Environment
Deeper look at Ocean Monitoring Centre
Sunday 1 April 2018 | Published in Environment
Last week’s opening of the Ministry of Marine Resources’ (MMR) revamped Oceans Monitoring Centre (OMC) featured a tour which included a presentation on the Vessel Monitoring System (VMR) used by MMR to track fishing vessels.
New site for fisheries information
Sunday 1 April 2018 | Published in Environment
A new web portal designed to provide the latest information on measures set out to conserve and manage Pacific fisheries was launched last week.
Climate change costing big deal
Sunday 1 April 2018 | Published in Environment
Director of Climate Change Cook Islands, Wayne King says the costing of climate change was a big topic of discussion with the New Zealand delegation during their “Pacific Reset” mission to the Cook Islands and other Pacific Islands recently.
WATSAN works hard to clear water intakes
Thursday 29 March 2018 | Published in Environment
The Water, Waste, and Sanitation Unit of the Ministry of Infrastructure Cook Islands (WATSAN) is warning local residents to get their drinking water from approved water stations around the island.
One step closer to mining sea floor
Wednesday 28 March 2018 | Published in Environment
The Cook Islands is the only country in the world with a widely recognised, commercially viable ‘polymetallic nodule field’ – including valuable deposits of cobalt and titanium – within its exclusive economic zone.
Rain disrupts water services
Tuesday 27 March 2018 | Published in Environment
Days of heavy rain on Rarotonga have led to 10 out of the 12 water intakes around the island being blocked by debris, says the Water, Waste, and Sanitation Unit of the Ministry of Infrastructure Cook Islands (WATSAN).
Partnership may help remove waste
Tuesday 27 March 2018 | Written by Rashneel Kumar | Published in Environment
The Cook Islands may take advantage of the newly-signed Moana Taka Partnership in which a Chinese company has agreed to ship containers of recyclable waste out of the country at no cost.
Get creative with empty plastic bottles
Saturday 24 March 2018 | Published in Environment
Plastic bottles are one of the leading contributors to marine litter in our oceans.
PM opens Ocean Monitoring Centre
Friday 23 March 2018 | Published in Environment
The Prime Minister and Minister of Marine Resources Henry Puna officially opened the extended and renovated Ocean Monitoring Centre at the Ministry of Marine Resources (MMR) in Avarua yesterday, describing it as “a facility that allows our sovereign little nation to exercise full responsibility over its ocean domain”.
Energy goal out of reach
Thursday 22 March 2018 | Published in Environment
The Cook Islands aim of becoming totally dependent on renewable energy by 2020 is looking increasingly out of reach, with renewable energy generation now accounting for just above 16 per cent of all power generated on Rarotonga.
Step forward in preparing for disasters
Tuesday 20 March 2018 | Written by Rashneel Kumar | Published in Environment
The Cook Islands has become the fourth country in the Pacific region to obtain a Country Preparedness Package (CPP) outline.
Call for answers over Te Mato Vai project
Friday 16 March 2018 | Published in Environment
The Cook Islands government appears to have reached the bottom of the funding barrel for the long-running Te Mato Vai water mains project, says the Opposition spokesman for finance and the economy, James Beer
Turning bottles into sand
Friday 16 March 2018 | Published in Environment
Work now being done at WATSAN (Water, Waste and Sanitation) division of Infrastructure Cook Islands (ICI) could see most of Rarotonga’s empty glass bottles end up as sand. A cost-benefit analysis of glass crushing is one of three projects being undertaken by WATSAN’s first dedicated waste programme coordinator, Hilary Boyes, who hails from Wanaka in New Zealand and will be with ICI for the next six months. Boyes has been involved in waste management all over the world, most notably in Vancouver, Canada, where she helped set up organic waste collection for composting purposes. She also worked as an on-site coordinator during the construction of a large natural gas project site in Australia. “By crushing glass into the particle size of sand, the glass can be substituted for sand in concreting and leave the sand where it belongs,” says Boyes. “Speaking with experts in concreting they advise that coral sand isn’t actually ideal for concreting and crushed glass is the preferred option.” A side benefit of recycling glass bottles by crushing them into sand is that it also saves sand being mined for construction purposes. The rate of natural production of sand is much slower than extraction, which means using sand as aggregate in concrete is unsustainable, especially on small islands. And sand mining can also have other undesirable effects, says WATSAN director Jaime Short. “The continued mining of sand with the holes being filled with soil and worse still, hazardous waste that is often reported dumped in these holes, will have disastrous effects on lagoon and human health.” In the 2018/19 budget bidding, ICI is vying for an industrial glass crusher and the findings of Boyes’ cost-benefit analysis will ensure the correct size of crusher is purchased - and that parts are easily obtainable. “The long-term view is to have this operation taken over by the private sector and we do hope that it can be a profitable venture to attract a private-sector operator,” says ICI secretary Ngametua Pokino. “We also hope that it will create more attention and action on realising that waste actually is a resource.” ICI now asks the public to separate glass bottles when putting them out for collection, but the glass cannot actually be sent off the island as its international value is too low. Instead, the bottles are used as cover for the landfill and crushed glass from a small single-bottle feed crusher is used as fill on driveways. The industrial crushing idea has been floating around for some time and there are already private-sector initiatives out there. For example, Brad and Ngere from Brad’s Auto Body Repairs have their own crusher and use cullet-sized crushed glass in pavers – and in the construction of their home. Andy Olah of Timberland also approached ICI about glass crushing and has been a longtime proponent of the repurposing of glass bottles. All these local real-life examples for glass crushing will contribute to the analysis, and Malcolm Sword of General Transport is also providing some technical advice for the project. - Release/SB
Seabed minerals study opportunity
Thursday 15 March 2018 | Written by Rashneel Kumar | Published in Environment
Cook Islands Seabed Minerals Authority is seeking applications for a new training and educational opportunity with their joint venture partner, Global Sea Mineral Resources NV (GSR) of Belgium.
'Solar mamas' return from school in India
Thursday 15 March 2018 | Published in Environment
The first Cook Islands first women to attend the Barefoot College in Rajastan, India, are coming home.
Ugly seaweed washes up in Muri lagoon
Tuesday 13 March 2018 | Written by Rashneel Kumar | Published in Environment
Current weather conditions are promoting the growth of seaweed (algae) which appears to be in bloom again in Muri lagoon.
Breaking down confusion
Monday 12 March 2018 | Published in Environment
There is much confusion surrounding terms such as biodegradable and compostable, as well as bioplastic, bio-based, bio-polymer, etc.
MCI hopes to repeat 2017 success
Wednesday 7 March 2018 | Written by Rashneel Kumar | Published in Environment
Maritime Cook Islands (MCI) registered 130 new vessels last year to grow its fleet by 3.6 per cent from 557 vessels at the end of 2016 to 577 in December, 2017.
Boat crew rescue injured turtle
Wednesday 7 March 2018 | Published in Environment
An endangered green sea turtle that lost a front flipper after becoming entangled in a mass of orange rope at sea has been safely released back into the ocean.
Just three at bill meeting
Tuesday 6 March 2018 | Written by Rashneel Kumar | Published in Environment
There was a poor turnout for the opening Marine Resources Bill 2017 public consultation at Sinai Hall in Avarua on Thursday last week.