El Niño confirmed in the Pacific
El Niño conditions have now been confirmed in the region as advised by The South Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP). As waters in the Eastern and Central Pacific warm, there will be changes to rainfall and wind patterns. Drought is expected in the Western Pacific sub-region. SPREP has called for a regional response and advised that countries begin taking water conservation measures now. In other parts of the Pacific, there is likely to be increased rainfall.
The US reopens commercial fishing in protected waters
President Donald Trump has issued a proclamation that reopens three areas of the Western Pacific to commercial fishing. These areas include Marine National Monuments which have been off limits to fishers for the best part of 20 years. The move has been welcomed by industry but met with dismay by conservation groups, such as the Friends of the Mariana Trench. They argue that this move will undermine Pacific communities and cultural heritage.
Pacific leaders call for global peace
The leaders of the Pacific Islands Forum have called for global peace. The call is based on their declaration of the region as an Ocean of Peace in 2025. Their statement referred to the challenges they face from the impacts of climate change and the effects of the war in Iran on their ability to secure fuel and maintain connectivity. They used this call to restate their “vision of a peaceful Pacific, free of nuclear weapons and nuclear testing and our shared objective of eliminating nuclear weapons globally.”
Dr Anna Naupa to head the Melanesian Spearhead Group Secretariat
After a prolonged period of decision-making, the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) has announced Dr Anna Naupa as its next Director-General. Dr Naupa will lead the MSG’s Secretariat in Port Vila, Vanuatu. She is the first ni-Vanuatu DG and the first woman to take on that role. The MSG has struggled in recent years to maintain the dynamism of its early days and Dr Naupa will take on the role at a critical time for regional and sub-regional relationships.
About the author: Dr Tess Newton Cain is Principal Consultant at Sustineo. She is also a distinguished academic and researcher with over 25 years of unmatched experience in delivering exceptional policy, research, and analysis to drive strategic development across the Pacific islands region.
