Environment
'Not passing buck'
Saturday 4 February 2012 | Published in Environment
The National Environment Service (NES) claims it is restricted by the Environment Act 2003 from taking action against Scott’s Farm. Some Muri residents believe that the act – of which they have copies – directs that NES take responsibility for air pollution and prosecute persons causing it. “They’re just passing the buck around,” Mann Short […]
Noni operation audited for organic certification
Thursday 2 February 2012 | Published in Environment
Two auditors are at the Cook Islands Noni Marketing Ltd premises in Titikaveka this week doing a routine inspection to ensure the factory is complying with its organic regulations. “We’re just here to make sure that the business complies with our requirements – it’s as simple as that,” senior qualifications assurance auditor Raymond Najm, who […]
$250m needed for renewable goal
Wednesday 1 February 2012 | Published in Environment
The Cook Islands conversion to renewable energies is expected to cost up to $250 million to realise, the roundtable meeting of donor and development groups was told yesterday. And while some of the less-costly projects in the outer islands have found their funding through various governments and groups, much of the bill is still needing […]
Illegal dumping the problem
Tuesday 31 January 2012 | Published in Environment
The rubbish collecting at a Betela sand mine underlines a persistent problem plaguing contractors at Rarotonga, says Robert Wichman of G&S Contractors. Wichman said that since the company excavated sand from a Betela property in Arorangi about five months ago, members of the public have been illegally dumping their rubbish at the site. Wichman said […]
Betela sand mine brings tears
Saturday 28 January 2012 | Published in Environment
An Arorangi couple says plans to have their grandchildren and great-grandchildren build homes on their family property have been trashed by workers who mined sand and replaced it with a dumping ground for rubbish. Great-grandparents Glynne and Dora Evans were left heartbroken after a visit to their Betela property two weeks ago, when they discovered […]
SPREP launches new Clean Pacific campaign
Friday 27 January 2012 | Published in Environment
The Clean Pacific 2012 campaign will be launched in partnership with the World Wetlands Day celebrations in Apia, Samoa on February 2. The relationship between proper waste disposal practices, management and pollution prevention and healthy wetlands is a critical one. The Clean Pacific campaign will aim to promote a clean and healthy environment for Pacific […]
Saving daylight but not power
Wednesday 25 January 2012 | Published in Environment
The Cook Islands may not experience the same drop in power use that countries such as New Zealand experience if daylight savings is reintroduced, warned a renewable energy development body. The idea of introducing an earlier start to daylight savings times to create energy savings is one that has been tossed about for years. In […]
Tourism accreditation a serious business
Tuesday 24 January 2012 | Published in Environment
Tourism officials will soon have more powers to penalise businesses that flout the rules and regulations governing the Cook Islands tourism accreditation system. Currently, the Cook Islands Tourism Corporation relies on the cooperation of businesses involved in its tourism accreditation programme. If a business is stripped of its accreditation, but refuses to remove stickers and […]
Agency to fund Pacific energy initiatives
Tuesday 24 January 2012 | Published in Environment
The International Renewable Energy Agency will provide US$50 million towards supporting Pacific island countries to help the region shift from its reliance on fossil fuels as an energy source. The agency, known as IRENA, has recently hosted a Pacific leaders meeting in Abu Dhabi to find ways in which it can help the region accelerate […]
Nauru follows Cooks in accessing PEC fund
Friday 20 January 2012 | Published in Environment
Nauru has joined the Cook Islands in investing in solar power generation with its share of US$66 million promised to island nations from the Pacific Environment Community (PEC) Fund. Each Pacific nation linked to the PEC has been allocated $4 million through the fund, which is being backed by the Japanese government and the Pacific […]
Variety key for deep sea mining operations: NIWA
Friday 20 January 2012 | Published in Environment
The stated principle of the National Seabed Minerals Policy of the Cook Islands: To ensure that the conservation, protection and management of the marine and coastal environment of the Cook Islands is not compromised by seabed mineral activity and is guaranteed by the formulation, enactment and application of environmental laws and regulations reflective of the […]
Fishermen put concerns to govt
Tuesday 17 January 2012 | Published in Environment
There remains a stalemate of sorts between local fishermen and the Ministry of Marine Resources as to whether fish stocks are in serious decline and why. MMR secretary Ben Ponia, senior fisheries officer Sonny Tatuava and marine resources minister Teina Bishop met with eight fishermen in Bishops Rarotonga office this week. The fishermen recreational and […]
Surveillance key to marine park
Monday 16 January 2012 | Published in Environment
Cook Islands delegates were invited to attend the Big Oceans Network conference a forum for scientists and people who have stewardship of established large marine protected areas in December of last year. The conference was an opportunity to hear firsthand from those who have successfully established marine protected areas among them Andrew Skeat, general manager […]
Pest knocked out by predator
Monday 16 January 2012 | Published in Environment
The Cuban laurel thrips pest is under control in the Cook Islands thanks to the introduction of a natural enemy of the pest from Hawaii. This is the result of surveys conducted since the beneficial insect was released a year ago by Ministry of Agriculture entomologist Dr Maja Poeschko. Within months of its first discovery […]
Game fishery idea mooted
Monday 16 January 2012 | Published in Environment
Recreational and commercial fishermen alike are keen to see whether there is value in establishing a designated game fishery in Rarotonga and Aitutaki. Concerned about declining catch rates and governments issuing of commercial fishing licences to foreign operators, local fishermen want the Ministry of Marine Resources (MMR) to consider the idea. It was mooted at […]
Turangi tip clean-up underway
Friday 13 January 2012 | Published in Environment
Cook Islands General Transport is still chipping away at the job of cleaning up the Turangi recycling yard, but recent rains and the delayed arrival of a car baler have postponed the projects date of completion. Last November leaseholder Dave Brown estimated that the clean-up for which he contracted General Transports services would be complete […]
Tuna overfishing continues
Thursday 12 January 2012 | Published in Environment
Overfishing of bigeye tuna continues in the western and central Pacific tuna fishery, the worlds biggest tuna fishery, according to the 2010 tuna fishery assessment report released this month by the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC). Though the species is not at risk of extinction, and is never likely to be, the assessment found […]
Italian doco critical of environmental control
Tuesday 10 January 2012 | Published in Environment
Pukapuka is a wonderful island with wonderful people, but its waste management and environmental control is in urgent need of help, according to a European documentary maker. Pierfrancesco Armati, an Italian filmmaker who has been working throughout the Cook Islands, said Pukapukas environment and biodiversity was being harmed as the islands people shifted from traditional […]
TIS supports vehicle restrictions
Tuesday 10 January 2012 | Published in Environment
Rarotonga is already overrun with vehicles and government should implement a number of changes to alleviate the problem, according to the Te Ipukarea Society (TIS). Programme manager Jacqui Evans says the society made public its position on the issue in a submission on the Outcomes Report from the Infrastructure Sector Forum in August 2010. Its […]
Koutu Nui behind marine park plan
Tuesday 10 January 2012 | Published in Environment
The countdown is on for the declaration of the establishment of the proposed Cook Islands Marine Park at the Pacific Forum leaders conference to be held in Rarotonga in August. This intention to do so by Prime Minister Henry Puna, on behalf of government and the people of the Cook Islands, has captured the imagination […]