Stories by Caleb Fotheringham
News
Pacific needs to sit up and pay close attention to AUKUS - Dame Meg Taylor
A Pacific elder and former secretary general of the Pacific Islands Forum says Pacific leaders need to sit up and pay closer attention to AUKUS. Audio
Port Vila call to phase out fossil fuels
Six Pacific nations pledge to phase out fossil fuels "as soon as possible" but need international partners to finance the transition.
Pacific at risk from marine invasive species
Marine invasive species are an ecological and economic threat to Pacific nations, the founder of a New Zealand-based ocean conservation and science organisation says.
Samoa's health chief downplays possibility of measles outbreak
Samoa's director general of health says he is not concerned about another measles outbreak like the one in 2019 after recent suspected cases returned negative. Audio
High seas treaty 'central to Pacific nations' says campaigner
After close to two decades of negotiations, an historic United Nations ocean treaty has been agreed to protect marine biodiversity in international waters. Audio
Vanuatu children 'need to see their friends', educator says
There are concerns that tens of thousands of ni-Vanuatu children could be suffering from "stress and trauma" after the double cyclones that tore through the island nation last week.
Keeping tradition alive: nine vaka completed by Cook Islanders
The art of making vaka is being preserved in the Cook Islands after nine canoes built entirely of traditional materials set sail to the sound of drums in Avarua harbour recently. Audio
Severe tropical cyclone Kevin lashes Vanuatu tonight
It is going to be another long night for many in Vanuatu as Cyclone Kevin lashes the country.
Starlink high-speed internet could reach the remotest islands
Slow internet could soon be a thing of the past in the Pacific's most isolated locations with Elon Musk's Starlink said to be looking to enter the regional market. Audio
'Hardly any rain' for Kiribati island in nearly two years says MP
A member of parliament for Arorae in Kiribati says the island has had almost no rain for two years. Audio
Costly development of Suva forest may now not happen
A Fijian conservationist opposing a Suva tourism development with an estimated price tag of $US300 million is encouraged that the government has indicated that the development may not get under way. Audio
PNG fuel crisis averted - but drivers warned of further shortages
Petrol pumps in Port Moresby are flowing fuel again after supply became extremely limited for several days, but the country's largest fuel importer can't rule out it happening again.
Cyclone-hit Pacific workers well cared for but worried about work
Seasonal workers from the Pacific are bunking in emergency shelters after Cyclone Gabrielle tore through New Zealand's North Island as they wait to hear if there's still work available for them.
Navigator aiming to discover star names from older Cook Islanders
Traditional navigation knowledge could be hidden in stories and songs, and a Cook Islands master navigator is hoping to unearth them. Audio
Conservationist calls on Fiji govt to preserve rare mangrove
A Fiji conservationist is concerned one of Suva's last remaining mangrove areas will be lost if a large tourism development gets underway.
'Agriculture used to be the backbone of Samoa's economy' says Farmers Association
The Samoa Farmers Association is concerned with the decline in the country's agriculture sector outlined in a new government report.
'It's tough for operators to break even' Cook Islands tourism council says
Cook Islands tourism operators are struggling with an unusually tough off-season, with some worrying they will lose their local population as staff are put on reduced hours. Audio
Businessman joins call for Cook Islands to share time with NZ
Rarotonga resident and businessman, Mike Pero, has called for the Cook Islands to share the same date with New Zealand.
Air New Zealand gets its tax back from the Cook Islands
The Cook Islands Government has paid $5.4 million to Air New Zealand following a High Court case in Rarotonga.
Protected areas have 'little impact' on tuna stocks says study
No-take marine protected areas in the western and central Pacific Ocean appear to offer no benefit to tropical tuna conservation according to a new study published in Frontiers in Marine Science.
Seabed mineral exploration licences approved in the Cook Islands
Five kilometres deep on the Cook Islands seafloor, potato-shaped rocks pave the bottom loaded with expensive minerals like cobalt, copper, manganese and nickel.