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Category Archives: Islands

New threat to Galpagos wildlife

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TraceRouda/Getty Images Pinnacle Rock, Island of Bartolome, Galapagos

Wildlife on the Galpagos is under a new threat. The scientific group that has helped to preserve the islands giant tortoises and other unique creatures is on the brink of closure because of a row about a gift shop.

Local traders have objected to the Charles Darwin Foundation running a souvenir shop at its research station at Puerto Ayora on Santa Cruz island. They claim it was siphoning business from their own shops and in July local officials, backed by the government of Ecuador which owns the Galpagos, ordered the stations shops to be shut.

The impact for the foundation which carries out wildlife research in the Galpagos and provides key scientific advice on protecting wildlife there has been devastating, its executive director Swen Lorenz told the Observer.

The shop provides us with about $8,000 a week in income from the sale of souvenirs to tourists. Losing that key source of funds was bad enough but it has also affected other donations. People dont see why they should give us money if the Ecuador government will not support us by letting us run a gift shop.

There has been a dreadful chain reaction following the shops closure and we have run out of cash. The foundation is now two-and-a-half months late with salaries for its staff and some projects have had to be suspended. One key staff member has already left.

We are now on the brink, added Lorenz. Its going to be touch and go. The Ecuador government has since said it supports us, but unless we get some money from them and are allowed to reopen our shop in the next few weeks we will have to close.

The Galpagos are an archipelago of volcanic islands in the Pacific, 560 miles west of the coast of Ecuador, and are renowned for the species of birds and reptiles unique to the islands. These creatures include the marine iguana, the only species of iguana that can forage at sea; the Galpagos giant tortoise, the worlds largest tortoise species; and the Galpagos hawk.

The islands also played a key role in helping Charles Darwin to formulate his theory of natural selection. On his round-the world voyage on the Beagle, the young biologist stayed on the islands for a month in 1835, noting the subtle variations in species from each of the islands.

In particular, Darwin was fascinated by differences in colour and beak shape in the islands mockingbirds and finches (now known as Darwins finches), observations that played a critical role in developing his evolutionary theory.

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New threat to Galpagos wildlife

Tuna showdown looms at Samoa conference

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Majuro (Marshall Islands) (AFP) - Small Pacific island states and powerful foreign fishing nations are heading for a showdown next week over management of the world's largest tuna fishery.

The islands want the annual meeting of the influential Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) in Samoa to limit fishing for bigeye, a tuna prized by sashimi markets in Asia, America and Europe.

They also want limits placed on catches of other tunas to maintain stocks.

Nearly 60 percent of global tuna supplies comes from the central and western Pacific which has been "fished unsustainably, in contradiction to strong scientific and management advice", said Amanda Nickson, director of Global Tuna Conservation at the Washington-based Pew Charitable Trusts.

"Today, 50 more large-scale purse seine vessels are fishing these waters than 10 years ago."

Despite increasing concern over declining tuna stocks in the Pacific's US$6.0 billion fishery, the WCPFC has been unable to agree on measures that will limit fishing to what scientists see as sustainable levels.

The WCPFC includes the so-called "distant water" fleets from as far afield as Europe, China, South Korea, Japan and Taiwan.

Battle lines have now been drawn between these nations, which dominate fishing in the region, and the Pacific islands which have banded together to wield greater influence in the industry.

"The tuna commission needs to change its way of doing business and how it treats small island developing states," Glen Joseph, the Marshall Islands director of fisheries, said ahead of the December 1-5 summit.

Joseph is frustrated by what he says is a lack of action on high seas fishing, a WCPFC responsibility, to back the conservation measures eight Pacific nations, known as the Parties to the Nauru Agreement (PNA), have imposed in their economic zones.

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Tuna showdown looms at Samoa conference

Pokemon ORAS Omega Ruby Eon Flute Ep4 – Cresselia and Special Islands – Video

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Pokemon ORAS Omega Ruby Eon Flute Ep4 - Cresselia and Special Islands
I heard that Crescent Isle was RARE and when I saw it pop up, I had to record it. Hope you enjoy! Here #39;s the link to the Eon Flute Adventures!!! https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLh8iinmQ0...

By: PokemonMike

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Pokemon ORAS Omega Ruby Eon Flute Ep4 - Cresselia and Special Islands - Video

This is a Disaster / Tomb Raider II / Floating Islands / Part 1 – Video

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This is a Disaster / Tomb Raider II / Floating Islands / Part 1
I #39;m finally back! I missed you all : #39;o To make it up to those who have been waiting here #39;s the first half of the floating island levels 🙂 Let #39;s just say I haven #39;t played in a while and it #39;s...

By: ComfortButton

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This is a Disaster / Tomb Raider II / Floating Islands / Part 1 - Video

Solomon Islands Reform Efforts Get $5 Million Grant

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Solomon Islands Reform Efforts Get $5 Million Grant from World Bank

HONIARA November 21, 2014 The World Banks Board of Executive Directors today approved US$5 million for theEconomic Reform and Recovery Development Policy Operation which will support continued economic and financial reform and provide rapid financing to deal with the impacts of the severe flooding which hit the nation in April 2014.

The operation supports a program of targeted policy reforms to improve the management of public expenditure and debt; strengthen the administration of the mining sector and its associated revenues; and foster healthy regulatory conditions for private sector investment.

The Solomon Islands Government is dedicated to a course of sustained reform to deliver improved standards of public finance management and better conditions for private investment, said Mr. Fred Fakarii, Permanent Secretary of the Solomon Islands Ministry of Finance. The Solomon Islands recovery following the events of April 2014 is well underway and we look forward to continuing to work with the World Bank to maintain momentum.

The operation will ensure the momentum of the Governments program of economic reforms, while also providing funds for flood recovery and rehabilitation. Specific policy changes will target the revision of guarantees to State-Owned Enterprises and transparency in awarding scholarships for tertiary education; greater transparency of the mining industry and the streamlining of the mining tax regime; and establishment of a land board to improve governance of urban land and bolster private sector investment.

We are working with the Solomon Islands Government to ensure the long-term resilience of their economy through reforms that will ultimately boost shared prosperity and improve the living standards of the nations most vulnerable people many of whom were affected by the April 2014 floods, said Franz Drees-Gross, Country Director for the World Bank in Timor-Leste, Papua New Guinea, and the Pacific Islands.

The grant of US$5 million from the World Banks International Development Association (IDA) includes US$2 million from the Crisis Response Window (CRW) the World Banks special fund for use following exceptionally severe natural disasters and regional economic shocks.

ENDS

Scoop Media

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Solomon Islands Reform Efforts Get $5 Million Grant

ADB to Help Cook Islands Generate Solar Power

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ADB to Help Cook Islands Generate Solar Power

RAROTONGA, COOK ISLANDS (24 November, 2014)

The Cook Islands dependence on fossil fuels will be reduced under a project to build solar-powered plants on six of its islands, funded by the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the European Union (EU), and the Government of Cook Islands.

Lowering the Cook Islands reliance on fossil fuels will help free up government funds for other needs while improving national energy security and sustainability, said ADB Pacific Department Energy Specialist, Woo Yul Lee. This project will assist the Cook Islands to fulfill its goal of delivering renewable energy to all its islands by 2020.

Each solar power plant built on the islands in the countrys south under the $24.28 million project will have a total installed power generation capacity of about 3 megawatts. The project is expected to save 1.09 million liters of diesel consumption annually, and cut carbon dioxide emissions by 2,930 tons.

The project will also provide assistance to the governments Office of the Energy Commissioner and the Renewable Energy Development Division to develop their energy efficiency policy implementation plan.

Nearly all households in the Cook Islands are connected to grid electricity. Only 5.5% of households have additional solar photovoltaic systems installed, and 1% use small diesel generators. The Cook Islands depends heavily on imported fuels and electricity costs there are among the highest in the Pacific.

An $11.19 million equivalent loan from ADBs Ordinary Capital Resources, a $7.26 million equivalent grant from the EU, along with in-kind contribution of $5.83 million from the Cook Islands Government will fund the project. The projects executing agency is the Ministry of Finance and Economic Management. The implementing agencies are the Renewable Energy Development Division and the Rarotonga Power Authority.

The project complements ongoing support for solar power from the Government of New Zealand to the countrys north and Rarotonga.

ADB, based in Manila, is dedicated to reducing poverty in Asia and the Pacific through inclusive economic growth, environmentally sustainable growth, and regional integration. Established in 1966, it is owned by 67 members 48 from the region. In 2013, ADB assistance totaled $21.0 billion, including cofinancing of $6.6 billion.

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ADB to Help Cook Islands Generate Solar Power


  1. Islands