July 3, 2014

July 2nd News Briefs



Students Visit Konan Community College

KONAN CITY, Japan (COM-FSM News, July 02, 2014) — Ten COM-FSM Students and one chaperone flew to Konan City Japan to attend the Aichi Prefecture Konan Community College Student Exchange Program. The event is from June 30, 2014 to July 6, 2014.

The students will be engaged in different type of activities such as visiting historical landmarks, meeting and staying with their host families, and get involved in different types of cultural activities.

Konan city and the College have been active in sending exchange students to explore and learn each other’s cultures. An exchange group recently visited the College on March 2014.

The students were led by the MicroJapan student organization President Rico Rico and Vice President Ryan Eliwise. Participants include Florianop Bonapart Jr, Jordan Ehsa, Pamela Fredrick, Kevin Jr. Kiyoshi, Kimberlyann John, Charles Johnson Jr., Relly Rico, Zoyal Sigrah, and their chaperone Magdalena Johnson.

Federated States Of Micronesia Submits Nomination For Forum SG Job

PALIKIR, FSM (Islands Business/PACNEWS, July 01, 2014) — Fabian Nimea, who is the head of a private development consulting firm, has been nominated by the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) government for the Forum Secretary General post. 

Nimea, who is from Chuuk state in the FSM, was educated in the United States, where he attained a master's degree in international relations from Creighton University in Nebraska in 1991.

Returning home after finishing university studies, he went to work for the FSM Development Bank in Pohnpei as a loan manager for five years.

He moved to the Bank of FSM first as its Vice President and Chief Lending Officer for two years, and then for slightly over a year he was promoted to Executive Vice President/Branch and Credit Administrator at the Pohnpei bank headquarters. He left the bank in late 2000 and later set up his own consulting company.

From 2007 to the end of 2011, he directed the FSM government's Office of Statistics, Budget and Economic Management, Overseas Development Assistance, and Compact Management, known as SBOC, which combined budget formulation and administration, planning, coordination of overseas aid, and administration of U.S. Compact funding.

He has continued with private consulting, both as an advisor to FSM President Manny Mori in 2011 and more recently as a sustainable development advisor to AOSIS at the United Nations.

Elilai Restaurant Changes Ownership

KOROR, Palau (Oceania TV News, July 01, 2014) — The elegant dining restaurant located on the hill in Ngerkebesang overlooking Koror and named after Palau’s flower, Elilai, has been taken over by a successful local businessman, Jeff Barabe, also the owner of OTV. Mr. Barabe’s father is the CEO of a food company in Miami, Florida, making this new venture a likely match.

Elilai was first opened in 2007 by a Japanese furniture designer, Takauya Mizokami.  Mr. Mizokami moved back to Japan and recently resigned all of his interest in the Elilai Restaurant.   Mr. Barabe saw an opportunity to make Elilai the first world class dining experience in Micronesia and stepped up to the challenge.

Elilai serves international cuisine in a stunning atmosphere.  According to Mr. Barabe, Elilai will continue to cater to high-end tourists bringing them the finest food, service and view in Palau. Jeff Barabe is inspired by his former boss, Robert DeNiro, who founded the the award winning restaurant Tribeca Grill in NY and will be using some of the same successful techniques to appeal to high end tourists..

In the coming months, Mr. Barabe will focus on updating the menu with new choices both for dining and drinks.  He explained: “It is our goal to make the entire dining experience worthy of the spectacular view Palau offers.  We will be adding new items to the menu, expanding our drink list with new wines and new signature cocktails, and making improvements to the overall ambiance.” He intends to make Elilai the place you want to bring your guests to showcase the best of Palau.  He will be training the current staff and hiring additional staff to meet the high demands of a world-class restaurant.   Locals will be given hiring preference while local diners receive a %15 discount.

Mr. Barabe will also continue to operate Roll’em Productions and Oceania Television Network (OTV) as it expands in the region.  Barabe’s wife, Kassi Berg, also recently started a new local business, partnering with attorney Larry Goddard, to create The Pacific Development Law Group.

Eyewitness Accounts Reveal Rock Island Tragedy Was Not An Accident

KOROR, Palau (Oceania TV News, July 01, 2014) — OTV has learned that earlier reports of the rock island boat collision being an accident are false and instead was an intentional act possibly involving criminal negligence and murder.

On Sunday afternoon the Social Security Administration outing was winding down at soft coral arch in Palau’s rock islands. While children swam in the blue water and families relaxed in the sun, a speedboat driven by Brian Simer reversed across the lagoon and then suddenly went into full throttle taking aim at the back of the passenger boat owned by the government.

The speedboat slammed into the rear of the government boat crawling up onto the engines and immediately injuring at least one person with an impact to the head.  The speedboat then slipped back into the water to hit the boat a second time in the rear port side throwing those inside the government boat to the floor and into the water.  While victims of the rampage swam for help, the speedboat made several wild turns in the lagoon and then lined up for the final attack.

The speedboat headed straight for the port side of the government boat where 9-year-old Jonas Markub was attempting to climb up from the water.  At the last second the speedboat made a sharp turn to the right but it was too late.  The forward force of movement only caused the speedboat to slide sideways resulting in a side impact crushing the boy between the two boats.  The boy was pulled from the water on to the rocks but he would not survive the severe internal injuries.

Witnesses also stated that the boat driver, Brian Simer, had been drinking and displaying erratic and dangerous behavior for hours before including running aground at Milky Way tourist site and then driving wildly through shallow waters only a few feet from where children were swimming.

The boat driver responsible for the assault is the husband of Ulai Teltull who is the Administrator of the Social Security Administration. Ulai Teltull was on the boat with Simer throughout the whole incident, including when Simer displayed dangerous behavior at Milky Way.

Simer reportedly has a history of abuse and violence in the home.

Lawsuit Planned To Allow Guam Residents To Vote For President

HAGÅTÑA, Guam (Pacific Daily News/PIR, July 02, 2014) — Whether residents of Guam should be able to vote for President may be brought up in federal court.

We the People Project, a nonprofit organization that aims to fight for the rights of residents in Guam and other U.S. territories, is hoping to file a federal lawsuit on the issue by fall, according to a press release.

"It's simple—the right to vote for president should not depend on where you live," Neil Weare, president and founder of the project, said in the release "That's not how democracy is supposed to work. Guam's sons and daughters proudly serve in uniform to defend democracy overseas; they should have the right to fully participate in democracy at home."

The organization is encouraging Guam residents to participate in a survey online, which will help find people who support the purpose of the lawsuit, according to Leevin Camacho, one of the attorneys working on the case.

Currently about 1,000 residents from Guam and other territories have completed the survey, the release stated. The organization hopes to reach 2,000 responses by the end of summer.

"So long as Guam is part of the United States and residents of Guam are U.S. citizens, we should enjoy equal rights, including the right to vote for president," Camacho said. "This new federal lawsuit will argue for expanded voting rights while leaving open the question of Guam's future political status and self-determination."

Guam Economy Stable, CNMI Tourism Growing: Bank Report

SAIPAN, CNMI (Marianas Variety/PIR, July 02, 2014) — The latest First Hawaiian Bank report says Guam’s economy is "stable," "resilient" and remains "promising" while noting "continuing solid growth" in the CNMI’s only industry, tourism.

In her report, University of Guam-Pacific Center for Economic Initiatives resident development economist Dr. Maria Claret M. Ruane said there are several factors affecting the CNMI economy in 2014: the settlement agreement that reduced the retirees’ paychecks by 25 percent; the Saipan casino law; and the impending wage increase.

CNMI visitor arrivals, Dr. Ruane reported, grew by 12 percent in 2012, and by 9.6 percent in 2013.

"Data for 2014 show promise, with 89,992 visitors arriving in January and February, up 6.75 percent from a year earlier," she added.

The numbers show that the CNMI is approaching the numbers posted prior to the Japan Air Lines pullout in 2005.

Guam’s tourism numbers have grown tremendously with 1.334 million arrivals.

Dr. Ruane cited factors that could affect the CNMI’s economic recovery: the Retirement Fund challenges and the federalization deadlines.

Owing to the government’s failure to pay its contributions to the pension fund due to declining revenue collection, retirees brought action in federal court in 2009 culminating in a settlement agreement that effectively deferred 25 percent of retirement benefits and guaranteeing the entry of a $779 million consent judgment in the event of the government’s failure to make its annual payments to the Settlement Fund.

The government is mandated to make minimum annual payments to the settlement fund: $25 million in 2014; $27 million, 2015; $30 million, 2016; $33 million, 2017; $45 million, 2018; $44 million, 2019; $43 million, 2020; $42 million, 2021; $41 million, 2022; $40 million, 2023; and $39 million 2024.

Dr. Ruane said these obligations and other annual payments necessitated the revision of the CNMI budget, "created the pressure to legalize casino gambling on Saipan" and authorized the Commonwealth Development Authority to float pension obligation bonds for the first time.

Moreover, the federalization deadlines continue to add to the mix of uncertainties in the CNMI.

Dr. Ruane said another round of federal minimum wage increase is set for September 2014 which will bring the CNMI rate to $6.05 from $5.55 an hour.

"The CNMI economy continues to hang in the balance, with the pending minimum wage increase and deadline with regard to CNMI-specific visa categories for hiring foreign workers and attracting foreign investors," she added.

More Sign Up To Pacific Fisheries Surveillance Treaty

FAKAOFO, Tokelau (FFA/PACNEWS, July 02, 2014) — Three Forum Fisheries member countries today signed on to the Pacific’s milestone Fisheries Surveillance Treaty (FST), aimed at curbing illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing.

Signature of the governments of Australia, Niue and Solomon Islands were added to the FST on the margins of the 10th Ministerial Meeting of the Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA), which comes to a close later today in Tokelau.

Australia was represented by Senator Richard Colbeck while Niue’s Fisheries Minister Billy Graham Talagi signed on behalf of his government and his counterpart from Solomon Islands Alfred Ghiro signed on behalf of his country.

The three countries now join eight other FFA signatories to the Agreement on Strengthening Implementation of the 1992 Niue Treaty on Cooperation in Fisheries Surveillance and Law Enforcement in the South Pacific.

Welcoming the signing, FFA Director-General James Movick thanked “the foresight and leadership of those FFA members who have ratified the subsidiary agreement to the Niue Treaty. In the last six months, we have seen Palau, the Cook Islands, and Nauru ratify the Niue Treaty Subsidiary Agreement (NTSA). This phenomenal progress demonstrates the region is working to ensure protection and enforcement against illegal fishing. I commend this milestone in regional solidarity showing what national efforts towards common regional interests can achieve.”

The Cook Islands, FSM, Nauru, Palau, PNG, Marshall Islands, Samoa and Tuvalu are the current signatories to the NTSA since its adoption in November 2012—with Nauru being the latest to ratify following on from Palau and the Cook Islands earlier this year. The multilateral NTSA strengthens the implementation of the Niue Treaty endorsed by all FFA member countries in 1992. It covers flexible cooperation in a broad range of activities and the sharing of fisheries data and intelligence for fisheries and broader law enforcement purposes.

“I am pleased to see the latest signatures and ratifications are in keeping with the spirit of the original 1992 Niue Treaty on Cooperation in Fisheries Surveillance and Law Enforcement in the South Pacific, and the 2012 multilateral NTSA,” says Movick.

The Director General noted the NTSA “as the most comprehensive effort yet amongst the Pacific nations to cooperate on surveillance and data sharing to fight illegal fishing in this region, and welcome Australia to the list of signatories while also congratulating the Republic of Nauru on its recent ratification. This means the next country to ratify will bring the NTSA into force.”

He says the renewed regional momentum against Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated fishing is evidence that Forum Fisheries members are fully aware of the need for strong surveillance as a major part of their management of their ocean boundaries.

Environment Group Offers $9m For Pacific Biodiversity Projects

GLAND, Switzerland (Radio Australia, July 02, 2014) — An environmental group is offering $US9 million in grants to help non-government organizations fund projects in Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and Papua New Guinea.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature says it wants to fund work that will protect biodiversity in the region.

The IUCN's Luisa Tagicakibau-Moce says there are countless habitats that need protecting and is calling for groups to submit proposals.

"These islands are highly biodiverse and hold exceptional cultural and linguistic diversity," she told Pacific Beat.

"There are so many threats to these biodiversities, which are human induced and include increasing population, lack of awareness, unsustainable economic development."

The IUCN is targeting 20 key biodiversity areas covering 1.5 million hectares.

"There are so many cultural and linguistic diversities at play in this region and because only a few people are speaking certain languages, they're fast disappearing," Ms. Tagicakibau-Moce said.

"And that's often leading to an increasing erosion of traditional knowledge and practices. These people are the real stewards of biodiversity."

The money is being provided by the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund, which is a collaboration of seven different bodies including the European Union, the Japanese and French governments and the World Bank.

The IUCN says groups have until August 26 to submit proposals for funding.

Australia Launches New Pacific Patrol Boat Program

AUSTRALIA, Oceania (The Diplomat, July 02, 2014) — In an attempt to bolster its influence and help improve regional security, Australia has announced a new Pacific Patrol Boat Program that will provide new patrol boats to twelve Pacific nations. The $1.88 billion program was announced on  June 17 by Australia’s foreign and defense ministers. The new vessels will replace those previously donated by Australia that are approaching the end of their service life. The announcement signals Australia’s intention to keep its role as a regional leader through security assistance to its less wealthy island neighbors.

The new all-steel patrol boats will replace the twenty-two 162-ton Pacific-class patrol boats that Australia donated to its neighbors between 1987 and 1997 in the first Pacific Patrol Boat Program. The original impetus was the passage of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). UNCLOS divided formerly international waters mainly through the establishment of Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZ) that extend 200 nautical miles (370 kilometers, or 230 miles) from the shores of each country. This had a particular impact on the small Pacific island states as they suddenly acquired the responsibility to police and regulate activities across vast stretches of water. For example, Kiribati alone has 3,441,810 square kilometers of EEZ, the 13th largest in the world, larger than the total land area of India. The new program will deliver patrol boats to Tonga, the Solomon Islands, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Tuvalu, Kiribati, Samoa, Vanuatu, the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the Cook Islands – the original recipients of the program. In addition, Timor-Leste may become a beneficiary of this new program, raising the total number of recipients to thirteen.

These patrol boats have enabled countries with limited fiscal resources to patrol their territorial waters and EEZ. The lightly armed vessels, rarely featuring more than a medium machine gun, are suitable for maritime surveillance and patrol, as well as fisheries protection. The main concern, then as now, is that countries lacking the capability to monitor, police, and enforce the law in their EEZs could be the victim of overfishing by other states’ fishing fleets. The new program has an increased focus on combating transnational crime and, in the case of Timor-Leste, will likely also focus on combating illegal human migration – a particularly sensitive issue for Australia. They are not, however, combat vessels. In fact, the recipients of the previous Pacific Patrol Boat Program’s vessels varyingly operate them through their small defense forces or their police services. It is unlikely that such countries even have the fiscal and technical resources to operate true combat vessels, such as missile boats.

Yet such small existing and future craft are constrained in their ability to monitor and police the vast EEZs of their countries. With limited range, these vessels would have to be supplemented by larger, more expensive, and more complex ocean patrol vessels. Still, the existing and future boats provide the island nations a platform that allow their governments to more effectively administer their territorial possessions, respond to humanitarian emergencies (including search and rescue), and have helped to increase the number of trained mariners. Of course, the programs also provide jobs in Australia and boost its influence in the Pacific region.

While Australia has long maintained an interest in assisting Pacific island nations in terms of development and governance, including improving security, there is an undoubtedly important diplomat dimension. Australian Defence Minister David Johnston declared that the security and stability of the Pacific Island states are “[a] fundamental strategic interest” to Australia. The diplomatic aspect is not, however, one-sided. Pacific Island states appreciate the assistance. The March 2014 statements of the Federated States of Micronesia’s Secretary of Foreign Affairs, Lorin S. Robert, make this clear. Referring to the Pacific Patrol Boat Program, he remarked: “We cannot overemphasize its importance and its utility not only in ensuring maritime surveillance and law enforcement but also in addressing emergency relief operations, apprehending and preventing sea-borne security threats and delivering needed government services to outlying remote islands in the federation.” A 2011 report estimates the economic loss due to illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing to the Pacific island states to be around $1.6 billion annually, equivalent to 40 percent of the value of the annual catch. Such figures are even more concerning when the size of the economies in question is taken into account.

The Australian government intends to continue funding both the vessels’ construction and life-time sustainment, as well as personnel costs. Australia will also continue training the crews. The government estimates the construction costs to be $559 million and the sustainment and personnel costs over thirty years to be $1.3 billion. The expense is justified by the enhancement of Australia’s leadership and influence, and the improvement in regional security and stability.

Moreover, Australia’s efforts signals that it intends to retain a leadership role at a time when China, Japan, France, and the United States are stepping up their involvement in the region. These countries are helping Pacific island states improve their maritime infrastructure, assisting their economies through development aid and, in some cases, providing materiel support for police and military forces. Japan, of course, has already made high-profile donations of patrol vessels to the Philippines and Vietnam. To date, China has not adopted this model of maritime security assistance, instead focusing on providing discounts and soft-loans for African and Asian countries to make maritime security related purchases. Australia’s Pacific Patrol Boat Program may provide a model for other states seeking to increase their influence in the Pacific region, and beyond.

-END-

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