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Resistance to mega-tourism is rising in the South Pacific – but will governments put words into action?

With COVID-19 travel restrictions largely a thing of the past for Australian and <a href="https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/travel/2022/12/fiji-more-popular-with-kiwi-tourists-than-it-was-pre-covid-19.html">New Zealand tourists</a>, Pacific destinations are enjoying the return of visitors – albeit at a <a href="https://devpolicy.org/the-pacific-emerging-from-covid-slowly-20221019/">slower pace</a> than in other parts of the world. Tourism in Fiji, Samoa, Vanuatu and the Cook Islands was <a href="https://www.imf.org/-/media/Files/Countries/ResRep/pis-region/small-states-monitor/pacific-islands-monitor-issue-17-october-2022.ashx">hit hard by the pandemic</a>, but <a href="https://www.massey.ac.nz/about/news/pacific-islands-resilient-as-covid-19-topples-tourism/">patience and resilience</a> are starting to pay off. Foreign dollars are once again circulating in those small economies. Recently, <a href="https://www.mvariety.com/business/kiribati-welcomes-first-cruise-ship-visit/article_30ca4be0-b0f7-11ed-9b9d-93619a4dfba6.html">Kiribati welcomed</a> its first international cruise ship since 2020. But this isn’t a simple case of returning to normal. The past three years have allowed time for reflection, leading to a rising awareness of <a href="https://southpacificislands.travel/pacific-sustainable-tourism-leadership-summit-calls-on-pacific-leaders-to-work-together-to-build-resilient-futures/">possible alternatives</a> to pre-pandemic tourism models. From senior levels within governments to grassroots tourism operators and citizens, there has been serious discussion about the resumption of business as usual, including several <a href="https://southpacificislands.travel/2021-ends-on-a-high-with-pacific-islands-tourism-research-symposium/">regional symposiums</a> hosted by the South Pacific Tourism Organisation. Issues of sovereignty and future resilience have been very much to the fore – quite untypical in a global tourism industry largely focused on <a href="https://etc-corporate.org/news/europes-tourism-rebound-predicted-to-continue-into-2023/">boosting numbers</a> as soon as possible. Questions remain, however, about the gap between rhetoric and reality. <h2>Flipping the narrative</h2> The <a href="https://southpacificislands.travel/2022-pacific-sustainable-tourism-leadership-summit/">Pacific Sustainable Tourism Leaders Summit</a> in November 2022 brought together tourism ministers and industry stakeholders to discuss the future of regional tourism. This led to a <a href="https://southpacificislands.travel/pacific-sustainable-tourism-leadership-summit-calls-on-pacific-leaders-to-work-together-to-build-resilient-futures/">regional commitment</a> signed by 11 countries focused on promoting sustainable tourism. Essentially, the aim is to flip the narrative: rather than Pacific nations being seen as dependent on tourism, regional tourism itself depends on the Pacific and its people surviving and thriving. Accordingly, Pacific countries are calling for fairer and more meaningful relationships with tourism partners. Cook Islands’ associate minister of foreign affairs and immigration, Tingika Elikana, urged other Pacific leaders at the summit to rebuild tourism in a way that was <a href="https://www.fijitimes.com/inclusive-pacific-summit-calls-on-regional-leaders-to-work-together/">equitable and inclusive</a>, "[it] is crucial that lessons are learned from recent crises and that steps are taken to embed long-term inclusivity, sustainability, and resilience into our tourism offering as it faces evolving challenges and risks." Vanuatu has been heading in this direction since early in the pandemic, when it made “destination wellbeing” <a href="https://www.traveldailymedia.com/vanuatu-tourism-adopts-well-being-approach-for-covid-19-recovery/">central to its tourism recovery</a>. The aim of “moving beyond solely measuring visitor arrivals and contribution to GDP” then fed into the country’s <a href="https://tourism.gov.vu/images/DoT-Documents/Presentations/Vanuatu_Sustainable_Tourism_Strategy_2020-2030-2020_.pdf">Sustainable Tourism Strategy</a>, launched at the height of the pandemic. <h2>Push-back on resorts and cruise ships</h2> This reappraisal of scale and priorities has perhaps been most evident in Fiji where there has been <a href="https://www.fijitimes.com/project-unoriginal/">strong opposition</a> to a US$300 million mega-project proposed by Chinese developers. The hotel, apartment and marina complex would be built in an area containing one of the last remaining remnants of mangrove forest near the capital, Suva. Conservationists and local residents have been critical of the <a href="https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/484141/conservationist-calls-on-fiji-govt-to-preserve-rare-mangrove">environmental</a> and <a href="https://www.fijitimes.com/how-can-fiji-supply-water-to-project/">infrastructural</a> impact of the proposed development, as well as the <a href="https://www.fijitimes.com/project-unoriginal/">authenticity of its design</a>. There is <a href="https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/484710/costly-development-of-suva-forest-may-now-not-happen">now doubt</a> about whether the government will renew the developer’s lease, due to expire in June. The minister for lands and mineral resources has said “there’s been a lack of transparency” from the developers, and that he “will continue to monitor the remaining conditions of the development lease”. A leading opponent of the project, Reverend James Bhagwan, <a href="https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/484710/costly-development-of-suva-forest-may-now-not-happen">told Radio New Zealand</a>, "we'’re not anti-development, but what we’re saying is we need to look at development from a perspective that places the environment at the centre, not at the periphery. There is a precedent here: approval for a multi-million-dollar resort and casino development on Malolo island was revoked in 2019 after another Chinese developer, Freesoul Investments, destroyed part of a reef, dumped waste and disrupted traditional fisheries. In 2022, the High Court fined the company <a href="https://www.newsroom.co.nz/resort-developers-found-guilty-over-fiji-island-disaster-1">FJD$1 million</a>. It was the first time a developer had been punished for an “environmental crime”. Environmental concerns are also causing other Pacific countries to resist a return to mass tourism. In Rarotonga, Cook Islands, annual visitor numbers before the pandemic were ten times the island’s local population. The ability to cope with that level of tourism has since been <a href="https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/443141/cook-islanders-considering-how-much-tourism-is-too-much">seriously questioned</a>. And in French Polynesia, the government has <a href="https://www.nzherald.co.nz/travel/french-polynesia-the-latest-country-to-ban-mega-cruise-ships/RXY2PDLCWPAIZRVNENLHJ6Z2N4/">banned port calls</a> for cruise ships with a capacity greater than 3,500 passengers. The decision was based on concerns about air pollution, stress on the marine environment and social impacts. Daily cruise arrivals to Bora Bora are now restricted to 1,200 passengers, much to the <a href="https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/407885/bora-bora-calls-for-ban-on-large-cruise-ships">relief of locals</a>. <h2>A new kind of tourism?</h2> In the face of uncertainties due to climate change and geopolitical tensions in the region, it’s encouraging to hear local voices being heard in debates about the future of Pacific tourism – and political leaders appearing to respond. The Pacific Island Forum leaders’ retreat in Fiji late last month discussed the tourism industry. The forum’s signature <a href="https://www.forumsec.org/2050strategy/">Blue Pacific Strategy</a> for regional co-operation recognises tourism is an important component of national development, and the need to balance economic pressures with environmental and cultural protection. But despite the apparent political will and regional focus on building resilience, tourism development will undoubtedly continue to challenge the desires and initiatives of Pacific peoples seeking more sustainable futures. While the policy rhetoric sounds good, it remains to be seen whether Pacific governments will remain steadfast and united under mounting pressures from major cruise operators, Chinese commercial interests and large hotels looking to maximise occupancy rates. Many Pacific people reported the natural environment – along with social, spiritual, physical and mental wellbeing – <a href="https://www.internationaljournalofwellbeing.org/index.php/ijow/article/view/2539">improved during the pandemic pause</a> in tourism. But the reality of putting local wellbeing ahead of profits and increased tax revenue is yet to be fully tested as tourism bounces back. Images: Getty <em style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #212529; font-family: -apple-system, 'system-ui', 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif, 'Apple Color Emoji', 'Segoe UI Emoji', 'Segoe UI Symbol', 'Noto Color Emoji'; font-size: 16px; background-color: #ffffff;">This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/resistance-to-mega-tourism-is-rising-in-the-south-pacific-but-will-governments-put-words-into-action-201071" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>.

International Travel

An entire Pacific country will upload itself to the metaverse

The Pacific nation of Tuvalu is planning to create a version of itself in the metaverse, as a response to the existential threat of rising sea levels. Tuvalu’s minister for justice, communication and foreign affairs, Simon Kofe, made the announcement via a chilling digital address to leaders at COP27. He said the plan, which accounts for the “worst case scenario”, involves creating a <a href="https://theconversation.com/au/topics/digital-twin-89034" target="_blank" rel="noopener">digital twin</a> of Tuvalu in the metaverse in order to replicate its beautiful islands and preserve its rich culture: <blockquote> The tragedy of this outcome cannot be overstated […] Tuvalu could be the first country in the world to exist solely in cyberspace – but if global warming continues unchecked, it won’t be the last. </blockquote> <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/sJIlrAdky4Q?wmode=transparent&start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe><figcaption>Tuvalu turns to metaverse as rising seas threaten existence, 16 Nov 2022.</figcaption></figure> The idea is that the metaverse might allow Tuvalu to “fully function as a sovereign state” as its people are forced to live somewhere else. There are two stories here. One is of a small island nation in the Pacific facing an existential threat and looking to preserve its nationhood through technology. The other is that by far the preferred future for Tuvalu would be to avoid the worst effects of climate change and preserve itself as a terrestrial nation. In which case, this may be its way of getting the world’s attention. What is a metaverse nation? The <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-is-the-metaverse-and-what-can-we-do-there-179200" target="_blank" rel="noopener">metaverse</a> represents a burgeoning future in which augmented and virtual reality become part of everyday living. There are many visions of what the metaverse might look like, with the most well-known coming from Meta (previously Facebook) CEO Mark Zuckerberg. What most of these visions have in common is the idea that the metaverse is about interoperable and immersive 3D worlds. A persistent avatar moves from one virtual world to another, as easily as moving from one room to another in the physical world. The aim is to obscure the human ability to distinguish between the real and the virtual, for <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-is-the-metaverse-a-high-tech-plan-to-facebookify-the-world-165326" target="_blank" rel="noopener">better or for worse</a>. Kofe implies three aspects of Tuvalu’s nationhood could be recreated in the metaverse: <ol> <li> territory – the recreation of the natural beauty of Tuvalu, which could be interacted with in different ways </li> <li> culture – the ability for Tuvaluan people to interact with one another in ways that preserve their shared language, norms and customs, wherever they may be </li> <li> sovereignty – if there were to be a loss of terrestrial land over which the government of Tuvalu has sovereignty (a tragedy beyond imagining, but which they have begun to imagine) then could they have sovereignty over virtual land instead? </li> </ol> Could it be done? In the case that Tuvalu’s proposal is, in fact, a literal one and not just symbolic of the dangers of climate change, what might it look like? Technologically, it’s already easy enough to create beautiful, immersive and richly rendered recreations of Tuvalu’s territory. Moreover, thousands of different online communities and 3D worlds (such as <a href="https://secondlife.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Second Life</a>) demonstrate it’s possible to have entirely virtual interactive spaces that can maintain their own culture. The idea of combining these technological capabilities with features of governance for a “<a href="https://theconversation.com/what-are-digital-twins-a-pair-of-computer-modeling-experts-explain-181829" target="_blank" rel="noopener">digital twin</a>” of Tuvalu is feasible. There have been prior experiments of governments taking location-based functions and creating virtual analogues of them. For example, Estonia’s <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E-Residency_of_Estonia" target="_blank" rel="noopener">e-residency</a> is an online-only form of residency non-Estonians can obtain to access services such as company registration. Another example is countries setting up virtual embassies on the <a href="https://www.learntechlib.org/p/178165/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">online platform Second Life</a>. Yet there are significant technological and social challenges in bringing together and digitising the elements that define an entire nation. Tuvalu has only about 12,000 citizens, but having even this many people interact in real time in an immersive virtual world is a technical challenge. There are <a href="https://www.matthewball.vc/all/networkingmetaverse" target="_blank" rel="noopener">issues of bandwidth</a>, computing power, and the fact that many users have an aversion to headsets or suffer nausea. Nobody has yet demonstrated that nation-states can be successfully translated to the virtual world. Even if they could be, others argue the digital world makes <a href="http://thestack.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">nation-states redundant</a>. Tuvalu’s proposal to create its digital twin in the metaverse is a message in a bottle – a desperate response to a tragic situation. Yet there is a coded message here too, for others who might consider retreat to the virtual as a response to loss from climate change. The metaverse is no refuge The metaverse is built on the physical infrastructure of servers, data centres, network routers, devices and head-mounted displays. All of this tech has a hidden carbon footprint and requires physical maintenance and energy. <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-internet-consumes-extraordinary-amounts-of-energy-heres-how-we-can-make-it-more-sustainable-160639" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Research</a> published in Nature predicts the internet will consume about 20% of the world’s electricity by 2025. The idea of the metaverse nation as a response to climate change is exactly the kind of thinking that got us here. The language that gets adopted around new technologies – such as “cloud computing”, “virtual reality” and “metaverse” – comes across as both clean and green. Such terms are laden with “<a href="https://www.publicaffairsbooks.com/titles/evgeny-morozov/to-save-everything-click-here/9781610393706/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">technological solutionism</a>” and “<a href="https://eprints.qut.edu.au/203186/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">greenwashing</a>”. They hide the fact that technological responses to climate change often <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0921800905001084?via%3Dihub" target="_blank" rel="noopener">exacerbate the problem</a> due to how energy and resource intensive they are. So where does that leave Tuvalu? Kofe is well aware the metaverse is not an answer to Tuvalu’s problems. He explicitly states we need to focus on reducing the impacts of climate change through initiatives such as a <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/nov/08/tuvalu-first-to-call-for-fossil-fuel-non-proliferation-treaty-at-cop27" target="_blank" rel="noopener">fossil-fuel non-proliferation treaty</a>. His video about Tuvalu moving to the metaverse is hugely successful as a provocation. It got worldwide press – just like his <a href="https://youtu.be/jBBsv0QyscE" target="_blank" rel="noopener">moving plea</a> during COP26 while standing knee-deep in rising water. Yet Kofe suggests: <blockquote> Without a global conscience and a global commitment to our shared wellbeing we may find the rest of the world joining us online as their lands disappear. </blockquote> It is dangerous to believe, even implicitly, that moving to the metaverse is a viable response to climate change. The metaverse can certainly assist in keeping heritage and culture alive <a href="https://eprints.qut.edu.au/131407/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">as a virtual museum</a> and digital community. But it seems unlikely to work as an ersatz nation-state. And, either way, it certainly won’t work without all of the land, infrastructure and energy that keeps the internet functioning. It would be far better for us to direct international attention towards Tuvalu’s other initiatives described in the <a href="https://devpolicy.org/tuvalu-preparing-for-climate-change-in-the-worst-case-scenario-20211110/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">same report</a>: <blockquote> The project’s first initiative promotes diplomacy based on Tuvaluan values of olaga fakafenua (communal living systems), kaitasi (shared responsibility) and fale-pili (being a good neighbour), in the hope that these values will motivate other nations to understand their shared responsibility to address climate change and sea level rise to achieve global wellbeing. </blockquote> The message in a bottle being sent out by Tuvalu is not really about the possibilities of metaverse nations at all. The message is clear: to support communal living systems, to take shared responsibility and to be a good neighbour. The first of these can’t translate into the virtual world. The second requires us to <a href="https://theconversation.com/ending-the-climate-crisis-has-one-simple-solution-stop-using-fossil-fuels-194489" target="_blank" rel="noopener">consume less</a>, and the third requires us to care.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/194728/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> Writen by Nick Kelly and Marcus Foth. Republished with permission from <a href="https://theconversation.com/an-entire-pacific-country-will-upload-itself-to-the-metaverse-its-a-desperate-plan-with-a-hidden-message-194728" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>. Image: Getty Images

Technology

“Kia Ora NZ!”: First cruise ship returns to New Zealand

After more than two years, the first cruise ship has returned to New Zealand’s shores, sailing into Auckland’s Waitemata Harbour on Friday. The P&O Cruises flagship Pacific Explorer, decked out with a banner reading, “Kia ora NZ”, was carrying passengers on a 12-night round-trip cruise from Sydney to New Zealand and Fiji, who were greeted with a traditional Māori welcome before heading ashore for locally-run tours. Multiple Kiwi businesses welcomed the return of cruising to New Zealand and hope it will bring a boost to the local economy and their business. David Lee, who owns five eateries in the shopping and hospitality precinct in Auckland City, said the return of cruising has brought him hope after the lockdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic wreaked havoc when he opened in March 2020. “Without tourists, it was really hard to keep our restaurants afloat,” he said in a statement. “Our projected revenue amounted to less than half of what it should have been - we hung on by the skin of our teeth. “The return of cruise ships and the tourists they bring has given me hope for our business. I can’t wait to see the city abuzz with tourists and energy again.” Clinton Farley, the general manager of The Hotel Britomart, a boutique hotel in downtown Auckland, said the return of tourists through cruising isn’t just welcome financially, but also from a community aspect. “Along with our industry peers, we are extremely excited to see the maritime border reopening and tourists returning – they are such an important part of the fabric within our community,” Mr Farley said. “Tourists are crucial not just to the hotel but also to the wider Britomart precinct and the New Zealand economy. The return of cruise is a big part of our reopening to the world, and we are thrilled to see downtown Auckland coming back to life.” P&O Cruises Australia and Carnival Australia president Marguerite Fitzgerald thanked the Ardern government for enabling the cruising industry to return following the pandemic, “Pacific Explorer’s arrival in Tāmaki Makaurau, Auckland today is a signal that cruise tourism is poised to make a significant contribution to the restoration of the tourism economy,” Ms Fitzgerald said. “We are looking forward to our ships also being able to return to beautiful destinations in New Caledonia and Vanuatu and to the progressive return to New Zealand ports of ships from our other cruise lines as the tourism sector continues to rebuild.” Ms Fitzgerald added that they were already planning for the Pacific Explorer to return to Tāmaki Makaurau, Auckland, in 2023 for the ship’s first home-ported cruise in three years. “This is an exciting day for P&O and an exciting day for cruising and we thank New Zealand for today’s warm welcome,” she said. Image: P&O Cruises (Supplied)

Cruising

Australia set to have “near normal” cruise season

As Australia and the rest of the world continue to live with Covid-19, it's hard to believe that the cruise industry is almost back to normal. P&O Cruises Australia announced that their latest addition, Pacific Encounter, has set sail from Singapore and is on its way to Sydney. This is “another step” toward a “near normal” for the cruise industry which pumps $5 billion into Australia every year. Pacific Encounter will have a “brief encounter” in Sydney before heading up to Brisbane. President of Carnival Australia and P&O Cruises Australia Marguerite Fitzgerald said Pacific Encounter’s arrival is the right way forward for cruising. “Knowing that we have a second P&O ship only weeks away reminds us all that cruising is making a return to normal scheduling,” she said. “It is hard to believe that as warmer weather returns, Australia is now on the way to having a near normal 2022-23 summer cruise season. “This is testament to our onboard and shoreside teams and to the many P&O passengers who were patiently waiting during the pause for the opportunity to cruise again.” “We can’t wait for Pacific Encounter to depart on her first guest cruise from Brisbane on August 20, a 7-night Barrier Reef Discovery Cruise. This itinerary will include Pacific Encounters' maiden call to Cairns helping to bring cruise tourism back to Far North Queensland.” Image: Supplied

Cruising

Russian oligarch’s superyacht goes dark

A $150-million superyacht owned by Russia’s second-richest person has disappeared off the radar. The Pacific’s billionaire owner, Leonid Mikhelson, is facing US-led sanctions on his gas company, which has since seen his superyacht “go dark”. The 85m long ship was last detected cruising in the Caribbean Sea before it went dark about 9pm local time on May 8. It was then however spotted at the Turkish resort port of Marmaris on June 4, where other superyachts sought refuge from US-led sanctions. Gur Sender of Windward, a marine surveillance and intelligence firm, said the reason for ships going dark is to hide their activities. "Sometimes vessels can intentionally and manually turn off their AIS and engage in what's referred to as dark activities," he told Nine News. "Vessels engaging in such a behaviour are usually trying to conceal their real location or who they are meeting with." It is believed that the Pacific is headed to the Bahamas but it won’t find any solace due to the island working with the US to seize the superyacht. “It’s inconceivable that Russian oligarchs would consider the Bahamas a safe jurisdiction given its close ties to the United States -- not just in terms of location but in terms of its law enforcement cooperation,” said Ian Ralby, chief executive of I.R. Consilium, a maritime law and security consultancy. “It’s very puzzling that a vessel likely to experience sanctions enforcement would risk turning up in the Bahamas, but it’s more likely it will turn up somewhere else nearby that’s more friendly to Russian interests like Cuba or Venezuela.” Image: Twitter

Cruising

Jacinda Ardern welcomed as “good friend” by Joe Biden

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has left talks with US President Joe Biden on a positive note, saying the interaction pointed to the “warmth” in their relationship as political leaders. Ms Ardern was initially scheduled to meet with Mr Biden for one hour during her ongoing US tour, but the pair continued to talk for another 30 minutes, as reported by <a href="https://www.news.com.au/finance/work/leaders/jacinda-ardern-wows-us-president-joe-biden-in-white-house-meeting/news-story/a05ab88bfe0e2bfcc93a29f337db4684" target="_blank" rel="noopener">news.com.au</a>. “I think that is a demonstration of the warmth in our relationship,” Ms Ardern said after the meeting. Mr Biden welcomed Ms Ardern as a “good friend”, citing the last time they met at the launch of the Indo-Pacific Framework and said: “We need your guidance”. “You understand that your leadership has taken on a critical role in this global stage - and it really has,” Mr Biden said. The pair also discussed gun control, online extremism, Ukraine, climate change, and the growing influence of China in the Pacific, with the last issue becoming the main focus as the US attempts to bolster its presence in the region. “We are in an incredibly difficult international environment,” Ms Ardern said. <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CeP0hflvMcD/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CeP0hflvMcD/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Jacinda Ardern (@jacindaardern)</a> </div> </blockquote> According to a senior administration official, the leaders had a “very warm” and “direct” conversation, as the Biden administration looks to step up its cooperation to support the Pacific Island states. “The President and the Prime Minister met for well over an hour,” the official said. “The conversation was very warm, very direct, and there was a great understanding between the two of them, as you would expect. “And there really was discussion about the shared vision for the Indo-Pacific and the importance, in particular, of stepping up engagement with the Pacific Island states.” In a joint statement after the meeting, both leaders expressed their concern about the security agreement between the People’s Republic of China and the Solomon Islands, which also caused a stir in Australia in April. “In particular, the United States and New Zealand share a concern that the establishment of a persistent military presence in the Pacific by a state that does not share our values or security interests would fundamentally alter the strategic balance of the region and pose national-security concerns to both countries,” the statement read. “A freer and more open Indo-Pacific depends on preserving the international rules-based order in the maritime domain. “To that end, we reaffirm our support for freedom of navigation and overflight, in the South China Sea and beyond, in accordance with the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). “We oppose unlawful maritime claims and activities in the South China Sea that run counter to the rules-based international order, particularly UNCLOS. “We reiterate our grave concerns regarding the human-rights violations in Xinjiang, and the erosion of rights and freedoms in Hong Kong, which undermines the high degree of autonomy enshrined in the Sino-British Joint Declaration and the Basic Law.” The meeting comes as China’s Foreign Minister, Wang Yi, finishes his ten-day tour of the Pacific Island region, having visited eight nations in total and raising concerns that deals similar to that between China and the Solomon Islands would be struck with other countries. Within hours of Ms Ardern and Mr Biden’s meeting, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian accused the US of “distorting the truth that the cooperation between China and the Pacific Island countries has been in line with regional benefits”. “China and Solomon Islands have no intention to establish military bases,” Mr Zhao said. Australia is also making efforts to meet with leaders in the region, with newly-sworn-in Foreign Minister Penny Wong jetting off to Samoa and Tonga for her second visit to the Pacific in nine days. “We want to make a uniquely Australian contribution to help build a stronger Pacific family - through social and economic opportunities including pandemic recovery, health, development and infrastructure support, as well as through our Pacific labour programs and permanent migration,” Ms Wong said in a statement. “We will increase our contribution to regional security: we understand that the security of the Pacific is the responsibility of the Pacific family, of which Australia is a part. “We will stand shoulder to shoulder with our Pacific family in addressing the existential threat of climate change. And we will deepen cultural and sporting ties.” Image: Getty Images

International Travel

Final tuning for Pacific Explorer

Pacific Explorer is almost ready to set sail after almost two years of no cruises with one thing left to do. The ship’s five beautiful pianos have required some fine tuning from piano tuner Carol Johns after the keys were left abandoned during lockdown. The five pianos sat inside the ship without sounding a note and professional musician Carol knew it was her time to shine and tune them. “After nearly two and a half years, they’ve got themselves to under concert pitch so you have to lift them back up to get them in tune,” Carol said. “That happens with any piano but it’s exaggerated because of the time and being on a ship is a tough time for a piano. “It takes about two hours to tune a piano if you want to make it really beautiful because there are about 88 notes but there are more than 220 strings and they’ve all got to be tuned, some of them more than once.” Before cruises were banned from Australian shores, there were regular “ship calls” to ensure the pianos were always tuned. Image: Supplied

Cruising

Pacific Explorer receives TONNES of food

Cruise ship Pacific Explorer has received tonnes of food as they prepare for their return to the seas on May 31. After a two-year ban due to Covid, cruises are gearing for massive return to the seas which will also see an eye-watering $5 billion pumped into the economy and will help more than 18,000 people get a job. Pacific Explorer received more than 220 pallets with 7.3 tonnes of meat, 9.6 tonnes of fruit and vegetables, 6.6 tonnes of seafood and 30,000 shelled eggs on Friday. P&O Cruises Australia celebrity chef Luke Mangan commended the quality of the foods which worked as a perfect opportunity for farmers. “As a chef and restaurant owner and operator including a number of signature outlets on P&O Cruises Australia ships, I know that the quality of Australian produce is the key to success,” he said. “So, it is fantastic to see that the return of cruising also means the return of opportunity for our farmers and other producers including winemakers and craft beer makers. “Many have done it tough over the past two years and it is good to know that the benefits will only increase as cruising ramps up.” Marguerite Fitzgerald, President of Carnival Australia and P&O Cruises Australia, echoed Chef Mangan’s comments saying this was just one of many big deliveries. “Today’s big delivery of produce to Pacific Explorer is where cruising and economic opportunity meet. It is also strong confirmation of the multiplier effect of cruise tourism and the diversity of the ‘cruising ecosystem’.” NSW Minister for Transport and Veterans David Elliott described the tonnes of food as the “tip of the iceberg” in helping stimulate the economy. “The cruise industry is an economic powerhouse because its impacts are felt from the farm gate, through our freight and supply chains all the way to our tourism destinations – it generates jobs far beyond the ship, boosts regional economies and supports farming communities.” Pacific Explorer is due to set sail from Sydney on May 31 on its first commercial cruise since the cruise ban in Australia was lifted. Guests will enjoy a four-night itinerary with a call to Brisbane on June 2 where Pacific Explorer will become the first cruise ship to berth at the Brisbane International Cruise Terminal. Image: Supplied

Cruising

"I thought it was playing": Bulldog mauls child at cafe

Shocking footage has emerged of the horrific moment a dog mauled a six-year-old boy outside a popular Gold Coast cafe. Andy Bracek and his son Teddy were walking down Pacific Parade in Currumbin just after 8 am on Sunday when they stopped to grab a coffee from Tommy’s Italian. CCTV showed Teddy approaching a man and began petting his British bulldog before the animal attacked him. Mr Bracek was then seen running toward his son trying to get him away from the vicious attack which left him with a “horrendous wound” on his arm. He claims that his son asked the dog’s owner if he could pet him to which he was told “of course he can”. “At first when the dog jumped up I thought it was playing,” Mr Bracek told <a href="https://www.couriermail.com.au/news/6yearold-boy-attacked-by-dog-at-popular-currumbin-eatery-on-easter-sunday/news-story/19317cd75d78492a203c6dc41c86f1f8" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Courier Mail</a>. “But I quickly realised it was attacking Teddy when I heard him screaming. The owner then made a .... half-assed effort to restrain the dog.” Mr Bracek was left fuming when the dog’s owner left the scene without providing his details to report the incident. “If he came back and sorted it everything would’ve been okay but I’m pi**ed off and disturbed that this man has put his dog’s welfare before a child’s.” Teddy was taken to Griffith University Hospital in a stable condition where he underwent surgery leaving him with internal and external stitches. “It’s especially awful to see on a small child. It takes up a third of his forearm,” Mr Bracek said. The local council has been notified of the horrific attack with investigations ongoing. Watch the footage <a href="https://www.couriermail.com.au/news/6yearold-boy-attacked-by-dog-at-popular-currumbin-eatery-on-easter-sunday/news-story/19317cd75d78492a203c6dc41c86f1f8" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>. Image: CCTV

Family & Pets

La Niña just raised sea levels in the western Pacific by up to 20cm. This height will be normal by 2050

<a href="https://asiapacificreport.nz/2021/12/07/tidal-damage-cuts-swathe-across-wide-area-of-pacific/">Severe coastal flooding</a> inundated islands and atolls across the western equatorial Pacific last week, with widespread damage to buildings and food crops in the Federated States of Micronesia, Marshall Islands, Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands. On one level, very high tides are normal at this time of year in the western Pacific, and are known as “spring tides”. But why is the damage so bad this time? The primary reason is these nations are enduring a flooding trifecta: a combination of spring tides, climate change and La Niña. <a href="http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/enso/">La Niña</a> is a natural climate phenomenon over the Pacific Ocean known for bringing wet weather, including in eastern Australia. A less-known impact is that La Niña also raises sea levels in the western tropical Pacific. In a terrifying glimpse of things to come, this current La Niña is raising sea levels by 15-20 centimetres in some western Pacific regions – the same sea level rise projected to occur globally by 2050, regardless of how much we cut global emissions between now and then. So let’s look at this phenomena in more detail, and why we can expect more flooding over the summer. <h2>These spring tides aren’t unusual</h2> Low-lying islands in the Pacific are considered the frontline of climate change, where sea level rise poses an existential threat that could force millions of people to <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-seas-are-coming-for-us-in-kiribati-will-australia-rehome-us-172137">find new homes</a> in the coming decades. Last week’s tidal floods show what will be the new normal by 2050. In the Marshall Islands, for example, waves were <a href="https://asiapacificreport.nz/2021/12/07/tidal-damage-cuts-swathe-across-wide-area-of-pacific/">washing over boulder</a> barriers, causing flooding on roads half a metre deep. This flooding has coincided with the recent spring tides. But while there is year to year variability in the magnitude of these tides that vary from location to location, this year’s spring tides aren’t actually unusually higher than those seen in previous years. For instance, <a href="https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1029/2020EF001607">tidal analysis</a> shows annual maximum <a href="http://www.bom.gov.au/oceanography/projects/spslcmp/data/index.shtml">sea levels at stations</a> in Lombrom (Manus, Papua New Guinea) and Dekehtik (Pohnpei, Federated States of Micronesia) are roughly 1-3cm higher than last year. Meanwhile, those at Betio (Tarawa, Kiribati) and Uliga (Majuro, Marshall Islands) are roughly 3-6cm lower. This means the combined impacts of sea level rise from climate change and the ongoing La Niña event are largely responsible for this year’s increased flooding. <h2>A double whammy</h2> The latest <a href="https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg1/#SPM">assessment report</a> from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change finds global average sea levels rose by about 20cm between 1901 and 2018. This sea level rise would, of course, lead to more coastal inundation in low-lying regions during spring tides, like those in the western tropical Pacific. However, sea level rise increases at a relatively small rate – around 3 millimetres per year. So while this can create large differences over decades and longer, year to year differences are small. This means while global mean sea level rise has likely contributed to last week’s floods, there is relatively small differences between this year and the previous few years. This is where La Niña makes a crucial difference. We know La Nina events impact the climate of nations across the Pacific, bringing an <a href="https://theconversation.com/do-la-ninas-rains-mean-boom-or-bust-for-australian-farmers-172511">increased chance of high rainfall</a> and tropical cyclone landfall in some locations. But the easterly trade winds, which blow across the Pacific Ocean from east to west, are stronger in La Niña years. This leads to a larger build up of warm water in the western Pacific. Warm water is generally thicker than cool water (due to thermal expansion), meaning the high heat in the western equatorial Pacific and Indonesian Seas during La Niña events is often accompanied by higher sea levels. This year is certainly no different, as can be seen in sea surface height anomaly maps <a href="https://sealevel.jpl.nasa.gov/data/along-track-nrt-data/?page=0&per_page=3&order=publish_date+desc&search=&fancybox=true&condition_1=2021%3Ayear&condition_2=11%3Amonth&category=204">here</a> and <a href="https://aviso.altimetry.fr/fileadmin/images/data/Products/indic/enso/Msla_MoyMens_PacTrop_latest.png">here</a>. From these maps, along with <a href="https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1029/1999GL010485">past studies</a>, it’s clear Pacific islands west of the date line (180⁰E) and between Fiji and the Marshall Islands (15⁰N-15⁰S) are those most at risk of high sea levels during La Niña events. <h2>What could the future hold?</h2> We can expect to see more coastal flooding for these western Pacific islands and atolls over the coming summer months. This is because the La Niña-induced sea level rise is normally maintained throughout this period, along with more periods with high spring tides. Interestingly, the high sea levels related to La Niña events in the northern hemisphere tend to peak in November-December, while they do not peak in the <a href="https://journals.ametsoc.org/view/journals/clim/27/3/jcli-d-13-00276.1.xml">southern hemisphere</a> until the following February-March. This means many western Pacific locations on both sides of the equator will experience further coastal inundation in the short term. But the severity of these impacts is likely to increase in the southern hemisphere (such as the Solomon islands, Tuvalu and Samoa) and decrease in the northern hemisphere (such as the Marshall Islands and the Federated States of Micronesia). Looking forward towards 2050, a further <a href="https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg1/#SPM">15-25cm of global average sea level rise is expected</a>. La Niña events typically cause sea levels in these regions to rise 10-15cm above average, though some regions can bring sea levels up to 20cm. Given the projected sea level rise in 2050 is similar to the La Niña-induced rise in the western Pacific, this current event provides an important insight into what will become “normal” inundation during spring tides. Unfortunately, climate projections show this level of sea level rise by 2050 is all but locked in, largely due to the greenhouse gas emissions we’ve already released. Beyond 2050, we know sea levels will continue to rise for the next several centuries, and this will largely depend on our future emissions. To give low-lying island nations a fighting chance at surviving the coming floods, all nations (including Australia) must drastically and urgently cut emissions.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/173504/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/shayne-mcgregor-123851">Shayne McGregor</a>, Associate Professor, and Associate Investigator for the ARC Centre of Excellence for Climate Extremes, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/monash-university-1065">Monash University</a> This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/la-nina-just-raised-sea-levels-in-the-western-pacific-by-up-to-20cm-this-height-will-be-normal-by-2050-173504">original article</a>. Image: Shutterstock

International Travel

5 Long (and Iconic) Train Trips

We track down some of the world's greatest rail journeys. 1. The Original Trans-Siberian Express Spanning 9288km of track, this is perhaps the most iconic of rail journeys and the longest passenger train route in the world. With an average speed of just 77km/h, the trip from Moscow to Vladivostok isn’t for those on a tight schedule – you’ll need to set aside a minimum 146 hours, 8 minutes (six and a bit days), and most journeys include stopovers. But for that investment you’ll cross multiple time zones and witness the breadth of Russia’s majestic terrain, from verdant woodlands, through mountains and desert, to grassy steppe. While itineraries vary, most journeys break at Irkutsk, one of the largest cities in Siberia, with ornately decorated 19th century buildings, just 70km from World Heritage-listed Lake Baikal. 2. The Canadian The trip from Toronto to Vancouver is a sleepy 83 hours long – but considering you’ll be winding through the steep and snow-capped Rocky Mountains and Canadian Shield forests, the pace suits anyone looking for relaxation, rest and peaceful views. Huge glass windows make the most of the scenery as the train wends its way across 4466km of Canada’s diverse landscape. 3. The Blue Train South Africa’s famous Blue Train spans 1600km of track linking Pretoria with Cape Town. More like a hotel on rails than a train, there are lounge carriages where passengers can mingle in comfort and some suites contain full-sized baths. High-tech additions like the driver’s eye camera view meet classic decor and a butler service. The journey takes 27 hours from start to finish and crosses some of the most diverse and picturesque scenery on the African continent. Don’t expect to feel the rush of wind through your hair though, as its average speed is just 57km/h. 4. The Indian Pacific Departing from Sydney, it takes about 70 hours for the Indian Pacific to traverse the Australian continent on its way to Perth. Stopping at the mining town of Broken Hill, Adelaide, and Kalgoorlie you’ll cover 4352km at an average speed of 85km/h. At that rate, you’ll catch the full glory of the sun setting across the horizon on the longest stretch of straight rail track in the world. Travel in spring for the best of Western Australia’s wildflowers. 5. Jinghu High Speed Rail For those who like their train travel to evoke the future rather than the past, China is calling. The showcase of China’s modern rail fleet was launched in 2012 and shaves 20 hours off the 1303km trip from Beijing to Shanghai, delivering passengers to their destination in five super-fast hours. It is currently the fastest long-distance passenger train in the world, reaching speeds of 300km/h. Train Facts Fastest passenger train The MagLev Chou Shinkanzen – a Japanese magnetic levitation train – broke the world speed record for a passenger train back in April. During a test run near Mt Fuji, this new breed of bullet train reached an incredible speed of 603km/h. The planned top speed in operation is 505km/h and it will ultimately connect Tokyo, Nagoya and Osaka, with the first stage opening in 2027. Longest train journey The China-Europe Block Train travels 9977km from Yiwu to Madrid over 21 days. But train buffs who have made the Trans Siberian trip needn’t feel miffed, as this is a decidedly unglamorous freight service designed to cut up to two weeks off the sea freight time between the two cities. Longest and heaviest train Australian-based BHP Billiton intentionally set the record in 2001 over a 275km distance in Western Australia. The 7.35km-long train comprised 683 freight cars carrying iron ore and eight locomotives, distributed along its length. The total weight of the train was 99,735 tonnes. This article originally appeared on <a href="https://www.readersdigest.com.au/travel/train-journeys/5-Iconic-Train-Trips">Reader’s Digest</a> Images: Reader’s Digest

International Travel

Fiji announces plan to open borders to tourists by November

A pacific island getaway has been out of reach for Australians since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, but that might all chance in just a few short months. In the midst of battling a COVID-19 outbreak, Fiji announces plans to reopen borders to tourists by the 1st of November. By then the government expects to have fully vaccinated at least 80 per cent of its eligible population, and believes it can safely start to welcome international visitors once again. Tourism Fiji CEO Brent Hill said he was confident the country could reach the vaccination target rates in time – but encouraged visitors to seek travel insurance in case they were forced to quarantine. “They key thing is, if you’ve got a really strong level of local vaccination, coupled with only accepting fully vaccinated travellers who test negative before they get on the plane, then you’re dramatically reducing the risk” Mr Hill said. “Everybody’s really keen to get things back up and running and started again, and Fiji is ready and waiting for tourists”. Australian airline Qantas has already started advertising December flights to Fiji and other “Covid safe destinations”, anticipating Australia will also have opened its borders by then. Qantas CEO Alan Joyce said he had been in talks with the federal government about the resumption of flights, and countries with “similar vaccination levels” of 70 to 80 per cent would be possible destinations. “We think everything should be ready and certainly should .. have a firm plan by the end of the year”, he said. Fiji is finalising its program, with James Fong, permanent secretary of the Ministry of Health, saying the government is considering a “corridor” within which fully vaccinated tourists and Fijians can operate. “What has to happen, together with opening the international boarders, is a heightened level of community surveillance” Dr Fong says. Tourism Fiji says only countries that allow quarantine free travel will be allowed to visit – although Fiji hasn’t conquered its COVID-19 outbreak yet. At its peak in July, Fiji’s infection rate was the highest per capita in the world. Though some case numbers have dropped since then, there are currently more than 13,000 active cases in the country, including at least 100 people still in hospital. A vigorous vaccination campaign, which has included controversial “no jab, no job” measures, has led to more than 90 per cent of Fiji’s target population receiving at least one dose of AstraZeneca or Moderna. Mr Hill said the success of Fiji’s vaccination drive had given the country confidence to reopen in November, even though community transmission was still present. “I think we’re being as prudent and careful as we possibly can be” Mr Hill said. Not everyone shares that confidence. Sashi Kiran, the founder and CEO of a grassroots NGO called the Foundation for Rural, integrated Enterprises and Development (FRIEND), has been helping vulnerable families during the pandemic. She is particularly concerned that the under-18s, who make up one-third of Fiji’s population, are still not vaccinated. “I’m not sure whether having a large proportion of adult people vaccinated is the reason to rush into opening our borders and risking probably much more than we gain” she said. “It’s certainly too soon [to reopen], unless our children are vaccinated, and unless we know more about the new variants, that could be coming in from different tourism markets”. Dr Fong said the government hoped to vaccinate children, but that it could be “a big exercise” and might take months to accomplish. Tourism is Fiji’s largest industry, and before the pandemic it was responsible for at least 40 per cent of Fiji’s GDP. Closure of international borders has left many families struggling to earn an income. Sisters Kalesi and Luisa Kuilau are from a village near the capital Suva, and weave traditional fans and jewellery which they sell at hotels and local markets. With tourism drying up they’ve struggled to find customers and are excited that the Fiji borders will be open once again. “We love Australians coming to Fiji” Kalesi said. “We’re really happy to be opening soon, that is the only way we can market our product outside of Fiji”. “And then our business will be stable again like before, the normal way it was” added Luisa. It is estimated as many as 100,000 people have been left unemployed after the Fijian government closed borders in March 2020 – about one in every nine Fijians. Christopher Southwick, owner of Royal Davui island resort, said the past 18 months had been tough for his business. “The most challenging part of the last two years has been the unknown” he said. Mr Southwick is training his staff to practice COVID-safe measures once tourists are welcome back to the resort. He is optimistic the worst of the pandemic will soon be behind Fiji. “Four months ago it looked absolutely hopeless, but it does get better”.

International Travel

Mum told not to breastfeed near shopping centre's "high-end" stores

A Gold Coast shopping centre says it will re-train staff after a mother claims she was told not to breastfeed her newborn outside luxury stores such as Louis Vuitton and Gucci. The mother-of-two said the encounter with a member of the Pacific Fair concierge team took place at the weekend after she declined offers to use the centre's facilities. Pacific Fair Shopping Centre claims the incident was a "misinterpretation" but apologised and promised to re-educate staff on its policies. A peak body for breastfeeding says incidents such as this highlight the need for training and "breastfeeding-friendly environments", and for mothers to know their rights. On Saturday, Gold Coast mother-of-two Shannon Laverty said she was visiting Pacific Fair Shopping Centre with her three-week-old son Shep when she stopped at some seats to breastfeed. "I sat down on the public lounge area in front of the concierge desk and when my son was latched on my breast, this woman came running over," she said. "She said, 'Excuse me, you know there's a facility for that?' "She added, 'For your information, there's a facility you can change the baby's nappy, there's also hot water and milk powder so you don't need to use your body'. "My jaw just dropped, and I said, 'I'm fine here". Ms Laverty said when she declined the woman's offer to the facility provided the staff mentioned that she was seated in the "high end" section of the shopping centre. "She said, 'Well if you're not going to use the facility, I'm going to ask you to move on from here because, as you can see, there are stores like Louis Vuitton and Gucci, so you'll have to breastfeed somewhere else'," Ms Laverty said. "And I just said, 'I'm fine here thanks,' and just smiled and kept breastfeeding. It took me three times of saying no for her to walk away." Ms Laverty said the incident left her feeling overwhelmed as she recounted the incident on social media. Her posts were met with an outpouring of support from mothers around the country. Meanwhile, Pacific Fair Shopping Centre said it was sorry to hear about Ms Laverty's experience at the centre but maintained the incident was a "misinterpretation". In a statement the spokesperson said that it "has always been our policy that mothers are free to breastfeed anywhere at Pacific Fair". "Unfortunately while a member of staff was attempting to explain the various options available at the centre, there may have been a misinterpretation which caused offence to the customer," the spokesperson said. "(She) was never required to move on whilst feeding." The spokesperson said the centre was "truly sorry" for the incident, which "doesn't meet our standards of customer care", and it would be undertaking additional training with all of its staff to "re-educate them on its policies". "Pacific Fair immediately offered direct apologies to the customer from both senior customer service staff as well as senior centre management," the spokesperson said. "Pacific Fair is also grateful for the opportunity to reaffirm our position that breastfeeding mothers are welcome to breastfeed wherever they are most comfortable."

Family & Pets

315 nuclear bombs and ongoing suffering: The shameful history of nuclear testing in Australia and the Pacific

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people should be aware this article contains the name of a deceased person. The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons received its <a href="https://news.un.org/en/story/2020/10/1076082">50th ratification on October 24</a>, and will therefore come into force in January 2021. A historic development, this new international law will ban the possession, development, testing, use and threat of use of nuclear weapons. Unfortunately the nuclear powers — the United Kingdom, France, the United States, Russia, China, Israel, India, Pakistan and North Korea — haven’t signed on to the treaty. As such, they are not immediately obliged to <a href="http://hrp.law.harvard.edu/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Victim-assistance-short-4-8-18-final.pdf">help victims and remediate contaminated environments</a>, but others party to the treaty do have these obligations. The shifting norms around this will hopefully put ongoing pressure on nuclear testing countries to open records and to cooperate with accountability measures. For the people of the Pacific region, particularly those who bore the brunt of nuclear weapons testing during the 20th century, it will bring a new opportunity for their voices to be heard on the long-term costs of nuclear violence. The treaty is the first to enshrine enduring commitments to addressing their needs. From 1946, around <a href="https://icanw.org.au/wp-content/uploads/Pacific-Report-2017.pdf">315 nuclear tests</a> were carried out in the Pacific by the US, Britain and France. These nations’ largest ever nuclear tests took place on colonised lands and oceans, from Australia to the Marshall Islands, Kiribati to French Polynesia. The impacts of these tests are still being felt today. All nuclear tests cause harm Studies of nuclear test workers and exposed nearby communities <a href="https://www.ctbto.org/nuclear-testing/">around the world</a> <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/international-review-of-the-red-cross/article/humanitarian-impact-and-implications-of-nuclear-test-explosions-in-the-pacific-region/1FDB0D26842BEA5621F33A0B53FCD7F9">consistently show</a> adverse health effects, especially increased risks of <a href="https://www.ctbto.org/nuclear-testing/">cancer</a>. The total number of global cancer deaths as a result of atmospheric nuclear test explosions has been estimated at between <a href="https://scope.dge.carnegiescience.edu/SCOPE_59/SCOPE_59.html">2 million</a> and <a href="https://ieer.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/1991/06/RadioactiveHeavenEarth1991.pdf">2.4 million</a>, even though these studies used radiation risk estimates that are now dated and likely underestimated the <a href="http://press-files.anu.edu.au/downloads/press/n3873/pdf/ch08.pdf">risk</a>. The number of additional non-fatal cancer cases caused by test explosions is similar. As confirmed in a <a href="http://www.bioone.org/doi/full/10.1667/RR14608.1">large recent study</a> of nuclear industry workers in France, the UK and US, the numbers of radiation-related deaths due to other diseases, such as heart attacks and strokes, is also likely to be similar. ‘We all got crook’ Britain conducted 12 nuclear test explosions in Australia between 1952 and 1957, and hundreds of minor trials of radioactive and toxic materials for bomb development up to 1963. These caused untold health problems for local Aboriginal people who were at the highest risk of radiation. Many of them were not properly evacuated, and some were not informed at all. We may never know the full impact of these explosions because in many cases, as the Royal Commission report on British Nuclear Tests in Australia <a href="https://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/search/display/display.w3p;query=Id:%22publications/tabledpapers/HPP032016010928%22;src1=sm1">found in 1985</a>: “the resources allocated for Aboriginal welfare and safety were ludicrous, amounting to nothing more than a token gesture”. But we can listen to the survivors. The late Yami Lester directly experienced the impacts of nuclear weapons. A Yankunytjatjara elder from South Australia, Yami was a child when the British tested at Emu Field in October 1953. He <a href="https://icanw.org.au/wp-content/uploads/BlackMist-FINAL-Web.pdf">recalled</a> the “Black Mist” after the bomb blast: It wasn’t long after that a black smoke came through. A strange black smoke, it was shiny and oily. A few hours later we all got crook, every one of us. We were all vomiting; we had diarrhoea, skin rashes and sore eyes. I had really sore eyes. They were so sore I couldn’t open them for two or three weeks. Some of the older people, they died. They were too weak to survive all the sickness. The closest clinic was 400 miles away. His daughter, Karina Lester, is an ambassador for the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons in Australia, and continues to be driven by her family’s experience. She <a href="https://icanw.org.au/choosinghumanity/">writes</a>: For decades now my family have campaigned and spoken up against the harms of nuclear weapons because of their firsthand experience of the British nuclear tests […] Many Aboriginal people suffered from the British nuclear tests that took place in the 1950s and 1960s and many are still suffering from the impacts today. More than 16,000 Australian workers were also exposed. A key <a href="https://www.dva.gov.au/documents-and-publications/british-nuclear-testing-australia-studies">government-funded study</a> belatedly followed these veterans over an 18-year period from 1982. Despite the difficulties of conducting a study decades later with incomplete data, it <a href="https://cpb-us-w2.wpmucdn.com/blogs.pace.edu/dist/0/195/files/2018/10/Australia-PosObs-Country-Report-7-1zbngsb.pdf">found</a> they had 23% higher rates of cancer and 18% more deaths from cancers than the general population. An additional health impact in Pacific island countries is the toxic disease “ciguatera”, caused by certain microscopic plankton at the base of the marine food chain, which thrive on damaged coral. Their toxins concentrate up the food chain, especially in fish, and cause illness and occasional deaths in people who eat them. In the Marshall Islands, Kiritimati and French Polynesia, outbreaks of the disease among locals have been associated with coral damage caused by <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(89)91212-9/fulltext">nuclear test explosions</a> and the extensive military and shipping infrastructure supporting them. Pacific survivors of nuclear testing haven’t been focused solely on addressing their own considerable needs for justice and care; they’ve been powerful advocates that no one should suffer as they have ever again, and have worked tirelessly for the eradication of nuclear weapons. It’s no surprise independent Pacific island nations are strong supporters of the new treaty, accounting for ten of the first 50 ratifications. Negligence and little accountability Some nations that have undertaken nuclear tests have provided some care and compensation for their nuclear test workers; only the US has made some <a href="https://www.justice.gov/civil/common/reca">provisions</a> for people exposed, though only for mainland US residents downwind of the Nevada Test Site. No testing nation has extended any such arrangement beyond its own shores to the colonised and minority peoples it put in harm’s way. Nor has any testing nation made fully publicly available its records of the history, conduct and effects of its nuclear tests on exposed populations and the environment. These nations have also been negligent by quickly abandoning former test sites. There has been inadequate clean-up and little or none of the long-term environmental monitoring needed to detect radioactive leakage from underground test sites into groundwater, soil and air. One example among many is the Runit concrete dome in the Marshall Islands, which holds nuclear waste from US testing in the 1940s and 50s. It’s increasingly <a href="https://www.latimes.com/projects/marshall-islands-nuclear-testing-sea-level-rise/">inundated by rising sea levels</a>, and is leaking radioactive material. The treaty provides a light in a dark time. It contains the only internationally agreed framework for all nations to verifiably eliminate nuclear weapons. It’s our fervent hope the treaty will mark the increasingly urgent beginning of the end of nuclear weapons. It is our determined expectation that our country will step up. Australia has not yet ratified the treaty, but the bitter legacy of nuclear testing across our country and region should spur us to join this new global effort. Written <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/tilman-ruff-89">Tilman Ruff</a>, University of Melbourne and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/dimity-hawkins-292972">Dimity Hawkins</a>, Swinburne University of Technology. Republished with permission of <a href="https://theconversation.com/315-nuclear-bombs-and-ongoing-suffering-the-shameful-history-of-nuclear-testing-in-australia-and-the-pacific-148909">The Conversation.</a>

Cruising

Traditional skills help people on the tourism-deprived Pacific Islands survive the pandemic

Tourism in the South Pacific has been <a href="https://theconversation.com/sun-sand-and-uncertainty-the-promise-and-peril-of-a-pacific-tourism-bubble-139661">hit hard by COVID-19</a> border closures with thousands of people out of work. Tourism normally provides one in four jobs in Vanuatu and one in three jobs in Cook Islands. It contributes <a href="https://pic.or.jp/ja/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/2018-Annual-Visitor-Arrivals-ReportF.pdf">between 20% and 70% of the GDP</a> of countries spanning from Samoa and Vanuatu to Fiji and Cook Islands. But our <a href="https://mro.massey.ac.nz/handle/10179/15742">research</a> shows how people are surviving – and in some cases, thriving – in the face of significant loss of income. This is due in part to their reliance on customary knowledge, systems and practices. Islands impacted by border closures The research involved an online survey completed by 106 people, along with interviews in six tourism-dependent locations across five countries. Research associates based in these countries did interviews in places such as villages next to resorts, or communities that regularly provided cultural tours for cruise ship passengers. They spoke with former and current tourism workers, community members and business owners who reflected on how they had adapted and what they hoped the future would hold. Almost 90% of survey respondents lived in households facing significant reductions in income. Owners of tourism-related businesses faced particular financial strain, with 85% of them saying they lost three-quarters or more of their usual income. But people showed considerable adaptive capacities and resilience in devising a range of strategies to meet their needs in the face of this dramatic loss of earnings. More than half the respondents were growing food for their families. Many were also fishing. People talked about using the natural abundance of the land and sea to provide food. One person from Rarotonga, part of the Cook Islands, said “no one is going hungry” and this was due to a number of factors: <ol> <li>people had access to customary land on which to grow food</li> <li>traditional systems meant neighbours, clan members and church communities helped to provide for those who were more vulnerable</li> <li>there was still sufficient knowledge within communities to teach younger members who had lost jobs how to grow food and fish.</li> </ol> One young man from Samoa, who had lost his job in a hotel, said: Like our family, everyone else has gone back to the land … I’ve had to relearn skills that have been not been used for years, skills in planting and especially in fishing … I am very happy with the plantation of mixed crops I have now and feeling confident we will be OK moving forward in these times of uncertainty. Alternative livelihood options People also engaged in a wide range of initiatives to earn cash, from selling products from their farms (fruit, root crops, other vegetables, cocoa, pigs and chickens) and the sea (a wide range of fish and shellfish) to starting small businesses. Examples included planting flowers to sell in bunches along the roadside, making doughnuts to take to the market, or offering sewing, yard maintenance or hair-cutting services. Goods and services were also <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/may/08/two-piglets-for-a-kayak-fiji-returns-to-barter-system-as-covid-19-hits-economy">bartered</a>, rather than exchanged for cash. Sometimes social groups banded together to encourage one another in activities that earned an income. For example, a youth group near the resort island of Denarau, in Fiji, gained a contract to provide weekly catering for a rugby club. When times are hard, it’s not all bad Our study also examined four aspects of well-being: mental, financial, social and physical. Understandably, there was a clear decline in financial well-being. This was sometimes associated with greater stress and conflict within households. As one Cook Islands man said: There’s so many people in the house that we’re fighting over who’s going to pay for this, who’s going to pay for that. But the impacts on social, mental and physical well-being were mixed, with quite a number of people showing improvements. How has COVID-19 impacted on the wellbeing of your family, household or community? Many people were effusive in their responses when talking about how they now had more time with family, especially children. This was particularly the case for women who had previously worked long hours in the tourism sector. As one said: I feel staying (at home) during this pandemic has really helped a lot, especially with my kids. Now everything is in order. The spending of quality time with my family has been excellent and awesome. Others expressed satisfaction they had more time for meeting religious and cultural obligations. As one said, “everyone is more connected now”, and people had more time to look after others in the community: Extended family harmony has improved, particularly with checking welfare of others who may need help during this time. Business owners appreciated the chance to “rest and recharge”. As one Fijian business owner said: This break has given us a new breath of life. We have since analysed and pondered on what are the most important things in life apart from money. We have strengthened our relationships with friends and family, worked together, laughed and enjoyed each other’s company. These early research findings suggest customary systems are effectively supporting people’s resilience and well-being in the Pacific. A Pacific ethos of caring, respect, social and ecological custodianship and togetherness has softened the harsh blow of the COVID-19-induced economic slowdown. Written by <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/regina-scheyvens-650907">Regina Scheyvens</a>, Massey University and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/apisalome-movono-1108178">Apisalome Movono</a>, Massey University. Republished with permission of <a href="https://theconversation.com/traditional-skills-help-people-on-the-tourism-deprived-pacific-islands-survive-the-pandemic-148987">The Conversation.</a>

Cruising

60-year-old Paralympian dies during solo crossing of Pacific

Angela Madsen, whose remarkable life took in a spell in the Marines, a string of gold medals and record setting rowing journeys, has passed away as she attempted a solo journey from California to Hawaii. The 60-year-old’s death was confirmed by her wife, Deb Madsen, in a Facebook post on Tuesday. “With extreme sadness,” she wrote, “I must announce that Angela Madsen will not complete her solo row to Hawaii.” Speaking to the Long Beach Press-Telegram, Deb said the last she heard from her wife was when she was on route from Los Angeles to Honolulu in a 20-foot row boat, by text on Saturday. Angela had said she was going to enter the water to complete some maintenance. Deb had become concerned when she didn’t hear from Angela. Shortly after, the US Coast Guard located her body. “The [spotter] plane saw Angela in the water, apparently deceased, tethered to RowofLife, but was unable to relay that information due to poor satellite coverage,” Deb wrote on the Facebook page. The body has now been recovered. Soraya Simi, who was making a documentary about the crossing, said she was shocked by the news. “This is the single heaviest moment of my life,” Simi said in a statement to the Southern California News Group. “I am so sorry and so sad to write this. I know so many of you were cheering her on and wanted her to succeed.” Madsen led a life to remember. After her brother told her she wouldn’t make it in the military, she joined the Marines. But ended up in a wheelchair after injuring her back playing for the Marines basketball team. But despite the turn her life took, Madsen took up rowing and won several gold medals at the world rowing championships. She went on to row across the Indian and Atlantic Oceans and also circumnavigated Great Britain in her boat. Madsen’s athletics talents were not limited to rowing – she also won a bronze medal in shot put at the 2012 Paralympics in London. She also set up a program for disabled rowers in California. “I wanted to create an opportunity for people with disabilities to row,” she said. “It’s one of the most inclusive activities people can do. We row three days a week and do it year-round. It’s completely free for people with disabilities.” Simi said Madsen understood the danger involved in the 2,500 mile journey. “This was a clear risk going in since day one, and Angela was aware of that more than anyone else,” Simi said. “She was willing to die at sea doing the thing she loved most.”

News

Sun, sand and uncertainty: The promise and peril of a Pacific tourism bubble

Pacific nations have largely <a href="https://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=12328702">avoided</a> the worst health effects of COVID-19, but its economic impact has been devastating. With the tourism tap turned off, unemployment has soared while GDP has plummeted. In recent weeks, Fiji Airways laid off 775 employees and souvenir business Jack’s of Fiji laid off 500. In Vanuatu 70% of tourism workers have lost their jobs. Cook Islands is estimated to have experienced a <a href="https://www.newsroom.co.nz/2020/05/18/1177034/an-island-in-debt">60% drop in GDP</a> in the past three months. In response, many are calling for the Pacific to be included in the proposed <a href="https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/121727144/coronavirus-transtasman-travel-bubble-date-down-to-australians-winston-peters-says">trans-Tasman travel corridor</a>. Such calls have come from <a href="https://devpolicy.org/vanuatu-a-tourism-sector-perspective-on-potential-recovery-from-covid-19-and-tc-harold-20200506-1/">tourism operators</a>, <a href="https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/418156/pressure-mounts-on-nz-and-aust-to-include-pacific-in-bubble">politicians</a> and at least one <a href="https://www.newsroom.co.nz/ideasroom/2020/05/28/1205479/nz-pacific-islands-bubble-should-come-first">health expert</a>. Quarantine concerns aside, there is economic logic to this. Australians and New Zealanders make up <a href="http://pacific.scoop.co.nz/2019/06/tourism-sector-achieves-3-16-million-visitor-arrivals-in-18/">more than 50%</a> of travellers to the region. Some countries are massively dependent: two-thirds of visitors to Fiji and three-quarters of visitors to Cook Islands are Aussies and Kiwis. Cook Islands has budgeted NZ$140 million for economic recovery, but this will increase the tiny nation’s debt. Prime Minister Henry Puna has <a href="https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/travel/2020/06/cook-islands-prime-minister-calls-for-pacific-bubble-as-soon-as-new-zealand-enters-covid-19-alert-level-1.html">argued for</a> a limited tourism bubble as soon as New Zealand relaxes its COVID-19 restrictions to alert level 1. Cook Islands News editor Jonathan Milne <a href="https://player.whooshkaa.com/coronavirus-nz?episode=665993">estimates</a> 75-80% of the population is “desperate to get the tourists back”. A Pacific bubble would undoubtedly help economic recovery. But this merely highlights how <a href="https://www.eco-business.com/opinion/impact-of-covid-19-on-tourism-in-small-island-developing-states/">vulnerable</a> these island economies have become. Tourism <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/337854342_Development_and_change_Reflections_on_tourism_in_the_South_Pacific">accounts</a> for between 10% and 70% of GDP and up to one in four jobs across the South Pacific. The pressure to reopen borders is understandable. But we argue that a tourism bubble cannot be looked at in isolation. It should be part of a broader strategy to diversify economies and enhance linkages (e.g. between agriculture and tourism, to put more local food on restaurant menus), especially in those countries that are most perilously dependent on tourism. Over-dependence on tourism is a trap Pacific nations such as Vanuatu and Fiji have recovered quickly from past crises such as the GFC, cyclones and coups because of the continuity of tourism. COVID-19 has turned that upside down. People are coping in the short term by reviving subsistence farming, fishing and <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/may/08/two-piglets-for-a-kayak-fiji-returns-to-barter-system-as-covid-19-hits-economy">bartering</a> for goods and services. Many are still suffering, however, due to limited state welfare systems. In Fiji’s case, the government has taken the drastic step of allowing laid-off or temporarily unemployed workers to withdraw from their superannuation savings in the National Provident Fund. Retirement funds have also been used to <a href="https://www.fijivillage.com/news/We-need-Fiji-Airways-to-come-back-strongly-for-the-future-of-the-country---Koroi-48r5xf/">lend FJ$53.6 million</a> to the struggling national carrier, Fiji Airways. Fiji has taken on more debt to cope. Its debt-to-GDP ratio, which ideally should sit below 40% for developing economies, has risen from 48.9% before the pandemic to 60.9%. It’s likely to <a href="http://www.economy.gov.fj/images/Budget/budgetdocuments/supplements/SUPPLEMENT-TO-THE-COVID-19-RESPONSE-BUDGET-ADDRESS.pdf">increase further</a>. High debt, lack of economic diversity and dependence on tourism put the Fijian economy in a very vulnerable position. Recovery will take a long time, probably requiring assistance from the country’s main trading partners. In the meantime, Fiji is pinning hopes on joining a New Zealand-Australia <a href="https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/416392/fiji-keen-to-join-nz-australia-travel-bubble">travel bubble</a>. Out of crisis comes opportunity Supporting Pacific states to recover is an opportunity for New Zealand and Australia to put their respective Pacific <a href="https://www.mfat.govt.nz/en/about-us/mfat-annual-reports/mfat-annual-report-2018-19/case-study-the-pacific-reset-a-year-on/">Reset</a> and <a href="https://www.dfat.gov.au/geo/pacific/Pages/the-pacific">Step-Up</a> policies into practice. If building more reciprocal, equitable relationships with Pacific states is the goal, now is the time to ensure economic recovery also strengthens their socio-economic, environmental and political infrastructures. Economic well-being within the Pacific region is already closely linked to New Zealand and Australia through seasonal workers in horticulture and viticulture, remittance payments, trade and travel. But for many years there has been a major trade imbalance in favour of New Zealand and Australia. Shifting that balance beyond the recovery phase will involve facilitating long-term resilience and sustainable development in the region. A good place to start would be the recent United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific <a href="https://www.unescap.org/sites/default/files/Policy%20brief_MPFD_Combating%20COVID-19%20in%20Asia%20and%20the%20Pacific%20updated.pdf">report</a> on recovering from COVID-19. Its recommendations include such measures as implementing social protection programs, integrating climate action into plans to revive economies, and encouraging more socially and environmentally responsible businesses. This is about more than altruism – enlightened self-interest should also drive the New Zealand and Australian agenda. Any longer-term economic downturn in the South Pacific, due in part to over-reliance on tourism, could lead to instability in the region. There is a clear <a href="https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2018/11/the-next-economic-crisis-could-cause-a-global-conflict-heres-why">link</a> between serious economic crises and social unrest. At a broader level, the pandemic is already <a href="https://asia.nikkei.com/Politics/International-relations/Coronavirus-gives-China-an-edge-as-it-expands-sway-in-the-Pacific">entrenching</a> Chinese regional influence: loans from China make up 62% of Tonga’s total foreign borrowing; for Vanuatu the figure is 43%; for Samoa 39%. China is taking the initiative through what some call “<a href="https://devpolicy.org/chinas-coronavirus-covid-19-diplomacy-in-the-pacific-20200527-1/">COVID-19 diplomacy</a>”. This involves funding pandemic stimulus packages and offering aid and investment throughout the Pacific, including drafting a <a href="https://www.fbcnews.com.fj/news/free-trade-agreement-talks-underway-between-fiji-and-china/">free trade agreement</a> with Fiji. That is not to say Chinese investment in Pacific economies won’t do good. Rather, it is an argument for thinking beyond the immediate benefits of a travel bubble. By realigning their development priorities, Australia and New Zealand can help the Pacific build a better, more sustainable future. Written by Regina Scheyvens and Apisalome Movono. Republished with permission of <a href="https://theconversation.com/sun-sand-and-uncertainty-the-promise-and-peril-of-a-pacific-tourism-bubble-139661">The Conversation.</a>

Cruising

Kerri-Anne Kennerley defends Erin Molan in Pacific Islander racism row

Kerri-Anne Kennerley has defended Erin Molan following backlash against her “racist” comments on 2GB last week. Molan has faced widespread backlash after she said “hooka looka mooka hooka fooka” during a discussion about how to pronounce the names of players from Pacific Islander heritage on The Continuous Call Thursday night. The Channel Nine host said the comment was an <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/news/news/erin-molan-denies-mocking-pacific-islander-names-in-bizarre-radio-slip-up">in-joke between the commentary team</a>, citing a debate commentators Ray and Chris Warren had over the pronunciation of Manly forward Haumole Olakau’atu. “Erin was jokingly mocking the difficulty Chris and his father had, going back and forth figuring out how to pronounce a complex name,” the <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8387361/Erin-Molan-appears-mock-names-Pacific-Islanders-live-radio.html">Daily Mail </a>quoted Nine. Past and current players have slammed the comment and called for Molan to apologise. “I hope the Poly boys in the NRL decline her when being asked to do an interview or anything to do with her until she apologises,” said New Zealand-born Samoan rugby star Junior Poluleuligaga. “I know how it feels. It used to make me feel embarrassed and angry when I should have been feeling proud along with my family. Inside joke my ass.” <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> I hope the poly boys in the NRL decline her when being asked to do an interview or anything to do with her until she apologizes. I know how it feels. It used to make me feel embarrassed + angry when I should have been feeling proud along with my family. Inside joke my ass 👊🏽 <a href="https://t.co/VmQYME1e1x">https://t.co/VmQYME1e1x</a> — Tino Junior Poluleuligaga (@JIP2EZY) <a href="https://twitter.com/JIP2EZY/status/1269815436301832192?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 8, 2020</a></blockquote> Sea Eagles footballer Martin Taupau wrote on Twitter: “Understandable for our non-Pasifika community attempting to properly announce our names, but to disrespect and make a mockery of former/current Pasifika players in the NRL like how you carried on is DISGRACEFUL!” <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Understandable for our non-Pasifika community attempting to properly announce our names, but to disrespect and make a mockery of former/current Pasifika players in the NRL like how you carried on is DISGRACEFUL! My grandfather would be tossing in his grave in anger!🤬<a href="https://twitter.com/Erin_Molan?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Erin_Molan</a> <a href="https://t.co/CTMuzHEatl">https://t.co/CTMuzHEatl</a> — Martin Taupau (@MartyKapow) <a href="https://twitter.com/MartyKapow/status/1268819295611437082?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 5, 2020</a></blockquote> Sharks forward Braden Hamlin-Uele called on Molan to “show some respect”. He said in an Instagram story: “Disgusting to even think that would be OK, to put on an accent and say that ... Wake up to yourself.” Former rugby league star John Hopoate published an Instagram post condemning Molan. “It was an inside joke between colleagues so it’s OK. Just like when I accidentally trip this RACIST B***H over and she falls and scrapes her RACIST mouth on the ground. But I won’t apologise cause it’s an inside joke between friends.” Hopoate has since made his account private. Studio 10’s Kennerley described Hopoate’s post as “disgraceful”. According to <a href="http://archive.is/Lywsk#selection-9597.0-9597.209">The Daily Telegraph</a>, Kennerley said: “For any boofhead to come out and suggest violence against any woman … that behaviour has to be called out. “It drives me mad in this climate that the people who are so politically correct are the most intolerant people of anyone else. [Molan] is not a malicious person and wouldn’t do anything deliberately hurtful.” A petition calling for Molan’s sacking from Nine Network has received more than 2,000 signatures. “Polynesians who represent about 45 per cent of players in the National Rugby League competition deserve basic respect and shouldn’t be subjected to inadvertent racism,” the petition read.

Erin Molan denies mocking Pacific Islander names in bizarre radio slip-up

Channel 9 rugby league personality Erin Molan has denied mocking the names of Pacific Islander players on 2GB. Appearing on The Continuous Call with Darryl Brohman and Mark Levy, Molan was having a conversation about player names to which she said: “Hooka looka mooka hooka fooka”. The comment left the hosts confused and bewildered. “What? I’m not sure what she said there,” Brohman said. Speaking to the Daily Mail, Molan insisted that she wasn’t mocking Pacific Islander names but was referring to an inside joke between the commentary team. The publication reported that both Molan and Nine Entertainment, owner of 2GB, insist she was talking about a story Brohman told nearly two months ago in early April. Brohman’s story was based on father and son commentators, Ray and Chris Warren, who disagreed over the pronunciation of Manly forward Haumole Olakau’atu. “His name had about 30 letters in it and I had trouble pronouncing it so I asked Chris ‘how do you pronounce this bloke’s name?’” Brohman said. “He said ‘well dad and I have been discussing this today... and dad thought his name was Chuka-lala-lulu. “And ‘I said, ‘well, dad, I think it’s Chuka-lala-lulu-lulu,’ and he says, ‘Chris, that’s incorrect - it’s Chukaka-lulalulalo’.” “Erin was was jokingly mocking the difficulty Chris and his father had, going back and forth figuring out how to pronounce a complex name,” the Daily Mail quoted Nine. “The Big Marn (Brohman) retelling the story in his very best Ray and Chris Warren voice.”

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Whales and dolphins found in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch for the first time

Scientific research doesn’t usually mean being strapped in a harness by the open paratroop doors of a Vietnam-war-era Hercules plane. But that’s the situation I found myself in several years ago, the result of which has just been <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12526-019-00952-0">published</a> in the journal Marine Biodiversity. As part of the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hlIXcq2ijZQ">Ocean Cleanup’s Aerial Expedition</a>, I was coordinating a visual survey team assessing the largest accumulation of ocean plastic in the world: the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. When the aircraft’s doors opened in front of me over the Pacific Ocean for the first time, my heart jumped into my throat. Not because I was looking 400m straight down to the wild sea below as it passed at 260km per hour, but because of what I saw. This was one of the most remote regions of the Pacific Ocean, and the amount of floating plastic nets, ropes, containers and who-knows-what below was mind-boggling. However, it wasn’t just debris down there. For the first time, we found proof of <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12526-019-00952-0">whales and dolphins in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch</a>, which means it’s highly likely they are eating or getting tangled in the huge amount of plastic in the area. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is said to be the largest accumulation of ocean plastic in the world. It is located between Hawaii and California, where huge ocean currents meet to form the North Pacific subtropical gyre. An estimated <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5864935/">80,000 tonnes of plastic</a> are floating in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. Our overall project was overseen and led by The Ocean Cleanup’s founder Boyan Slat and then-chief scientist Julia Reisser. We conducted two visual survey flights, each taking an entire day to travel from San Francisco’s Moffett Airfield, survey for around two hours, and travel home. Along with our visual observations, the aircraft was fitted with a range of sensors, including a short-wave infrared imager, a Lidar system (which uses the pulse from lasers to map objects on land or at sea), and a high-resolution camera. Both visual and technical surveys found whales and dolphins, including sperm and beaked whales and their young calves. This is the first direct evidence of whales and dolphins in the heart of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. <a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/296602/original/file-20191011-188797-8wu2a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/296602/original/file-20191011-188797-8wu2a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" alt="" /></a> Mating green turtles in a sea of plastics. photo by Chandra P. Salgado Kent, Author provided Plastics in the ocean are a growing problem for marine life. Many species can mistake plastics for food, consume them accidentally along with their prey or simply eat fish that have themselves eaten plastic. Both beaked and sperm whales have been recently found with heavy plastic loads in their stomachs. In the Philippines, a <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-47608949">dying beaked whale</a> was found with 40kg of plastic in its stomach, and in Indonesia, a dead <a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/s/sperm-whale/">sperm whale</a> washed ashore with 115 drinking cups, 25 plastic bags, plastic bottles, two flip-flops, and more than 1,000 pieces of string in its stomach. The danger of ghost nets The most common debris we were able to identify by eye was discarded or lost fishing nets, often called “ghost nets”. Ghost nets can drift in the ocean for years, trapping animals and causing injuries, starvation and death. <a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/297849/original/file-20191021-56220-k3ttsu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/297849/original/file-20191021-56220-k3ttsu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" alt="" /></a> Crew sorts plastic debris collected from the Great Pacific Garbage Patch on a voyage in July 2019. EPA/THE OCEAN CLEANUP Whales and dolphins are often found snared in debris. Earlier this year, a young sperm whale almost died after spending three years <a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/2019/01/digit-sperm-whale-saved-from-rope-entanglement-ghost-net-fishing-gear-off-dominica/">tangled in a rope from a fishing net</a>. During our observation we saw young calves with their mothers. Calves are especially vulnerable to becoming trapped. With the wide range of ocean plastics in the garbage patch, it is highly likely animals in the area ingest and become tangled in it. It’s believed the amount of plastics in the ocean could <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-43477233">triple</a> over the next decade. It is clear the problem of plastic pollution has no political or geographic boundaries. While plastics enter the sea from populated areas, global currents transport them across oceans. Plastics can kill animals, <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048969718346072?via%3Dihub%22%22">promote disease</a>, and <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/322703874_Plastic_waste_associated_with_disease_on_coral_reefs">harm the environment, our food sources and people</a>. The most devastating effects fall on communities in poverty. New research shows the Great Pacific Garbage Patch is <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-018-22939-w">rapidly growing</a>, posing a <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12526-019-00952-0">greater threat to wildlife</a>. It reinforces the global movement to reduce, recycle and remove plastics from the environment. But to really tackle this problem we need creative solutions at every level of society, from communities to industries to governments and international organisations. To take one possibility, what if we invested in fast-growing, sustainably cultivated bamboo to replace millions of single-use plastics? It could be produced by the very countries most affected by this crisis: poorer and developing nations. It is only one of many opportunities to dramatically reduce plastic waste, improve the health of our environments and people, and to help communities most susceptible to plastic pollution.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/122538/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/chandra-salgado-kent-679930">Chandra Salgado Kent</a>, Associate Professor, School of Science, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/edith-cowan-university-720">Edith Cowan University</a> This article is republished from <a href="http://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/whales-and-dolphins-found-in-the-great-pacific-garbage-patch-for-the-first-time-122538">original article</a>.

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