Western Pacific

It is the first time in WHO's history that a regional director has been dismissed.

The Associated Press reports an email sent to employees on Wednesday by WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Dr Takeshi Kasai's appointment had been "terminated" after an internal investigation resulted in "findings of misconduct".

 The seventy-first session of the WHO Regional Committee for the Western Pacific is being held online from 6 to 9 October 2020. On the opening day, WHO briefed countries on the COVID-19 situation in the Region and our work to support responses. Delegates shared updates on the current situation and needs.

Of particular concern are the movements of the heavily fished big eye tuna species which made up 75 percent of the 2,135 fish tagged during the 36 day expedition.

A Very little tagging of big eye tuna has been carried out in the Western Pacific in the past.

The expedition covered parts of the Exclusive Economic Zones of the Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Nauru, Solomon Islands and Tuvalu.

And they must be operating more closely with the navy's Japan-based Seventh Fleet to focus on areas with the “greatest instability”.

In two recent speeches that received little media attention, US Pacific Fleet commander Admiral Scott Swift questioned the need for an administrative boundary running along the International Date Line to demarcate operations for the Seventh Fleet in the western Pacific and the Third Fleet to the east.