pacific report

Fishing Rights

Treaty Signed

The South Pacific Tuna Fishing Agreement was signed in early April in Port Moresby by the United States and 12 South Pacific nations, ending the tuna war between American fishermen and members of the South Pacific Forum Fisheries Agency. In return for fishing rights in their territorial waters the US will pay the Forum nations a total of SUS6O million over the next five years. Radio Australia reported that it has taken at least seven years to get the US to recognise their 200-mile economic zones.

FFA members Tonga, Niue, Palau and Vanuatu failed to sign the agreement at the PNG ceremony. FFA Director Mr Philip Muller said these countries had indicated their intention of signing the agreement, which must be ratified by ten countries before it comes into effect including the three key fishing nations, Papua New Guinea, Kiribati and Micronesia. Earlier FFA nations signed an internal agreement on the agreement’s administration and formula for money ditribution.

Vanuatu Reconstruc

Tion Measures

The Vanuatu Government announced a series of measures to assist reconstruction after the devastation caused by cyclone Uma in February. The country’s tourism, agriculture, commerce and manufacturing industries are to be granted exemption from duties on imports of replacement materials and equipment. New projects which can help stimulate economic recov ery will also receive duty exemptions.

Banks are being urged to help people re-establish businesses, or start new ones, and speedy settlements of insurance dis putes will be facilitated.

Credibility And

Influence Eroded

Australia’s Foreign Minister Mr Bill Hayden said the failure of the Western nuclear powers to support the Nuclear Free Zone Treaty will erode their credibility and influence in the region. He said that as a result Australia and New Zealand would be left with the full responsibility for protecting and promoting western interests in the South Pacific. Mr Hayden’s comments were made after Britain joined the US and France and refused to sign the Treaty’s protocols. Britain’s decision would have no effect on the force of the Treaty, Mr

Hayden said. The Treaty, ratified by eight South Pacific nations was registered with the UN in December, and prohibits the manufacture, storage, and testing of nuc lear weapons by member countries. The protocols, signed by the Soviet Union and China require an undertaking from the nuclear powers not to use nuclear weapons against member states, and to adhere to the treaty provisions in relation to their South Pacific territories.

Tonga To Pay

Compensation

The Kingdom of Tonga was ordered to pay over SUS9O,OOO in compensation for a fishing boat which sank while in police custody. In Nukualofa Mr Justice Geoffrey Martin said the police had failed to take proper care of the mv Rainbow Runner, owned by the Tonga Flying Fish company.

The vessel was held as security against an alleged debt last August when it sank in a storm.

Niue Commercial

Bank Opened

Niue celebrated the opening of the first commercial bank early last month. At the ceremony PM Sir Robert Rex described it as one of the most important events in the

country’s history. A public holiday was declared for the ceremony and 300 people attended the opening ceremony of the Westpac Niue branch. Sir Robert said the presence of the bank increased prospects for economic progress and showed confi dence in the country.

Plan For Disaster

Co-Ordination

PNG Prime Minister Mr Paias Wingti has called for the setting-up of a disaster co-ordination plan for the whole of the South Pacific, and will raise the proposal at the Forum meeting in Apia late this month.

He said natural disasters in the form of cyclones and earthquakes had recently hit the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Fiji, the Cook Islands, and Papua New Guinea.

Acknowledging the quick and unselfish aid donations from within and outside the region, he said it had been spontaneous rather than planned in advance. Radio Australia said Mr Wingti believed that with a Pacific Disaster Co-ordination plan the Island states would be better prepared to handle disasters.

Pacific Tests

To Continue

A member of France’s Parliamentary De fence Commission reaffirmed that Paris will continue underground nuclear tests in the Pacific despite mounting criticism from regional states. Mr Jacques Baumel, a member of the governing RPR party, said in French Polynesia that it was out of the question to close the Pacific test site or move it elsewhere. He was on a tour of the test sites at Mururoa and Fangataufa before parliamentary debates on France’s five year military spending programme. Mr Baumel said the presence of the test sites substantially raised the standard of living in French Polynesia.

Emperor Allegations

Rejected

The Australian-owned Emperor Gold Mines rejected allegations made against it by Fiji opposition leader Dr Timoci Bavad ra in a newspaper advertisement. The company is a consortium involving the Emperor Gold Mining Co. and the West ern Mining Corporation. In the latest of a series of allegations about the company’s operations Dr Bavadra said the people of Nasomo, near the mines, had been victims

Bill Hayden, Australia’s Foreign Minister.

of the company’s self interest. He said the company had been allowed by the Fiji Government to have Nasomo land seized and alienated under mining leasehold and that the people in the region had not had sufficient rights restored to them for control of their land. Emperor Mines said that no mining activities are being carried out in Nasomo by the companies because the people of Nasomo have not agreed to allow the companies on to their land for mining exploration. Emperor also denied Dr Bavadra’s claim that mining operations were contaminating water and air in the Nasomo region.

Niue Pm Returned

The Prime Minister of Niue, Sir Robert Rex, and his three member cabinet were returned in the late March elections. Niue’s electoral officer said there were only three new faces in the 20 member Assembly.

The island’s only political organisation, the Niue People’s Action Party, gained one representative to the Assembly, with leader Mr Sani Lakatani failing to win a seat.

Eleven Killed

In Landslide

A landslide in the PNG highlands town of Goroka killed eleven people when a cliff collapsed after heavy rain. The dead were among a group of 30 who were watching videos in a house when it was buried under tonnes of mud and debris. Most of the dead were children, and another fourteen were hospitalised.

Libya Reacts

Libya reacted with astonishment to Austra lian warnings against interference in the South Pacific, Jana, the official Libyan News Agency said the question of Libya’s diplomatic relations in the Pacific con cerned only Libya and the independent countries involved. Jana said the establish ment of diplomatic relations with these nations was compatible with Libya’s na tional and international rights. Australian Foreign Minister Hayden had told the Australian Parliament the Government was concerned at Libyan activity in the South Pacific and warned Libya against interfer ence. He said Libya’s commercial interests in the region were almost nil, that Libya was not a member of the region and did not share regional interests and concerns and that therefore Libya’s interest would be almost exclusively political. New Zea land’s PM Mr Lange had earlier accused Libya of meddling in the affairs of a region where its efforts were unwelcome, and PNG Foreign Minister Ted Diro had said the South Pacific Forum would discuss the issue of increasing Libyian involvement in the South Pacific at the May Apia meeting.

Libya established diplomatic relations with Vanuatu last year and is reportedly close to establishing a Libyan People’s Bureau in Port Vila.

Vanuatu Inquiry Begun

A special Commission of Inquiry has begun taking evidence in Vanuatu on the

loss or damage to a total of 16 ships during cyclone Uma in early Februry. A total of 21 crew from the ships were killed or missing presumed dead. The Commissioner, Soli citor General Mr Anthony Durkin, and two assessors flew to Tanna to begin the inquiry and evidence will also be taken in Port Vila. A traditional compensation settlement was performed in the northern Banks group of islands by the owners of two ships which lost men in the cyclone.

The owners were accompanied to the islands by a high-ranking traditional chief to make the payments to the families of the dead.

Second Station

Ready Soon

PNG’s second TV station was reported to be ready to begin broadcasting in four months. Media Niugini’s General manager, Mr Gerry Thorley, said the first broadcasts would be seen in Port Moresby and surrounding districts about August Ist. He said coverage was planned to be extended to Lae, Rabaul, Mount Hagen, Goroka and Madang by next January.

Franco-Australian

Relations “Evolving”

Australian Foreign Minister Bill Hayden said he was prepared to meet his French counterpart Mr Jean-Bemard Raimond, during his Paris visit for the OECD meeting this month. Australian Embassy officials in Paris confirmed a report that Mr Hayden was prepared to meet Mr Raimond if France was prepared to end its ban on ministerial contacts between the two gov ernments. The ban followed Australian criticism of French policies in the South Pacific. A French spokesman said the situation was “evolving” and as yet nothing was conclusive.

Malnutrition Rates Up

A UN report has found that Pacific Island people have some of the world’s most rapidly increasing rates of malnutrition.

The FAO report blamed the shift from a traditional fresh food diet which was rich in fibre and micro-nutrients, to a diet based on imported and often over-refined food.

Countries covered in the report included PNG, Kiribati, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalua, Western Samoa, Cook Islands, FSM, Fiji, Niue and Palau. It found that per capita consumption of traditional root crops such as yams and taro had fallen by over 8% since 1970, while consumption of imports such as rice, refined sugar and white wheat flour had risen by 6% and said this was due to rapid urbanisation and the relative cheapness of imports.

Dr. Timoci Bavadra.

Sir Robert Rex.