Pacific

Shame of the Pacific exposed: 60pc of women victims of violence

But 12 extra Pacific Island women every day have received help from crisis support services in the three years since Australia set up its $320 million, 10-year program to help improve the lives of women in the region.

The Turnbull government is aggressively pursuing the program, which was launched by then prime minister Julia Gillard at the Pacific Islands Forum summit in the Cook Islands in 2012.

In Fiji last night, Minister for International Development and the Pacific Steven Ciobo delivered a report on progress in the first three years.

Pacific people with disability call for more inclusion

The chief executive of the Pacific Disability Forum says one in five people estimated to be living with some form of disability in the Pacific face many entrenched cultural and physical barriers to full participation.

Setareki Macanawai says at least 16 countries in the region have signed or ratified the UN convention on the rights of persons with disabilities but he says there is still a lack of action on the ground.

UN says gender-based violence could hold back Pacific development

The UN's '16 days of Activism against Gender-based Violence' campaign is currently in full-swing, with events taking place throughout the Pacific.

The UN Women's Deputy Representative for Fiji, Nicolas Burniat says the issue affects the majority of women, with two out of three women in the region experiencing violence.

"This is the largest single violation of human rights in the world, it's also the crime that's the least prosecuted and punished. And it's a real threat to peace and development. But if you look at the Pacific the amounts are double."

US Tuna Treaty Woes deliver a revenue warning for PNA countries

The idea behind the vessel day scheme is that by putting a cap on the total number of fishing days available in PNA waters, demand from fishing vessels would bid up the price of each day.

In the past four years returns from the vessel day scheme have quadrupled but now the US fleet says it has to return days already sold under the US Tuna Treaty because it can’t afford to fish.

In the last 18 months catches have hit new records but with so many fish being taken prices have dropped dramatically.

Kiwi Chocolatiers source cocoa beans closer to home

As the demand for chocolate products rises in regions such as Asia and Africa due to higher standards of living, promotions and new products on the market and decreasing volumes of cocoa bean supplies traditional suppliers such as Central America, Kiwi manufacturers are turning to their ‘backyard’ in the Pacific to source cocoa beans closer to home.

Pacific tuna – money earner or crime threat?

In that expanse of ocean much goes on unseen by naval patrols, satellites and aircraft.

Most of that activity is illegal fisheries. According to a 2008 study, as much 11 to 26 million tonnes of fish valued at $USD23billion is lost to illegal operators.

When Indonesian Fisheries Minister Susi Pudjiastuti warned the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission meeting here of the threat of illegal fishing, she called it a trans-national crime.

Empathy for 1.5 degrees goal and Loss & Damage, current draft text does not reflect this mood

"I totally emphathise with their claims. For them it's a matter of life and survival. Any increase beyond 1.5 or 2 degrees will significantly threaten their island nations.

Domestic violence prevention programme said to be paying off

The Pacific Prevention Domestic Violence Programme began in 2006 with the aim of raising police standards when dealing with domestic violence cases.

Its programme officer, Nga Utanga, spoke at a special screening of the New Zealand film, Once Were Warriors, which is based around domestic violence, at the Nothing Less than Equal Film Festival in Suva.

Utanga says like the work they do in the region, the film shows people having the courage to overcome violence.

PACER-Plus deal ‘bad for Pacific’

The paper, released by the Pacific Network on Globalisation (PANG), details the dangers posed by PACER-Plus for Pacific livelihoods and how out of touch with the Pacific reality such free trade agreements are.

From Earth to Paris: Social media used to deliver powerful Pacific message on oceans

The video has been watched over 17000 times in less than 24 hours, illustrating the power of social media to amplify Pacific voices during the Paris-based climate change negotiations.

The video and other messages from the Pacific are being promoted across social media using the common hashtag #4PacIslands.