Pacific

US unconcerned about China and Russia's influence in Pacific

China has developed a growing influence in the Pacific over recent years and this month Russia sent nearly US$9 million worth of weapons to Fiji with the negotiations for a second shipment underway.

However the US Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, Daniel Russel, said all countries could operate in the region effectively.

Cost benefit analysis of deep sea mining in Pacific released

The report aims to assist Pacific Island countries with their decision making concerning deep sea minerals and provide information about the potential magnitude of the impacts of deep sea mining.

Australia gives more funding to fight Pacific drought

It gave US$6.5 million dollars last year and has just announced another US$359,000 dollars in additional support for the North Pacific.

The foreign minister Julie Bishop said the money will focus initially on the Marshall Islands where a state of emergency is in force.

Coral bleaching to impact fisheries

In 2015, the United States' National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration declared the third ever global coral bleaching event, describing the problem as worse than the 1998 disaster when 16 percent of the world's reefs were killed.

Thirty-eight percent of reefs are under threat and over 12,000 square kilometres of reefs will be killed according to the Pacific Community's Brad Moore.

ANZ study suggests Pacific could attract IT industries

It says this could boost economies by up to 3.5 per cent over the next five years, creating thousands of jobs in the process.

The bank's monthly research survey shows outsourcing could emerge as a new driver of Pacific growth.

The bank says Fiji is already showing promise as major companies set up operations there.

NZ Government announces Zika aid for Pacific Islands

Foreign Minister Murray McCully says $250,000 (US$167,000) of that money will go to the World Health Organisation's Pacific Zika Action Plan while the rest will be given to “enable countries in the region to respond rapidly if required”.

“With the Zika virus now confirmed in a number of Pacific countries, New Zealand is committed to helping limit the impact and spread of the virus in the region,” says McCully.

“Our package of support is targeted at prevention and detection measures and builds on our existing support for improving health outcomes in the region.

Big dependency in Pacific on imported food

Last week the Pacific Community launched the Pacific Islands Trade Report 2010-2014, which gave a rare insight into the flow of goods between Pacific Island countries themselves and the rest of the world.

According to the author of the report, Sally-Ann Hughes, within the region's primary sector, the products showing good potential are fish, wood, cocoa, virgin coconut oil and root crops.

Pacific records high incidence of sexually transmitted infections

The study found that young people's sexual behaviour, especially unmarried young people, is a sensitive topic that many governments are failing to confront.

The lead researcher, Dr Elissa Kennedy from Australia's Burnet Institute, says the Pacific has high rates of sexually transmitted infections and unwanted pregnancies among adolescents.

Pacific employment at all-time high

The figures for the December 2015 quarter, released by Statistics New Zealand today, show the unemployment rate for Pacific people dropped over 2015 to 9.7 per cent, from 11.4 per cent a year earlier.

This is the lowest rate since December 2008, when the figure was 7.7 per cent.

The number of Pacific people in employment also increased over 2015 by 14,500 to 130,700. This is a 12.5 per cent increase and represents the highest number of Pacific people employed.

Supporting the Pacific through sport

Minister for International Development and the Pacific, Steve Ciobo announced support for the programme.

The Australian Government is providing $780,000 to Cricket Australia over the next two years, in partnership with the International Cricket Council, to support community programs that address health, gender equality and disability challenges in Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, Samoa and Fiji.