Fostered independent view

FRENCH POLYNESIA – The founder of Tahiti-Pacifique magazine Alex du Prel has died on Moorea after an illness at the age of 73.

Du Prel launched the monthly French-language publication in 1991 to provide a fiercely independent view on events in French Polynesia.

He ran the magazine until 2015 when he sold it to Fenua Communication but continued to contribute as a writer. Austrian-born du Prel arrived as an engineer in Tahiti in the 1970s after a solo crossing of the Pacific on his yacht.

He then managed Marlon Brando’s Tetiaroa island before starting writing and publishing.

He became a widely respected voice in support of Tahitian tradition and culture, but was frequently embroiled in disputes with political leaders keen to shut down his publication.

Beetle threatens PNG coffee

PAPUA NEW GUINEA – A re-emergence of the coffee borer beetle in Papua New Guinea could wipe out 80 per cent of coffee production in the country. The beetle is endemic to Central Africa and among the most damaging insects in the world.

The general manager for research and growers services in the PNG Coffee Industry Corporation, Mark Kenny said it first appeared in 2009 in remote regions but was successfully eradicated.

Dr Kenny said this time however it has appeared at Banz in Jiwaka which was at the heart of PNG’s Highlands coffee growing region. He said it was a very serious situation for an industry that supports much of the PNG population and brings in on average more than US$150 million in revenue each year.

“If this pest cannot be contained and managed properly then we stand to lose up to 80 per cent of the coffee production.”

Kenny said a survey was being undertaken to determine the extent to which the pest has spread which will determine how authorities will decide to eradicate, contain or manage the problem

Expert flown in to fix phones

VANUATU – An expert from Australia has been flown in to Port Vila to restore phone services in Vanuatu.

Telecommunications Vanuatu has apologised for the disruption to fixed and mobile services. It said lightning strikes and power outages caused the network to become unstable.

RNZI correspondent Len Garae said phone services had been worsening over the last week and most phones were not working causing people to respond angrily on social media.

He said it showed Vanuatu was still reliant on overseas expertise.

“They had to get an expert especially from Australia and they went as far as hiring a plane to get him over to sort the problem out and fix it. We continue to depend on expertise from the outside. We do have local expertise here but in this particular case it was so drastic and it was so sudden they had to rush in someone especially from Australia.”

Garae said people in Vanuatu have become dependent on their mobile phones and the outage was very disruptive.