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FAO Subregional Office in Samoa celebrated the achievement of the editor of the Samoa Observer Newspaper, Mr Mata’afa Keni Lesa, in receiving the FAO A.H Boerma award. This is the first that the prestigious award was given to a journalist from the Pacific region. Mr Lesa traveled to Rome to receive the award from the Director-General of FAO, José Graziano da Silva at a special ceremony held during the annual FAO...

The development of the Fisheries sector in Samoa received a boost with the launching of four major initiatives. Speaking at the launch which took place in July, the Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Mr Leuatea Schmidt highlighted the challenges that face the industry. “The challenges include increasing monitoring in an effort to reduce uncontrolled fishing on the high seas and Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated fishing operations that have an impact on...

The Forest and Protected Area Management project (FPAM) is assisting the Fiji Ministry for Forestry Fiji through the Forestry Training Centre (FTC) with the development of a new tailored short term courses for Biodiversity Conservation and Protected Area Management. The Fiji Forestry Training Centre, which is part of the Ministry of Forests is located on the outskirts of Suva in Fiji. The tailored training targets different types of organizations and groups...

A new eco-tourism initiative showcasing the Huvalu Forest Conservation Area has just been launched in Niue, with the aim of informing, educating and exciting both visitors and locals on the importance of Niue’s forests in sustaining the island’s ecosystems, culture, and biodiversity conservation. The forest area covers almost a quarter of the South Pacific nation, and is located in one of the world’s 34 ‘biodiversity hotspots’, where some of the most...

A video has been produced documenting the voices of fishing communities and stakeholders in Fiji, Samoa and Tonga.  In the largest ocean in the world, the people of the Pacific face growing threats to their marine resources due to growing populations, overfishing, pollution, and climate change. Over half of the Pacific island population rely on coastal fisheries as the main source of food and income. With the support of fisheries...

Two new rainforest Community Conservation Areas (CCAs) were officially opened recently on the island of Savai’i in Samoa. The CCAs were developed in partnership between the village communities, the Samoa Conservation Society, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MNRE) and the Forestry. The CCAs are part of the continued Forest Protected Area Management project which is implemented by FAO and funded by the Global Environment Facility. Community Conservation Areas are an...

A new project, supported by the Standards and Trade Development Facility (STDF) and led by the FAO, is going to give fish exporters in the Solomon Islands an added boost to access the EU market. Solomon Islands’ fish exporters stand to benefit under a new project going live supported by the STDF – a global partnership on safe trade. FAO is one of STDF’s founding partners, alongside the World Bank, OIE,...

Fisheries consultant Mike King revisits Samoa to review a project he headed in 1995 to improve fisheries management in villages. Samoa’s community-based fisheries management programme was introduced in 1995. The programme was implemented to address declining marine resources which raised concerns and the need for a new approach to coastal fisheries management. It built on the strengths of the communities working through the village councils as the primary leaders of change. Australian...

Why are people in Samoa and other Pacific Island countries eating more fats, sugars and salty food than ever before? This and other questions related to the alarming growth of obesity and Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) is just one of the many challenges facing governments in Samoa and other Pacific Islands such as Fiji and Tonga. Other critical challenges facing Pacific Island countries including technical assistance strategies to mitigate the impacts of climate...

The Education Resource Kit on Biodiversity Conservation has been officially launched in Fiji. The kit is an education resource to support the primary school curriculum for elementary science for years three to six corresponding to ages eight to eleven. This toolkit was initiated and funded by FAO’s “Forest and Protected Area Management” project in Fiji and is a product of a cooperation between the Ministry for Education, the Department of Forest...