Pacific States

As the Pacific grapples with a deadly measles outbreak originating in New Zealand, some of the region's smallest states are seeing their health systems put under increasing strain before the disease even reaches their shores.

Already, measles has spread to Fiji, Tonga and Samoa.

Health authorities in Samoa say they have registered seven deaths suspected to have been caused by the measles virus.

Now, there are fears its spread to other countries in the region could be only a matter of time.

Iceland has developed from being one of the world's poorest countries to one of its richest on the back of its fishing industry.

Pacific representatives travelled there this month to learn more about its success.

Secretariat of the Pacific Community Fisheries Director Moses Amos said Iceland had introduced a quota system and ensured it received the full value out of the fish it did catch.

Ministers from the Marshall Islands, Tuvalu and Kiribati were joined by envoys from Fiji, Vanuatu and Palau in urging member states of the International Maritime Organisation to try and limit global warming to 1.5 degrees celsius above pre industrial levels.

The Marshall Islands minister for transport Mike Halferty told the London meeting that the shipping industry was one of the world's big emitters.

He made this statement while closing the Climate Action Pacific Partnership event at the Grand Pacific Hotel in Suva on Tuesday.

Mr Bainimarama also thanked Australia and New Zealand for lending a helping hand to Fiji when it was struck by Tropical Cyclone Winston in 2016.

Present at the event was Australia's Minister for International Co-operation and the Pacific, Concetta Fierravanti-Wells. However, the Deputy Prime Minister for New Zealand, Paula Bennett had already left Fiji.