demands a new approach to island security that prioritises local consent, environmental protection, and indigenous sovereignty alongside traditional defence.

​During a virtual forum hosted by the Guam-based Pacific Centre for Island Security (PCIS) on 23 October, international strategists and Micronesian voices gathered to examine both sides of this geopolitical equation: what drives superpower military posturing across the First and Second Island Chains, and how island communities are navigating a rapid wave of federal initiatives ranging from deep-sea mining and mobile nuclear reactors to multi-billion-dollar base expansions.

​Moderated by PCIS’s Dr Kenneth Kuper and opened by Chairman Dr Robert Underwood, a former Guam congressional delegate, the webinar sought to anchor an islander perspective at the centre of policy debates that are too often held in Washington or Beijing without local participation.

​In his opening remarks, Dr Underwood challenged regional policymakers to abandon what he described as a “nostalgic” 20th-century view of American power.

He noted that elected officials in U.S territories like Guam and the CNMI, as well as in the Compact of Free Association (COFA) states, frequently shy away from foreign policy in electoral politics, defaulting to a pro-status-quo stance even as global dynamics shift toward a multipolar reality.

​“We are living in a multipolar world in which military strength or military spending cannot affect everything—they cannot be the solution for everything,” Underwood said.

True regional stability, he argued, requires a coherent diplomatic and economic strategy rather than military flexing alone, particularly at a time when long-standing alliances and international norms are being re-evaluated by both Beijing and Washington.

​To set the regional stage, the forum paired two contrasting international strategic analyses: the expansion of Chinese asymmetric operations and the potential for long-term U.S military retrenchment.

​Dr Benjamin Blandin, a visiting research fellow at the Institute for National Defence and Security Research in Taiwan, presented a comprehensive mapping of China’s asymmetric and “gray-zone” activities over the past decade.

Blandin detailed how Beijing has reinforced its stretched high-seas naval fleet by militarising the China Coast Guard and deploying thousands of maritime militia and civilian auxiliary vessels—including research ships, long-haul fishing fleets, decommissioned oil rigs, and dual-use ocean buoys equipped with underwater sensors.

​These assets are increasingly operating along the First Island Chain and moving into the wider Pacific to conduct hydrographic mapping for submarine warfare, gather intelligence, and monitor subsea telecommunications cables without notifying local island authorities. 

While Blandin noted that Chinese-funded ports and airstrips in the South Pacific are too small to pose a direct military basing threat, he warned that Beijing systematically uses hospital ships, policing agreements, and infrastructure aid to shift diplomatic allegiances and United Nations voting patterns.

​Offering a different view on Washington’s trajectory, Dr Jennifer Kavanagh, a defence scholar whose recent paper for Defence Priorities has sparked widespread debate in foreign policy circles, argued that the United States is heading toward an inevitable military pullback. 

Pointing to the ongoing conflict with Iran, Kavanagh said the past eight months have exposed serious U.S military vulnerabilities, including shallow munition stockpiles and the fragility of fixed overseas bases against modern missile and drone barrages.

​Combined with a US$40 trillion U.S national debt and a generational shift among American voters weary of foreign entanglements, Kavanagh predicted that Washington will gradually retrench from the First Island Chain and consolidate its defence perimeter along the Second Island Chain—which runs directly through the Marianas, Yap, and Palau.

​“Pulling back to the Second Island Chain would create physical space between the United States and China, radically reducing the risk of war,” Kavanagh said. 

However, she cautioned that this shift carries mixed consequences for Micronesia: in the near term, it will bring heightened military construction, economic spending, and environmental strain to the islands; in the longer term, U.S fiscal pressures could lead to cuts in social services, non-military infrastructure, and climate adaptation funding across the region.

​At the heart of the forum were four presentations by Micronesian researchers and practitioners who examined how these macro-level defence strategies directly impact island governance, resources, and community health.

​Deep-Sea Mining in the Marianas: Dr Theresa “Isa” Arriola, a Saipan-born sociocultural anthropologist, Director of Operations at Blue Ocean Law, and chair of the community advocacy group Our Commonwealth 670, examined how deep-sea mining (DSM) has been folded into U.S national security strategy. 

Citing 2025 presidential executive orders—including EO 14285, which links offshore critical minerals and “virtual stockpiling” to defence supply chains and competition with China—Arriola traced how the federal Marine Minerals Administration (formerly BOEM) rapidly doubled its proposed lease area around the Mariana Trench from 35.5 million to 69.1 million acres ahead of a scheduled December lease sale.

​Arriola highlighted widespread pushback across the Marianas, including demands for comprehensive studies from all four CNMI mayors, Guam’s passage of Public Law 38-129 banning seabed extraction in territorial waters, and a federal lawsuit challenging the adequacy of endangered species reviews.

Addressing legislative proposals like CNMI Delegate Kimberlyn King-Hinds’ Pacific Minerals Economic Security Act (PACMESA) to share federal leasing revenues, Arriola stressed that uncertain royalties do not equate to economic sovereignty or local decision-making power. “An archipelago is not a stockpile,” she said.

​Military Posture and Customary Consent in the FSM: Joe Enlet, a former FSM Consul General and marine affairs researcher from Chuuk, analySed the legal fine print of the renewed Compact of Free Association and the Military Use and Operating Rights Agreement. 

Enlet highlighted a key legal tension: while U.S officials often describe “strategic denial” as covering the FSM’s entire 200-mile Exclusive Economic Zone, the Compact and the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea limit sovereign territorial waters to 12 miles.

​Addressing the planned US$2 billion U.S military buildup in Yap and recent friction over the FSM’s request for a US$1.3 billion compensation package, Enlet emphasised that government-to-government payments do not replace the free, prior, and informed consent of traditional clan landholders. Grounding his recommendations in the Chuukese concept of tumwun (holistic care and protection of people, land, and sea), Enlet argued that genuine security requires funding judicial independence and anti-corruption mechanisms, establishing digital data sovereignty, and cleaning up leaking World War II shipwrecks in Chuuk Lagoon.

​Environmental Degradation on Guam: Veteran investigative journalist Rob Perez detailed the ecological and human health costs of historic and contemporary military operations on Guam. 

Pointing to the U.S Supreme Court battle over open-air munitions detonations at Tarague Beach and the contamination of Yigo’s Y-15 drinking water well with the banned carcinogenic pesticide dieldrin—where residents went 17 years without a public emergency advisory despite repeated detections—Perez illustrated a long-standing pattern of toxic exposure.

​Nearly three-quarters of the 114 toxic waste sites identified on Guam in a 2007 federal study were linked to military lands, Perez noted, alongside lingering PCB contamination in Malesso, uncompensated radiation fallout, and the clearing of over 2,200 acres of limestone forest for Camp Blaz and the planned 16-site missile defence system. 

In a statement provided to Perez, Joint Task Force-Micronesia stated that the military works closely with regulatory agencies to meet environmental standards, pointing to a US$122 million upgrade to Guam’s Northern District Wastewater Treatment Plant, forest enhancement initiatives, and the relocation of more than 7,200 coral colonies in Apra Harbour.

​Small Modular Nuclear Reactors: Dr Kathy Jetñil-Kijiner, Climate Change Envoy for the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI), examined the federal and international campaign to deploy Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) and microreactors in the Pacific. Driven by Executive Order 14299, the U.S Army’s “Project Janus,” and the Pentagon’s “FORTRESS” initiative to decouple military bases from civilian power grids—alongside surging AI energy demands—nuclear energy is increasingly marketed to island nations as a clean power source.

​Jetñil-Kijiner pointed out that the push reached the CNMI through Senate Joint Resolution 24-05, which proposed studying advanced nuclear technologies for Saipan, Tinian, and Rota, drawing sharp opposition from CNMI Rep. Vicente Camacho Aldan over the islands’ lack of emergency response capacity and typhoon vulnerability.

Citing the Marshall Islands’ painful legacy of U.S nuclear testing and the vulnerable Runit Dome nuclear waste site, Jetñil-Kijiner argued that SMRs are too expensive, slow to build, and hazardous for small island grids compared to proven solar and wind renewables.

​To help the public monitor these converging developments, PCIS board member Leland Bettis demonstrated the newly launched Micronesia Security Monitor (MSM). Supported by the Carnegie Corporation of New York and the Sasakawa Peace Foundation, the interactive online platform maps regional military exercises, missile ranges, base construction, and vessel tracks—revealing both Chinese research vessels surveying subsea cables near Guam and U.S autonomous saildrones mapping seabed mineral zones around the Northern Marianas.

​During the closing discussion—which included insights from PCIS Advisory Council member and  Anote Tong—speakers reflected on how small island societies can exercise genuine leverage when power dynamics are stacked against them.

Rather than falling into a dependency trap or passively accepting war planning as inevitable, the panelists concluded that Micronesia’s strongest defence lies in regional solidarity, investigative transparency, grassroots organising, and active ‘peace planning’—asserting an indigenous definition of security that protects both the islands and the people who call them home…. PACNEWS

PACNEWS DIGEST

The views expressed in PACNEWS are those of agencies contributing articles and do not necessarily those of PINA and/or PACNEWS

Harnessing youth collective power for biodiversity justice at CBD COP17

YEREVAN, 02 NOVEMBER 2026 (SPREP)—Three Pacific voices are united with more than 280 youth from around the world that are attending the 17th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity in Yerevan.

At COP17, young people are working to influence decisions, elevate diverse voices and push for a just implementation of the Global Biodiversity Framework.

The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework aims to halt, and reverse, the loss of biodiversity. What is decided here at CBD COP17 will drive work on the ground at the national level.

Facilitated through the Global Youth Biodiversity Network (GYBN) the youth have a coordinated programme at the CBD COP17 ensuring their voices are as amplified in as many spaces as possible.

One of these areas of work includes policy and negotiations whereby the youth delegates are tracking the negotiations and finding ways for their voices to be heard and reflected in the text. Youth positions have also been developed by the youth for the CBD COP17.

“For the policy space we have been talking with negotiators to explain our concerns, seeing how we can talk to contact group chairs and also request the floor to make interventions that highlight our youth asks,” said Claire Oiire the Pacific Biodiversity Coordinator for the Pacific Islands Roundtable for Nature Conservation at the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP).

A Young Professional, Oiire is also leading work undertaken through the Pacific Chapter of the GYBN.

“This part has been challenging, but we are learning so much. It’s so important for our young people to be involved in this as we inherit what is being put into place now.”

The other areas of engagement for young people at the CBD COP involve working with the creative team to spearhead advocacy and artwork throughout the COP venue, as well as a capacity building team organising sessions to enhance the skills of youth in the global biodiversity network. 

A youth pavilion is also featured at CBD COP17, and a special Youth Day was commemorated at the meeting on 23 October.

Joshua Lato, of Papua New Guinea is one of the Pacific voices being heard at the CBD COP. A youth biodiversity advocate Lato has also founded his own Non-Governmental Organisation for young people in PNG called YPeer PNG Network. Based in Port Moresby Lato has been working to ensure youth voices are considered in environmental decision-making back home.

“60 percent of our population in PNG is made up of youth, we are the future. Once those that have made the laws and policies for implementation have moved on, we will rise,” said Lato.

“Our way of life in the Pacific sees us implementing the biodiversity work – we don’t stick to implementation behind a desk but we get in there and continue this work applying ways that has been passed down to us from our elders. It’s built within us as young Pacific people. Our voices must be heard.”

CBD COP17 is Lato’s first Biodiversity COP, he also attended the 30th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. Here in Yerevan, Armenia this week he has continued to build networks, as well as present at side events to amplify young voices and concerns.

“I’ve learned so much, its really broadened my understanding of the biodiversity both at home and at the international level. I’ll be able to take what I’ve learnt here and expand it to the youth work I do in Papua New Guinea,” stated Lato. 

And as for his advice to other Pacific youth working to save our environment – “Keep fighting for our environment in whatever you do, build your resiliency and keep at it! If we don’t, then who will? Keep working for our future as tomorrow is on our hands, today.”

The 17th Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity hosted in Yerevan, Armenia from 19 to 30 October 2026.

The Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu are Pacific Island Parties to the CBD…..PACNEWS

You can read more of the GYBN work at CBD COP17 at: https://gybn.org/cop17-home/

For more information please visit: https://cop17yerevan.am/en