In the Loop
Fireknife champions come out in Hawaii
16 May 2008
This weekend, the 16th Annual World Fireknife Championships are underway in Hawaii and some of the best and most competitive from the Pacific, Australia, New Zealand and the United States are vying for the top spot.
- Listen: MP3
Vanutau sands tell stories
15 May 2008
In Vanuatu, the National Sand Drawing Festival is underway on the Northern island of Ambrym. Listen and find out how these drawings are used to share stories, send messages and connect communities with past, present and future.
- Listen: MP3
The problem with planting rice
13 May 2008
With rice prices crashing through every possible barrier, and the removal of import duties by governments having little effect at all, some countries including the Solomon Islands, are encouraging locals to plant their own rice. But some in the country such as the Kustom Garden Association say it’s a bad idea.
- Listen: MP3
Screening hula passion
12 May 2008
The living tradition that is Hula, is only present in its traditional form today as a result of the passion and commitment of a group of master dancers in the late 20th century Hawaii. To tell us about the life of one Kumu Hula master dancer Maiki Aiu Lake, we’re joined by Craig Howes executive producer of a film on her life which is screening this week as part of the Hula Fula Film festival.
- Listen: MP3
Big fish, little fish
8 May 2008
In Australia and some other parts of the world, people out on fishing trips are usually required to throw small fish back into the water. The idea is to let them grow to maturity. But research is showing that taking the big ones may in fact be harmful to certain species and their habitat. Dr Charles Birkeland from the University of Hawaii explains how some species are even evolving to cope with the uneven distribution of size resulting from selective fishing.
- Listen: MP3
A fine balance for Pacific museums
7 May 2008
What relationship should Pacific museums have with their counterparts overseas ? Is it time that Pacific islanders begin repatriating items collected by museums abroad ? To what extent should the Pacific be grateful for the work done by non-Pacific museums and institutions ? These are issues being discussed at the Pacific regions first Oceanic Art Symposium is underway in Port Vila and organised by the Pacific Islands Museums Association & the Vanuatu Cultural Centre.
- Listen: MP3
The Cook Islands Tahiti affair
6 May 2008
Listen to even the most basic greetings of Cook Islanders and Tahitians and you'll know there's a special connection between the two countries. So strong are the cultural and familial ties that many people leave one place to go and settle in the other. In recognition of this trend, Tahitians in Cook islands have just set up the Tamari'i Maohi No Porinetia Association.
- Listen: MP3
A fairer deal for Pacific producers
5 May 2008
Around the world, organisations and businesses promoting 'fair trade' are celebrating and raising awareness of the anti-exploitation concept as part of Fair Trade Fortnight. Geoff White, General Manager of New Zealands Trade Aid organisation explains how communities in Nauru, Micronesia, Timor Leste and Fiji are among those benefitting from better deals for their products and the environment.
- Listen: MP3
Tjibaou stands tall after a decade
2 May 2008
One of the Pacific region's most important cultural centres and iconic monuments, the Tjibaou Centre in New Caledonia celebrates its tenth anniversary this weekend.
- Listen: MP3
A high tech Pacific vision
30 April 2008
With the cost of call centres and technology hubs in parts of Asia slowly creeping up, some companies have started exploring the Pacific. But does the Pacific have what it takes to attract fussy investors ? Jonathan Segal is in the ICT business in Fiji and believes high tech infrustructure is not enough to attract investors.
- Listen: MP3
Charting waves in Cook Islands
29 April 2008
For a long time, authorities on Aitutaki in Cook Islands have recognised the constraints of a narrow channel used to enter the lagoon for port deliveries. But plans to dredge the channel are being treated cautiously. Peni Masu, Senior Project Officer with the regional agency SOPAC explains why lagoon dredging cannot commence without proper assesment of the environmental risks.
- Listen: MP3
Bikini corals stage comeback
28 April 2008
Half a century after the atomic bomb tests in Bikini Atoll in Marshall Islands, coral reefs have managed a defiant comeback, with a thriving ecosystem teeming with marine life. Zoe Richards of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies at James Cook University took a dive into Bravo Crater.
- Listen: MP3
