Celebrating World Oceans Day:  Message from the Acting Director General of SPREP, Mr Stuart Chape DATE: 08 June , 2018 World Oceans Day has been celebrated each year since 1992.  We have witnessed increasing world attention on our oceans, particularly in the face of extreme climate impacts, alarming pollution loads and competition for ocean resources. World Oceans Day 2018 in the Pacific has particular significance for us.  The Pacific is celebrating the International Year of the Reef (IYOR) 2018 and Pacific Year of Coral Reefs (PYOCR) 2018-2019 and our 25 th Year Anniversary.    Pledging for a Plastic Free Ocean with SPREP  Coral reefs are a critical part of the ocean world in which we live.   They support a major part of our daily subsistence needs and economies; they provide a living wall of protection from ocean waves; and much of our cultural identity is linked with our reefs and ocean.  SPREP and o...

BY GEORGINA KEKEA WORK on the construction of a submarine cable from Vanuatu to Solomon Islands is already underway. Interchange Limited, a private company based in Vanuatu is funding the ICN2 cable to connect Vanuatu and Solomon Islands. Interchange Limited also owns and operates the ICN1 cable between Vanuatu and Fiji. Simon Fletcher, CEO of Interchange Limited says construction phase of their project has commenced and this cable should be brought into service by the end of 2019. Mr. Fletcher says the total project costs USD30m but there are plenty of good reasons why ICN2 is important for the region. “Vanuatu is currently served by a single cable ‘ICN1’ and should ICN1 fail for any reason, then ICN2 shall provide backup solution for consumers in Vanuatu. ICN2 shall also act as a backup solution for the Australia to Solomons and PNG cable”. Fletcher says it was only a few months ago that all internet traffic in and out of Sydney via the Southern Cross cable to USA suffer...

BY GEORGINA KEKEA A resident at the married quarter of the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force (RSIPF) has decided to come out to the media to spill the beans on what is happening within the RSIPF. The resident who wants to remain anonymous says he is not happy that the Officer in Charge of the RSIPF Infrastructure Unit had been tasked to order them not to sell betel nut and cigarettes and to remove their market stalls. On top of that, he said they were also reprimanded for selling kwaso and marijuana, illegal items they deny selling.  The complainant said they were quite upset that the Officer issuing this order is not free from blame himself and needs to clean his own backyard first before disallowing sub-ordinates on certain issues within the RSIPF. He questions if the Police Commissioner knows what his officers are up to.  An officer carrying out civic duties (Photo RSIPF)  “Under the Police Act in General Orders, officers are disallowed from doing...