Prepared by Andy E. Nystrom, PPP Archivist & Research Assistant

A universal truth in 2020 is that everyone has to deal with COVID-19 in some form or another, even if you live in one of the few locations left in the world with no cases. Although remote, many areas in the Pacific Islands have been hit with the virus. According to Worldometer on August 21, 2020, COVID-19 cases in the South Pacific include (Total Cases/Total Deaths/Total Active Cases; see the site for more stats): Indonesia (149,408/6,500/39,917), Australia (24,407/472/5,475), New Zealand (1,665/22/105), Papua New Guinea (361/4/159), French Polynesia (211/0/143), Fiji (28/1/7), Timor-Leste (25/0/0), New Caledonia (23/0/1). Worldometer tracks US states and territories separately; among those in the Pacific are: Hawaii (5,844/45/3,768), Guam (767/6/379), and Northern Mariana Islands (54/2/33).

While some regions of the Pacific have indeed avoided the direct impacts of the virus, the entire region is facing hardship due to the virus. According to Pacific Islands Forum secretary general Dame Meg Taylor in a recent Guardian article, “Covid-19 has exposed and exacerbated systemic and structural imbalances in our systems and societies, underlining the urgency for decisive policy action… If I look at this from what’s happening within communities and different countries, I think some countries are getting harder hit than others, and I think where we’ve seen unemployment, we’ve seen people really struggle… We’re seeing in places like Nadi [Fiji] low employment and lots of young mothers and carers with children who do not have sufficient resources to be able to feed themselves.” As the article also notes, remittances, or overseas money sent between the islands, are predicted by World Bank to decline by 13%, “represent[ing] a huge downturn for Samoa, Tonga and the Marshall islands, where money sent back by overseas workers account for 40% of average household income.” 

 As of early September, Tonga has no confirmed COVID-19 cases, and entry restrictions prohibit most travellers from entering the country. Credit: Tonga Tourism Authority

Cook Islands, Fiji, and Vanuatu are particularly hard hit due to reliance on tourism. As the Guardian article explains, “Tourism makes up 40% of Fiji’s GDP. The International Monetary Fund recorded a 99% drop in tourist arrivals to the country in May 2020 compared with the same month last year.” This is likely to result in a decline of 21.7% in Fiji’s economy, more than any other Pacific nation. It is uncertain how tourism in the area can begin to recuperate, as plans for tourism “travel bubbles” remain stalled in Australia and New Zealand. At the time of the article (August 11), New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern predicted quarantine-free travel to the Cook Islands in 2020, but the newest outbreak in New Zealand puts that into question. 

While virus mitigation efforts continue throughout the Pacific, one recent creative initiative came together to spread hope and connection. As part of the effort to unite the Pacific in this time of COVID-19, “UN in the Pacific brought together artists, UN leaders, Heads of State and international celebrities in the world’s first regional COVID-19 concert.” Titled Pacific Unite: Saving Lives Together, the concert was streamed on Saturday, August 15 (the entire concert can be found in the above link). This two-and-a-half-hour concert, hosted by Tofiga Fepulea’I as his character “Aunty Tala,” included “musical performances from Jahboy of the Solomon Islands, Mia Kami of Tonga, Juny B of Kiribati, Te Vaka of New Zealand and many more.”  Fepulea’I called it “the first-ever virtual concert to comprise primarily of artists from across the region and be accessible to audiences not only in the Pacific but around the world.” Aside from being streamed worldwide, this closed-captioned concert was broadcast on radio and television in 12 Pacific Island nations, Australia, New Zealand, plus some countries farther afield.

While offering an experience to enjoy, the concert shone a light on the varied issues experienced across the region due to the pandemic, with growing issues with economic instability, food shortages, domestic violence, and mental health issues. Speakers stressed that rebuilding must include “creating a sustainable Pacific that is resilient to the impacts of climate change.” According to President of Palau Tommy E. Remengesau Jr. in his video message, “This new normal should not be the same old story, but with face mask.” UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohamed stressed that the only way to overcome COVID-19 is to work together. She urged the global community to help the islands “by ensuring equitable access to vital medical equipment, supplies and – when they become available – vaccines“ as well as by debt-relief and stimulation support. 

Demonstrating the resilience of the Pacific People, the concert closed with the song We Will Rise, “written about the coronavirus pandemic in the Pacific and performed by Pasifika Voices and the International School Suva.” 

Sung primarily by children and youth, the hopeful closing lyrics were:

“Around the world, we’re closing borders, COVID-19 on the rise

A new world order behind closed doors, the storm will pass, we will survive

We will rise, we will rise again, our isles will rise again

We will rise, we will rise again, our world will rise again” 

New Guinea’s plant diversity the greatest in the world

Prepared by Zachary Fenn – PPP Development Coordinator

A new study suggests that New Guinea holds the greatest plant diversity of any island in the world, as reported recently in an article from The Guardian. This title was previously attributed to Madagascar, which is now thought to have 19% less variety than New Guinea. To arrive at this conclusion, 99 scientists from 56 institutions and 19 countries have scanned through countless samples, some of which were catalogued by early European travellers in the 1700s. Unlike Madagascar, which was catalogued in large part by 2008, biological research in New Guinea has been slower due to the island’s rugged terrain.

New Guinea plant life. ©Art Holbrook

The secret to New Guinea’s diversity is its varied geography. As quoted in the above article, “This allows for different types of habitats, such as mangroves, swamp forests, lowland tropical forests and also montane forests, which have high levels of endemism,” said researcher Cámara-Leret. “And then at the very top, just below the limit of plant growth, are these alpine grasslands … This habitat is unique to New Guinea in Southeast Asia.” New Guinea’s topography is relatively young in geological terms and has given rise to a wonderful wealth of species, many only found on the island, over the last million years.

A total of 13,634 plant species were identified in the study that earned New Guinea its “most diverse” title. The scale of the work done to establish this number was enormous, with scientists inspecting over 700,000 specimens. The research has spanned across generations and borders, facing stops and starts with shifting governments and changing colonial and corporate involvement in the region. With continued research in the region, the future is exciting; the study’s authors estimating that “4,000 plant species could be found in the next 50 years.” 

New Guinea man canoes under palms. ©Art Holbrook

The study’s main goal is to bolster continued efforts to conserve and catalogue New Guinea’s plant life. Its authors hope that more scholars will contribute to this dataset, as it is an important tool for informing the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List and protecting endangered species. Crucial to this initiative is the support of the two governments on the island, as well as partnerships between local Papuans and global supporters. This is a historic moment for New Guinea and an impetus to us all to help preserve such a precious place.

Prepared by Tana Thomas, PPP Arts and Culture Coordinator, who is also a Nuu-chah-nulth youth leader, canoe skipper, and healing advocate.

In Papua, Indonesia’s largest and easternmost province of Indonesia, large scale palm oil plantation developments are not only threatening animal and plant species, but also the caretakers that have sustained these species for thousands of years. Sophie Chao, an anthropologist at the University of Sydney, has spent years working with the Indigenous Marind people of southern Papua. In her powerful article, she sheds light on the severe impacts that new palm oil plantations are having on the region. What she has discovered in her in-community work is that the Marind people are increasingly unable to obtain their traditional foods and are suffering from malnutrition. 

Merauke and Boven Digoel, the districts in southern Papua where oil palm estates are concentrated.

The practice of harvesting their own food is one of the many factors that sustains holistic wellbeing in many Indigenous communities. Witnessing the loss of their traditional foods can bring overwhelming feelings of grief and shame stemming from not being able to provide for their families. The Marind children of the village have grown up learning to sustain and create abundance within their natural food systems when harvesting. Since time immemorial, Marind children have been firsthand witnesses to the generations before them, following protocols and enacting ceremonies passed on through generations in order to coexist with their relatives of the forest. 

Marind families are now fighting to sustain their customs, feed their families, and protect the natural forests that are their home, working from their deeply held belief that everyone and everything is interconnected. Exploitation of their forest food systems is destroying the spirit and wellbeing of their communities. The generational act of enculturation is being severed due to the detachment from teachings that stem from their environment. It’s an enforced act of assimilation into a system that bypasses the basic needs of humanity. Unfortunately, this is a common fight Indigenous people are facing throughout the world.

The Indonesian government continues to approve more palm oil projects with increasing impacts on Indigenous Papuans and their lands. Learn more about this important issue and catch a glimpse of the stories of Marind families in Chao’s article published by Mongabay and The Gecko Project.

Prepared by Jaimie Sumner, PPP Operations Coordinator, who is familiar with Habitat’s important work, having previously managed a local Habitat for Humanity ReStore.

We are thrilled to share the news that a local Indigenous / Pacific Islander family, Tina and Niu Savea and their 3 kids, is getting a new home!  The Savea family has Cree and Samoan roots and has been working toward a house of their own for years.  Earlier this year, they found out that their dream was to come true through a partnership program with Habitat for Humanity Victoria.

The Savea family in Victoria, B.C. is excited that Habitat for Humanity is helping them invest into their family’s future.

Habitat for Humanity is a non-profit organization focused on providing safe and stable homes for lower-income families in Canada and across the world.  Many people are familiar with Habitat’s international housing projects but are unaware that local chapters focus on building houses too. In Victoria, families apply to their local Habitat for Humanity to be considered for the local homeownership program.  If selected, each family invests 500 hours of their own labour into Habitat’s volunteer programs by helping out at builds, Habitat stores, and special events. Habitat homes are sold to qualified families at fair market value and are financed with affordable mortgages at no more than 30% of the family’s income. The homeowners’ monthly mortgage payments go into a revolving fund, which is used to build more homes.

Habitat for Humanity Victoria is building eleven new homes this year. Their work is supported by community donations and by two secondhand home & building supply outlets called ReStores.  Consider shopping or donating if you can.  And congratulations to the Savea family on qualifying for their new home!

Tina Savea shared:

“Now is the perfect time to let you all in on some exciting news for our family… We have been blessed to partner with Habitat for Humanity and to be able to purchase our very own home. We have always desired to buy a home… but the very expensive market in Victoria we would either have to leave the city we have grown to love or have to save for 100 years. LOL, We didn’t want to do either. 

We were told about this amazing organization that helps make buying a home possible for families like ours. AND they just happen to be doing a build 3 minutes away from the house we are in now & only STEPS away from the ocean!! We took the plunge and started the 6-month process of applying! Months later we got the phone call we were accepted. Now here we are, helping build our brand new home, connected to a great community of people & all extremely grateful to this amazing organization. Habitat for Humanity is helping us invest in our family’s future!”

Prepared by Dani McDonald, Communications/Media, New Zealand Māori Tourism

We learned with heavy hearts that our dear friend and colleague, Johnny Edmonds passed away in May 2020. Johnny was a stickler for detail and flag bearer for the development and strengthening of indigenous tourism. For Johnny, tourism was a vehicle for indigenous people to tell their own story. It is because of his foresight that New Zealand Māori Tourism exists today.

Johnny held executive management positions for indigenous non-profit organizations for the past two decades in Aotearoa and Australia. These include the Waitangi National Trust, Taitokerau Regional Māori Tourism Organisation, NZ Māori Tourism Council and the Western Australian Indigenous Tourism Operators Council. He served on tourism industry boards in NZ and Australia and held statutory and executive management positions in the NZ government.

Johnny led the formation of the national body of NZ Māori Tourism, as we know it today, from 2004 – 2007 where he helmed the establishment and organizational development of the NZ Māori Tourism Council, and the development of national and international relationships to foster the development of Māori tourism. In 2005, only one year into his new role at NZ Māori Tourism, Johnny established the inaugural nationwide conference in Tāmaki Makaurau focusing on operating sustainable clusters alongside the former Associate Minister of Tourism, Hon Dover Samuels. A year later, Johnny’s expertise at building relations was evidenced in a collaboration between Government and NZ Māori Tourism to provide targeted mentoring services to the business development needs of small Māori tourism businesses.

Johnny poured his energy into turning the attention of the tourism industry toward the Māori tourism product. During his tenure, Johnny saw that Māori tourism would grow Aotearoa’s entire tourism industry. Māori tourism eventually became the fastest growing sector, as a result of Johnny’s dedication and visionary leadership.

For many, the choice between health and financial security is not mutually exclusive. Working remotely has provided many metro residents the privilege of a stable paycheck while safeguarding them from the coronavirus pandemic. The same cannot be said for remote Indigenous communities in British Columbia and South Pacific Island nations that rely on tourism for economic well-being. 

In late June, Public Health officials in British Columbia announced Phase 3, which allows non-essential travel within BC. This has led to an increase in intra-province travel and put many remote Indigenous communities at risk of coming into contact with COVID-19. Businesses reliant on tourism, such as retreats and fishing lodges, have begun re-opening, leading to a flood of tourists. Many businesses have opened their doors without proper consultation or discussion with Indigenous nations whose land they operate on.

The Haida community in particular has taken a strong stance against the re-opening of tourist businesses, namely large-scale fishing lodges. Haida matriarchs are leading a resistance movement against non-essential travellers entering the territory unless the provincial government provides rapid testing kits, culturally-sensitive contact tracing teams, and tourist screening measures. Remote Indigenous communities such as those on Haida Gwaii have limited access to health resources and could be devastated by a COVID-19 outbreak. Haida Gwaii has only two ventilators for its population of about 4500. Moreover, for many Indigenous peoples, the protection of elders is tied to their cultural survival, as many are the last speakers of endangered languages and keepers of oral histories. And so, despite the economic implications, Indigenous leaders are exercising their sovereign right in protecting their lands and people.

Small island nations in the South Pacific have had a similar struggle with COVID-19, with governments closing borders to non-essential travel for fear of exposure. The tourism sector has taken a massive hit, causing huge economic shocks and prompting many to call coronavirus “the job-killer of the century. To put things in perspective, tourism makes up 20-30% of economic activity in countries like Samoa and Tonga, according to the IMF. Many island nations hoped to create a summer “travel bubble” to admit tourists from countries with low caseloads, only to determine the risks still too high. With massive job loss as well as food shortages affecting many Pacific Islands, public policymakers and citizens are grappling with the dichotomy between tourism dollars and health.

Both Indigenous communities and South Pacific island nations face unique circumstances in this pandemic. Many of these communities are vulnerable to a COVID-19 outbreak due to limited health resources, remoteness from larger facilities, and reliance on tourism. At the time of writing this article, B.C. Health officials have declared a COVID-19 outbreak on Haida Gwaii that has infected at least 13 individuals. 

At Pacific Peoples’ Partnership, we believe that communities come first.  We call on the provincial government and international community to respect the rights of Indigenous and South Pacific nations and prioritize health and safety over tourism dollars. We also call on B.C. tourist businesses to engage with, cooperate with, and respect the demands of the Haida Nation and all Indigenous nations.

The following information is accurate to April 15, 2020. For the most up-to-date information tracking the COVID-19 virus in South Pacific nations, we recommend Worldometer’s website which regularly updates cases, deaths, and testing. For most countries the information can be found here.  For those countries that are under control of the United States, as well as Hawaii, click on USA in the above link or click here. 

According to The Guardian’s weekly briefing on the Pacific on April 15, infection figures for the Pacific, while still low, more than doubled from the previous week. While Fiji, French Polynesia, and New Caledonia cases levelled out after their initial rise, they could rise again rapidly should containment efforts fail. A virtual meeting of the Pacific Islands Forum on April 7 led to the establishment of the Pacific Humanitarian Pathway for the Pacific (PHP-C), which “provides political commitment to the movement of humanitarian and medical assistance to countries affected by Covid-19, particularly where normal transport routes have been impeded by border closures.”

The following information from the above article on what the Pacific governments are doing as of mid-April is quoted verbatim, including the hyperlinks from the original article:

 Papua New Guinea: The government has opened a Covid-19 treatment centre in Port Moresby, which can cater for up to 76 patients. Traditional border crossings (into and from Indonesia, Australia, the Federated States of Micronesia, and Solomon Islands) have been forbidden. The military has been deployed to patrol in some places, especially along the Indonesia border. More than 300 people have registered their interest in being repatriated from around the world.

 Fiji: Specialised military vehicles received from China will be used in the fight against Covid-19. The government has allowed for repatriation flights from the US and Australia. Returnees will be required to undergo 14 days of strict quarantine on arrival.

 Solomon Islands: Parliament has voted for a four-month state of emergency covering Honiara. Dr Claude Posala who is chair of the Solomon Islands Medical Association, was sacked after taking to Facebook to criticise the government response to Covid-19. The government has closed its maritime border with Bougainville and imposed a two-night curfew over the Easter weekend

 Vanuatu: Authorities are maintaining strict protocols for receipt of medical and other humanitarian assistance to minimize risks of introducing the virus. This includes sanitation of supplies received and keeping any accompanying personnel air side. The government has determined that no foreign personnel will be allowed to enter Vanuatu to assist with the humanitarian response to cyclone Harold.

 New Caledonia: Restrictions on travel and public gatherings have been extended until 19 April. The customary Senate has called for restrictions to be imposed for longer and wants all weddings this year cancelled. But the provincial president of the Loyalty Islands says the restrictions should be relaxed in his province. Repatriation flights continue, including from Japan and French Polynesia.

 Samoa: The prime minister has indicated he has no intention of re-opening borders. The government has announced an economic stimulus package with focus on supporting tourism. The Samoa Hotels Association says 50 hotels have closed and 500 workers have been laid off, with more job losses expected.

 Marshall Islands: The government has sought to quell community concerns about proposed and rumoured arrivals by sea and air. The Nitijela was reconvened for an emergency two-day session which included a lengthy briefing from the national disaster committee. An economic impact committee has been established to assess the impact of the shutdowns in various sectors including tourism, hospitality and aquaculture.

 Federated States of Micronesia: President David Panuelo has announced a $15m economic stimulus package, with a focus on wage subsidies.

 French Polynesia: President Édouard Fritch has advised citizens and residents who are stranded overseas, including in France, that there are no plans to facilitate their repatriation.

Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands: The government has announced that the public service will be cut in half as a result of a Covid-19 related economic collapse.

Reports from other sources are presented below:

Palau’s President Tommy Remengsau is enforcing strict isolation steps in his country.  He has shut off the tourism-dependent nation and plans to continue the isolation until the rest of the world is over the worst of the virus, even if the cost to the government is 60% of tax revenue.

People breaking quarantines is an issue in the Pacific.  “One sailor in Guam was caught leaving his room while in quarantine. Meanwhile in Fiji, multiple people breaking the strict lockdown rules has led Fiji Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama to state those who breach any such regulations should be ‘dismissed’.”

The Hill is critical about the lack of coverage of US territories that are not one of the 50 states, noting that while stats for them are being reported, they are generally left off of corona virus maps of the US. Most Americans know about the USS Roosevelt being docked in Guam but little about Guam itself. In Guam the military “controls nearly a third of Guam’s land. COVID-19 infected sailors from the USS Roosevelt are being moved to the Guam Naval Hospital. Sailors who test negative and are asymptomatic are being quarantined in hotels and kept under military surveillance. This latter move has local leaders and the general public worried that they could endanger the island’s overall health.” The article also notes the difficulties in assessing contagion in the Northern Mariana Islands and American Samoa (the latter thus far having no confirmed cases) because “they both lack testing capacity and must send their specimens to Guam.”

You can help by making a donations to PPP’s  Pacific Resilience Fund which will support COVID-19 relief efforts in the Pacific Islands region. For more information click here.