Fiji has launched the Nasaulevu Integrated Tourism Development Masterplan, a landmark tourism project aimed at creating a new tourism and investment hub while placing indigenous landowners at the centre of development. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Tourism and Civil Aviation Viliame Gavoka unveiled the masterplan on 19 June at Navoci Village i...

Kalo Gold Corp. has identified multiple in-situ low-sulphidation epithermal quartz veins at the Wainikoro prospect within its wholly owned Vatu Aurum Project in Fiji, as the company advances exploration and prepares for the next phase of drilling. The company reported surface values of up to 3,397 detectORE units (dU), equivalent to an estimated 3.40 g...

The Fiji Development Bank (FDB) is expanding support for the country's rice sector through its Rice Mobility Package, a financing facility designed to help farmers improve productivity, expand operations and strengthen Fiji's long-term food security. The package provides financing for both existing and new rice farmers, enabling them to invest in land ...

New European Union food safety regulations are expected to affect approximately 97 per cent of Pacific Island-flagged vessels currently authorised to export seafood to the European market, prompting regional efforts to strengthen compliance and protect market access. National Competent Authority (NCA) officials from Fiji, Kiribati, Solomon Islands and ...

Finance and Treasury Minister Gordon Darcy Lilo has ordered the immediate termination of all Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) relating to tax exemptions in the mining, forestry and fisheries sectors, a move aimed at strengthening fiscal governance and ensuring compliance with existing laws. In a statement issued on June 17, the Ministry of Finance and...

The Pacific Tourism Organisation (SPTO) has released its official Post-Event Report for the South Pacific Tourism Exchange (SPTE) 2026, highlighting record-breaking participation, stronger regional collaboration, and significant progress toward sustainable tourism development across the Pacific. Held from March 24–26 at the Crowne Plaza Fiji Nadi Bay R...

Solomon Airlines has been granted an International Airline Licence by Papua New Guinea’s Department of Transport, clearing the way for the airline to commence direct services between Port Moresby and Honiara. The licence was formally presented on 12 June 2026 by Papua New Guinea Secretary for Transport, Matthew Wowoni, to Solomon Islands High Commissio...

The Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development (MALD) has officially launched its 2026 Strategic Workshop at the Raiders Hotel in Tulagi, Central Islands Province, under the theme “Transforming Agriculture for Economic Growth.” The week-long workshop brings together MALD’s management team, senior ministry officials, provincial chief field office...

Fiji has strengthened its fisheries and aquaculture cooperation with South Korea following the signing of an agreement to support the reconstruction of the Makogai Mariculture Research Centre and enhance climate-resilient marine research capabilities. The Ministry of Fisheries announced that its delegation recently concluded an official mission to the ...

The upstream and downstream operators of the Papua LNG Project have been issued amended environmental permits by the Conservation and Environment Protection Authority (CEPA), following more than seven months of consultation between the regulator and project operators. The amended permits were presented on May 29, 2026, following extensive discussions i...

Employees from Lion One Metals Limited participated in a week-long First Aid Rescue Training program at Vatukoula Gold Mines Pte Limited, aimed at enhancing workplace safety, emergency preparedness and collaboration between the two mining companies. The training was conducted from May 11 to May 18 at the Vatukoula mine operation in Fiji and focused on ...

Fiji's expanding tourism sector is attracting growing interest from international investors, with more than $3 billion worth of tourism projects in the pipeline as the country works toward welcoming 1.25 million visitors and generating $4 billion in tourism earnings by 2027. Speaking at the opening of the Asia-Pacific Hotel Industry Conference and Exhi...

The Makira-Ulawa Provincial Government has reaffirmed its support for the establishment of a Provincial Food Council as part of broader efforts to strengthen food security, agricultural development and rural livelihoods across the province. Speaking at the opening of the Provincial Agrifood System Consultation Workshop in Kirakira on June 9, Deputy Pre...

Vanuatu's tourism sector generated an estimated economic impact of USD 136 million in 2025, underpinned by strong visitor spending, high satisfaction levels and growing interest in sustainable travel, according to the latest International Visitor Survey. The January-December 2025 International Visitor Survey was released by the Pacific Tourism Organisa...

The Solomon Islands government has launched an investigation into 33 controversial bauxite shipments from Rennell Island, marking what officials describe as a key step in efforts to strengthen oversight and accountability in the country's mining sector. Minister for Mines, Energy and Rural Electrification Derick Manuari said the investigation is being ...

The World Bank's Environment and Social Framework (ESF) Practice Manager, Africa Olojoba, has visited the Tina River Hydropower Development Project (THDP) in Solomon Islands, highlighting construction progress, strong safety practices and environmental stewardship at the country's first large-scale renewable energy project. Olojoba was joined by a Worl...

The Cook Islands Government has launched a new online energy dashboard to provide households, businesses and communities with up-to-date information on the country's fuel position as authorities respond to ongoing global fuel supply pressures. The dashboard forms part of the Government's broader response under the National Energy Response Framework, a ...

Government agencies, provincial authorities, development partners and community stakeholders have reaffirmed their commitment to protecting Solomon Islands' Rennell and Bellona Province from invasive species and other biosecurity threats through a provincial coordination workshop held on June 3. The Rennell and Bellona Biosecurity Plan Implementation a...

Pacific Island countries are intensifying efforts to prepare for the growing impacts of climate change on tuna fisheries, as new scientific projections indicate that key tuna stocks are increasingly likely to move from national waters into the high seas, threatening a major source of government revenue, food security and livelihoods across the region. ...

The Solomon Islands government's plans regarding Gold Dealer Licences form part of a wider effort to reform the country's gold sector and strengthen oversight, according to Mines, Energy and Rural Electrification Minister Derick Manuari. Manuari said the government's policy direction had already received Cabinet caucus endorsement and was now progressi...

Fiji is moving forward with plans to establish its first peer-to-peer lending platform as part of broader efforts to expand access to finance for micro, small and medium enterprises and support the growth of alternative funding markets. The initiative forms part of the implementation of the Access to Business Funding Act 2025, which introduced new fina...

The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) has recently launched a new regional strategy aimed at addressing rural poverty, food insecurity, climate vulnerability and geographic isolation across 13 Pacific Island countries over the next eight years. The Pacific Islands Regional Strategic Opportunities Programme (RESOP) 2025–2033 was unv...

Solomon Islands Prime Minister Matthew Wale has concluded his official visit to Australia, reaffirming the close partnership between the two countries following high-level talks with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. The discussions focused on shared priorities including climate change, regional security and economic cooperation, with both le...

Pacific countries should proceed cautiously as interest in deep-sea minerals grows, according to the head of the United Nations-backed body responsible for regulating mining in international waters. The caution comes as governments and mining companies increase their focus on seabed deposits containing cobalt, nickel, manganese and copper, minerals wid...