Tagata o te Moana

A weekly Pacific magazine programme featuring New Zealand and regional Pacific news, issues, information and music.

Presented by Don Wiseman

An illustrated motif representing people from the Pacific gathered around a sun.

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Tagata o te Moana for 20 September 2025

In Tagata o te Moana this week: Fiji's prime minister cops flak for opening Embassy in Jerusalem. Papua New Guinea celebrates 50 years of independence and Tonga is gearing up for a general election. Also a refugee advocate in Australia says Nauru's citizenship by investment scheme is a national pariah. Samoa elects a new prime minister and we take a closer look a new exhibition celebrating Pasifika art and culture in Auckland.
New episode
Fijian Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka and Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu officially inaugurated Fiji’s resident embassy in Jerusalem. 17 September 2025

Tagata o te Moana for 13 September 2025

In Tagata o te Moana this week: It's been a busy week at the Pacific Islands Forum in Solomon Islands, we take a look at some of the highlights from Honiara. Also Pacific media want answers from Australia after being denied access to an Albanese press conference. And we speak to Leaupepe Ross Taylor who is going into bat for Samoa.
Pacific leaders at the Pacific Islands Forum 2025.

Tagata o te Moana for 6 September 2025

This week on Tagata o te Moana: FAST party wins Samoa's snap general election; Bougainvillieans hit the polls; It's Pacific Islands Forum leaders week; New Zealand Foreign Affairs Minister Vaovasamanaia Winston Peters is on the show; France voices 'frustration' over donor exclusion from PIF Leaders' Summit in Honiara; Pacific leaders are expected to reaffirm their recognition of Indonesia's sovereignty over West Papua at PIFLM; A small Maori community is celebrating a huge win against 80 years of sand mining on their coastline; Hundreds of Pacific delegates at Turangawaewae Marae in Ngaruawahia, paying tribute to Maori monarch Te Arikinui Kuini Nga wai hono i te po.
FAST Party Leader Laʻaulialemalietoa Leuatea Schmidt, Samoa election 2025

Tagata o te Moana for 30 August 2025

In Tagata o te Moana this week: Samoa's snap election, the latest from our reporter on the ground; Bougainville's incumbent-President relaxed ahead of this Thursdays election; Also, controversy over a childrens book in Cook Islands and Fiji's kava shortage all that and more stories of the week from RNZ Pacific.
Counting centre for Samoa's snap general election

Tagata o te Moana 16 August 2025

This week on Tagata o te Moana: dengue continues its march in Samoa. The King of Tonga is undoing democratic reforms. Vanuatu's security and economic deal with Australia is closer. Also today Pacific heart health, outside nations told not to meddle in the Pacific. Also Pacific youth on security, Bougainville's election and mining the Cook Islands sea floor.
King Tupou VI inspects the guard of honour during his official state visit to Fiji in July 2025.

Tagata o te Moana for 9 August 2025

This week on Tagata o te Moana from RNZ Pacific with Don Wiseman; Samoans turn to traditional remedies to try and overcome dengue; Bougainville's path ahead as it pushes towasrd independence; Tonga is coming ever closer to mining the sea floor in a remote part of the Pacific; Pasifika unemployment in New Zealand is soaring; and the concerns in the Cook Islands at the side effects of the very healthy tourism numbers.

Tagata o te Moana for 2 August 2025

On Tagata o te Moana this week:The great new deal for New Caledonia loses some of its sheen. The Cook Islands celebrates without Winston. How did meth become such a huge problem in the Pacific. And more on mining the ocean floor, elections in Bouugainville, Bislama in New Zealand and Davis Cup tennis.

Tagata o te Moana for 26 July 2025

This week on Tagata o te Moana, great news for Pacific climate change campaigners; Winston Peters says the Cooks Govt needs to ask its people whether they still want citizenship; Dengue extends its grip over the region and the Pacific loses a music legend.

Tagata o te Moana for 19 July 2025

In Tagata o Te Moana this week: Sam Kauona is again vying to become President of Bougainville. An agreement is signed that may end the political impasse in New Caledonia. Nauru gets closer to a controversial seabed mining deal. The NZ government in a fit of pique ignore Cook Islands 60th anniversary celebrations. All these stories and more from the RNZ Pacific team.

Tagata o te Moana for 12 July 2025

On Tagata o te Moana today: What is needed to curb the violence in Papua New Guinea; We remember the original Rainbow Warrior; A newly anointed Fiji chief could follow in his father's footsteps and become PM.

Tagata o te Moana for 28 June 2025

This week on Tagata o Te Moana: Gun violence in Papua New Guinea fueling an internal refugee crisis. Bougainville and PNG reach agreement on its quest for independence.Guam in the dark over decoy role in US bombing of Iran and Pacific communities celebrate their new All Blacks.

Tagata o te Moana for 14 June 2025

In Tagata o te Moana this week: More reports of civilian casualties out of West Papua amid fighting between the Indonesian Military and the West Papua National Liberation Army. Inconclusive end to PNG Bougainville independence talks in Christchurch. And New Zealand education advocates are critical of the coalition government's decision to remove special funding for Pacific and Maori students in vocational courses.

Tagata o te Moana for 7 June 2025

On Tagata o te Moana this week: New Zealand hosts independence talks between Bougainville and Papua New Guinea. The Samoa Electoral Commission is preparing for an August election. And there's a lot at stake for the World's oceans as leaders, civil society groups, scientists and businesses gather in France.
Bougainville President Ishmael Toroama, left, and PNG Prime Minister James Marape confirm the appointment of New Zealand Governor General, Sir Jerry Mateparae. 10 September 2024

Tagata o te Moana for 31 May 2025

On Tagata o te moana this week: Politically it is unsettled in parts of the region, while the Pacific is also trying to cope with dengue outbreaks. The continuing washup involving the Manawanui and next week academics in Auckland look at the links between health and climate.
Residents of Balawa in Lautoka conducted a Dengue Clean Up campaign over the weekend. The residents cleaned up the street and drains collecting all litter and cleared potential mosquito breeding grounds as well as clearing blockages in drainage. 
Twenty (20) garbage bags of refuse were collected within two hours and disposed at Vunato landfill. 
The council also carried out anti mosquito spraying soon after the cleanup.

Tagata o te Moana for 24 May 2025

This week on Tagata o te Moana: No solution yet to New Caledonia's political impasse. Polio is again on the rise in Papua New Guinea. The New Zealand Budget delivers substantial cuts to the Ministry of Pacific Peoples and work is underway to improve the response to ciguatera poisoning.
This photograph shows a Kanak flag waving next to a burning vehicle at an independantist roadblock at La Tamoa, in the commune of Paita, France's Pacific territory of New Caledonia on May 19, 2024. French forces smashed through about 60 road blocks to clear the way from conflict-stricken New Caledonia's capital to the airport but have still not reopened the route, a top government official said on May 19, 2024. (Photo by Delphine Mayeur / AFP)