IT plans for Samoa; quarantine move in Marianas; and appeal for Kiribati govt to reverse decision
Samoa's Silicon Valley-style hub plan
Samoa is looking to build a Silicon Valley type Technology and Innovation Park facility so it can be the information and communications technology hub for the Pacific region.
Discussions and consultations on the project began in Apia yesterday.
Photo: 123RF
The Samoa Observer reports the objective of the project is to facilitate an innovative ecosystem in Samoa by strengthening cooperation among academia, industry and the Government.
The aim is to also attract research and development expertise from around the region to converge in Samoa, contributing to making Samoa a regional innovation hub.
The Minister for Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT) , Su'a Poumulinuku Onesemo, said the Ministry continues to drive the Government's agenda to become digitally transformed in all areas of the Government.
Chief Execuive Officer for MCIT Fualau Matau Matafeo said that talks of the initiative first commenced during the arrival of the Tui Samoa Cable in 2019 under the HRPP government.
"So the easiest example is Silicon Valley in America. It's a place where there are only ICT companies and communications to be established," he said.
Quarantine change in Marianas
The Northern Marianas has announced that fully vaccinated travellers with proof of a fully vaccinated household will no longer need to quarantine when they arrive in the Commonwealth.
Commonwealth Healthcare chief executive officer Esther Muña said unvaccinated travellers will have to quarantine for seven days.
Meanwhile, nine additional people have been confirmed positive for Covid, bringing the total to 408 since March.
The individuals were identified and confirmed through surveillance testing on Nov. 16, 2021. The individuals have been isolated and are actively monitored.
The CHCC Communicable Disease Investigation/Inspection team has already initiated contact tracing for the most immediate contacts of the newly confirmed cases, and this effort will continue until all probable cases are identified and tested.
Ocean group wants Kiribati govt to reverse decision
A group involved in funding the Phoenix Island Protected Area says it's disappointed commerical fishing will resume in the protected area.
The Kiribati government announced this week that it will allow commercial fishing to return to the area referred to as PIPA because the protected area status has cost tens of millions of dollars in lost revenue from international fishing licences.
Oceans Five executive director, Charles Fox, says Kiribati signed a grant agreement with them in 2015 for $US2.5 million over five years to support staff and activities required to implement PIPA.
"You know we respect the government's decision. It is certainly within their authority to do this. Circumstances change, but obviously we are disappointed with their decision. I can tell you that we didn't have any knowledge of their decision, obviously it is up to them whether they want to reverse that decision," he said.
Chamber of Commerce unhappy at lockdown
The American Samoa Chamber of Commerce has voiced its opposition to the government's planned three-day shut down next month for mass COVID-19 vaccinations.
The mass vaccination will take place from December 1 to 3 in a push to get 90 percent vaccination rate.
However, the Chamber of Commerce's chairwoman, Luisa Kuaea says the move is not in the best interest of the territory's fragile economy.
She has written to the Covid-19 Task Force to note that the Chamber of Commerce was not included in the meeting of government officials who suggested the planned shutdown.
Private sector owners says their employees will not be paid for the three-day shut-down.
Threat to turtles
A new report shows a clearer understanding of the risks that could wipe out sea turtles and their habitats in the Pacific Ocean.
The report published by the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme draws on work from a range of authors and researchers to create an extinction risk model for six threatened turtle species. Threats include illegal trade, climate change and ocean health.
The lead scientist Dr Nicolas Pilcher said it's the first step towards assessing the risk of extinction to sea turtles and it's a tool to manage and plan for their improved conservation.
This is the first time data on the Flatback, Leatherback, Olive Ridley, Hawksbill, Loggerhead and Green turtles has been compiled in one document and at this scale for the Pacific region.