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APIA, Samoa (February 3, 2001 - Samoa Observer/PINA Nius Online)---Samoa's Anglican Archdeacon Faga Matalavea has been appointed as the next official Anglican representative at the United Nations in New York.

Her appointment was made by the Archbishop of Canterbury from London, and announced in the Pacific by the Bishop of Polynesia, the Right Reverend Jabez Bryce.

Mrs. Matalavea was one of the four candidates interviewed for the job in London last month.

She will be representing 70 million Anglicans worldwide at United Nations headquarters.

"We are humble and grateful to God that our Diocese is now represented in the world arena with Faga at the United Nations, Archdeacon Winston Halapua at the Anglican Consultative Council and myself as one of the eight Presidents of the World Council of Churches," Reverend Bryce said.

"We wish Faga every good wish in her new role and pray for wisdom, knowledge and good health to be granted to her by the Father...

By Fili Sagapolutele

PAGO PAGO, American Samoa (February 4, 2001 - PIDP/CPIS)---Any non-U.S. flagged fishing vessel that off-loads its catch in American Samoa will be subject to an import duty of 20 percent per ton of the purchase price for light meat tuna.

This is according to a legislative proposal by Governor Tauese Sunia’s administration.

The proposed new fee, submitted to the Legislature early last week for consideration, will be imposed on light meat tuna off-loaded in the territory, which enters the harbor aboard or was initially caught by a purse seiner vessel that is not registered in the U.S.

Acting Governor Togiola Tulafono said the new fees will provide an additional source of revenue for the government and increased economic benefits for the Territory as a whole.

But the legislation primarily "is intended to stimulate use of our port by the U.S. purse seiner fleet, which is currently lying idle due to the depressed prices prevailing...

NOUMÉA, New Caledonia (February 2, 2001 - Oceania Flash/SPC)---A New Caledonia environment association, Racine, is calling on authorities to take more steps to save local mangroves.

Globally, the Ramsar Convention (named after the Iran town where it was signed 30 years ago) provides for protection of swamps that are threatened by urbanization.

One hundred twenty-three countries around the world have ratified the convention.

"New Caledonia's mangroves contain many animal and plant species. They also act as a natural filter of human pollution. We think it is important to struggle and preserve them," Racine President Isabelle Ohlen said.

Between 1960 and 1989, she said, the total surface covered by mangroves in the territory has dwindled from 800 hectares (2,000 acres) to a mere 230 hectares (575 acres).

The main causes for the loss are mining, industrial pollution and real estate speculation, according to a leaflet produced by Racine.

Also,...

This paper was presented by the Director of the Tonga Human Rights and Democracy Movement, and former PCRC Director LOPETI SENITULI at a Journal of Pacific Studies Seminar Series held at the University of the South Pacific, 9 October 2000.

(Published in the Pacific News Bulletin, January 2001)

By Lopeti Senituli

In a presentation I made at the Seminar for the Pacific Regional Women Members Parliament in March 2000 I started by quoting a report broadcast on Radio Australia on 13 March that said:

"Police in the Solomon Islands have tightened security in the country’s capital Honiara. The extra police security follows a riot in the weekend in which two hundred people stoned a government building. A spokesman (sic) for the Police says, armed police personnel will continue to patrol the city and members of the paramilitary are engaged to go out on night patrols. This is the first time members of the paramilitary officially known as the Police Field Force are...