The Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA) has released a new report examining global tuna markets and trade trends in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean (WCPO), highlighting major shifts in the international tuna industry and their implications for Pacific Island countries and territories. Titled Tuna Markets and Trade Dynamics: Western and C...

In a move to strengthen local resilience, the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development on 28 January officially launched Phase 2 of the UNDP-Gov4Res Small Grants Initiative, with financial support from the New Zealand government. Under the initiative, three civil society organisations were each awarded US$13,300 to implement community-based project...

Minister for Agriculture and Livestock Development Franklyn Derek Wasi has announced ambitious national targets to revitalise the poultry industry in the Solomon Islands. Wasi outlined the targets while delivering opening remarks at a consultation meeting with local poultry farmers, emphasising the ministry’s commitment to addressing key challenges and...

Solomon Islands has been elected as Vice President for the Asia-Pacific Group at the 16th Assembly of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), recently held in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The position was previously held by the UAE during the last Assembly. The Minister for Mines, Energy and Rural Electrification, Derek Rawcliffe Manu’ar...

The Pacific Sustainable Development Initiative (PSDI) Financing Growth team visited Fiji to assist the Government of Fiji in implementing the Access to Business Funding (A2BF) Act 2025, a groundbreaking legislative framework designed to facilitate innovative financing mechanisms including small offers, peer-to-peer (P2P) lending, and crowdfunding. A si...

The Government of the Cook Islands in Febuary 2026 officially opened the IORIS Foundational and Leadership Training, a comprehensive two-week programme designed to enhance national maritime security capabilities, strengthen inter-agency coordination, and improve information-sharing across government departments. Delivered under the European Union-funde...

Vanuatu has taken a significant step in strengthening its tourism and aviation links with New Zealand, following the announcement of expanded year-round direct services to Port Vila by Solomon Airlines. The Vanuatu Tourism Office (VTO) has welcomed the development, describing it as a major boost for air connectivity and the national tourism industry. F...

The Vanuatu Tourism Office (VTO) has extended its warm congratulations to the Government of Vanuatu and Air Vanuatu Operations Limited following the successful arrival of a new Twin Otter aircraft, a milestone expected to significantly strengthen domestic connectivity and tourism across the country’s 83 islands. The addition of the Twin Otter to the na...

The Government of Japan has officially handed over a dredger to Fiji’s Ministry of Agriculture, Waterways and Sugar Industry, strengthening the country’s flood mitigation capacity and long-term climate resilience. The handover ceremony took place at the Ministry’s Luvuluvu Station in Nausori. Officiating at the event, the Counsellor and Deputy Head of ...

Fiji has reinforced its growing influence in the global aviation arena with its participation in the Changi Aviation Summit, currently underway in Singapore from 1–3 February. The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Tourism and Civil Aviation, Hon. Viliame Gavoka, is representing Fiji at the high-level gathering following an invitation from Singapore’s...

Pacific Lime and Cement Limited has reported progress on its December 2025 Quarterly Activities and Cash Flow, confirming that its Central Lime Project (CLP) in Central Province remains on schedule and within budget. The company continues to target first production within its planned 18-month development window, aiming for early 2027. Quarterly Activit...

 Great Pacific Gold Corp. has reported further high-grade drilling results from its flagship Wild Dog Project on New Britain Island, East New Britain Province, Papua New Guinea. The company also outlined an extensive district-scale 2026 exploration programme designed to expand and define gold mineralisation across the 15-kilometre Wild Dog Structural Corr...

Technology and communications specialist TE (PNG) Limited has achieved a national first, receiving Papua New Guinea’s inaugural approval from the National Information and Communications Technology Authority (NICTA) to trial a fixed land OneWeb Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite service in Port Moresby. Live testing has now commenced, marking a significant mi...

Road upgrade works in parts of Fiji are being supported through climate finance secured under the Duavata Partnership between the Governments of Fiji and New Zealand. In November 2023, Fiji and New Zealand signed the Country Flexible Finance Partnership Arrangement, providing FJD 27.6 million in budget support for climate-principal projects. These proj...

Lion One Metals Limited  has entered into a subscription agreement with Arete Capital Advisory Pty Ltd, a specialist mining investment syndicate, marking a major strategic partnership for the company’s Tuvatu Gold Mine in Fiji. Under a non-brokered private placement, Arete has agreed to acquire 44,264,800 units at $0.34 per unit, generating gross proce...

The Government of Solomon Islands has exchanged notes and signed two grant agreements with the Government of Japan under the Economic and Social Development Programme, supporting key projects in waste management and forestry. Minister for Foreign Affairs and External Trade Peter Shanel Agovaka signed the agreements with the chargé d’affaires of the Emb...

Lion One Metals Limited has announced outstanding results from underground drilling at its 100% owned Tuvatu Alkaline Gold Project in Fiji. The latest programme, comprising 4,040.90 metres of infill and grade control drilling, has returned multiple high-grade gold intersections, reinforcing the potential of the Zone 5 portion of the mine. Drilling focu...

As part of a major push to revive its international tourism sector, New Caledonia unveiled a comprehensive recovery plan aimed at welcoming at least 250,000 tourists by 2032. Christopher Gygès, a member of the government in charge of economic attractiveness, presented the plan on Wednesday in Nouméa alongside local partners. Following a crisis in 2024,...

The Agriculture Investment for Markets and Nutrition (AIM-N) Project successfully conducted a Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) Induction Capacity Building Training yesterday at St Barnabas Cathedral Leaf Hat Melanesian Haus, aimed at enhancing inclusive agricultural extension and service delivery in Isabel, Western, and Choiseul provinces. T...

A week-long Human and Institutional Capacity Development Workshop concluded in Honiara last week, marking a major step forward in strengthening agribusiness incubation and innovation systems in the Solomon Islands. The workshop, drawing on India’s experience in agribusiness incubation, focused on building the capacity of Agribusiness Incubator (ABI) st...

Fiji has reinforced its regional leadership on climate mobility after hosting representatives from the Government of Palau as part of a peer-to-peer exchange focused on climate mobility and planned relocation. Minister for Environment and Climate Change Lynda Tabuya hosted the delegation on Tuesday in an engagement supported by the International Organi...

As the sun rose over Tubou village, Lakeba became the setting for a moment its people have awaited for generations, as a high-level delegation led by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Tourism and Civil Aviation Viliame Gavoka visited the island for the first time. The visit signalled Lakeba’s formal entry into Fiji’s national tourism conversation,...

Prime Minister Jeremiah Manele on 16 Januaryt led the opening of the upgraded Parangiju Mountain Lodge in Central Guadalcanal, marking a government-backed push to strengthen tourism as a driver of economic growth in Solomon Islands. Manele was the chief guest at the ceremony, which marked the completion of new bungalows, additional rooms and expanded s...

Fiji has taken a major step towards securing a sustainable and resilient ocean future with the official launch of the Fiji Blue Economy Framework 2025–2035, unveiled on January 15 in partnership with the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change and Blue Prosperity Fiji. The Framework was officially launched by the Minister for Environment and Climate...