Environment
Regional environmental workshop wraps up
Tuesday 9 February 2010 | Published in Environment
The ecosystem-based management course/workshop wrapped up at the Assemblies of God hall at Takuvaine last Friday. Twenty participants from overseas, as well as four from the outer islands and government agency staff on Rarotonga, attended the two-week course which looked at integrating contemporary and traditional coastal ecosystem management in the Pacific. Henry Muller from the […]
NES look into tree cutting
Monday 8 February 2010 | Published in Environment
The national environment service is investigating the cutting of number of trees on a Vaimaanga beach property late last month. NES director Vaitoti Tupa said that developers are required to contact the service before tampering with trees in “foreshore areas” within 30 metres from the main high-water mark. Tupa said that any plans to cut […]
Copenhagen Accord makes no commitments
Saturday 6 February 2010 | Published in Environment
Government has decided to continue lobbying for a binding climate change deal to be made at this year’s United Nations meeting in Cancun, Mexico. Like other small island states the Cook Islands will not support the Copenhagen Accord – the highly criticised document created by 25 countries at the United Nations climate change conference in […]
Where to next from Copenhagen?
Saturday 6 February 2010 | Published in Environment
Climate change is a global problem requiring a global solution. More importantly, it poses a direct risk to the Cook Islands, impacting many of our key development sectors such as agriculture, health and marine resources. The Cook Islands, therefore, led by the prime minister Jim Marurai, participated in the 15th session of the Conference of […]
Taking eco action
Thursday 4 February 2010 | Published in Environment
Participants on a two-week environmental course will today put what they have learned so far into presenting their own ecosystem-based management (EBM) plan for a given scenario. Melanie King, who organised the course, says the course will equip participants with the tools and techniques, and areas they will need to consider when developing a management […]
Better integration needed for Pacific ecosystems
Monday 1 February 2010 | Published in Environment
Technical experts representing eight Pacific island countries last week endorsed an innovative approach to managing the environment which addresses natural resource management in the social, economic and political context. The forum held at the AOG Hall in Takuvaine considered the application of ecosystem-based management to address critical environmental issues which threaten delicate coastal and marine […]
Pacific islands join forces on environment
Thursday 28 January 2010 | Published in Environment
Pacific island nations are facing critical environmental issues – pollution, habitat destruction, declining fisheries and climate change – which threaten their costal ecosystems impacting food security and wellbeing. Environmental leaders and managers are in Rarotonga to meet and discuss an innovative approach to the management of coastal ecosystems, known as ecosystem-based management, as part of […]
Rarotonga to come under scrutiny
Wednesday 27 January 2010 | Published in Environment
Field trips are a large component of the University of Queensland environmental management course is being held in Rarotonga. The two week course began on Monday with those taking part from around the region getting an introduction to the course and an orientation tour. Dr Ron Neller is one of the course presenters who will […]
Talking the biodiversity talk
Monday 25 January 2010 | Published in Environment
Red List – also known as the IUCN Red List or Red Data List is a listed inventory of the global conservation status of plant and animal species. For example, it is in the Red List that you can find out whether a certain species is Extinct, Critically Endangered or Vulnerable. Invasive Species – Introduced […]
Biodiversity facts! Did you know?
Monday 25 January 2010 | Published in Environment
– The global cost associated with invasive species is estimated at US$1.4 trillion annually – 5% of the world economy. – More than 450 million people live within 60 kilometers of coral reefs, with the majority directly or indirectly deriving food and income from them. – In rural areas of Pacific Island Countries, fish contributes […]
2010 Targets – Biodiversity
Monday 25 January 2010 | Published in Environment
The Cook Islands is a member of the Bureau for the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). Cook Islander Tania Temata was nominated to the Bureau in 2008 to represent the interests of the Asia Pacific region. In 1994 the Cook Islands became a party to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) which […]
Cook Islands Year of Biodiversity
Monday 25 January 2010 | Published in Environment
2010 is the International Year of Biodiversity. It is a celebration of life on earth and of the value of biodiversity for our lives. The world is invited to take action in 2010 to safeguard the variety of life on earth: biodiversity. Human activity is causing the diversity of life on Earth to be lost […]
Befriending Biodiversity
Monday 25 January 2010 | Published in Environment
Nod if you just read the word and wondered ‘what the heck is biodiversity?’ Now take a look around you, at your surroundings. Do you see trees outside your window? Are you fortunate enough to have a co-worker who is wearing a flower in her air? Have you got a great view of the ocean? […]
Fly problem worries ministers
Saturday 23 January 2010 | Published in Environment
Two cabinet ministers are joining forces to come up with a new plan to tackle the fly problem at the Arorangi waste facility which has been blamed for the large number of them in the surrounding community. Health minister Apii Piho and minister of infrastructure and planning (MOIP) William ‘Smiley’ Heather are aware of the […]
Queensland Uni course comes to Raro
Saturday 23 January 2010 | Published in Environment
A two-week University of Queensland environmental management course is being held in Rarotonga from Monday until February 5. About 30 people from the region are here to take the annual course which looks at integrating contemporary and traditional coastal ecosystem management in the Pacific. This is the first time the course has been held in […]
Chicken pieces spill mystery
Thursday 14 January 2010 | Published in Environment
The remains of chicken pieces, carrots, potatoes, cauliflower and pumpkin were scraped of the road at the Harley Street corner on Tuesday afternoon. Police, public health and the national environment service were alerted of the spill around 10am, before public health officials cleaned up the mess later that afternoon. It is understood that the equivalent […]
Dead animals found on foreshore
Thursday 14 January 2010 | Published in Environment
First it was chicken pieces on the road at Nikao on Tuesday. Yesterday morning it was a couple of decaying dogs and a pig carcass discovered on the Matavera foreshore. National environment service compliance officer Keri Herman said they were alerted after a member of the public reported the discovery of the remains to public […]
Start made on sustainable energy initiatives
Thursday 7 January 2010 | Published in Environment
Progress has already been made on the country’s sustainable energy action plan which was submitted to cabinet last month. Spearheaded by the national energy committee, the policy was presented to cabinet by former energy minister Tangata Vavia and ratified two days before he quit his position last month. He has since been replaced as energy […]
Shark plan launched
Tuesday 17 November 2009 | Published in Environment
The Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA), the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) and the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) launched the Pacific Islands regional plan of action (PI-RPOA) on sharks. At least 80 species of sharks and rays are found within the Pacific Islands region. Around half of these species […]
Rain on Raro at weekend
Wednesday 26 August 2009 | Published in Environment
Tuesday 25: Rarotonga received a drenching on Sunday night as the island welcomed much needed rain throughout the weekend. The meteorological service at Nikao says 51.1 millimetres (two inches) of rain was recorded from 8am on Sunday to 8am yesterday. This was the highest rainfall recorded for a 24-hour period to date this month. The […]