THREE Pacific Island sustainable seafood businesses were among 40 finalist from across the globe that pitched to investors at the Fish 2.0 Innovation Forum at Stanford University, in Palo Alto, CA, USA.

Representing the Pacific Islands were Didds Fishing Company, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu’s Shepherd Islands Organic Seafood and Indigo Seafood Palau.

The room erupted when Toata Molea, Didds Fishing Company was announced as the winner of the Pacific track of the competition. Molea was ecstatic about being named a winner.

“I still can’t believe it, I’m so happy, all the pitches were of such a high standard, I feel very honoured to have won the Pacific Track.

“I want to thank my family and the Didao fishing team and the Pacific team. I’m also thankful to Chad Morris, PTI Australia for initiating and putting together the preparatory workshop to ensure we could make the most of the opportunity and the support and feedback received from, Tony Sullivan, FFA and Jenny Wright, USA State Department and Leigh Moran, Calvert Foundation.

“To pitch in English in front of such an esteemed crowed was daunting, it really helped to have the support of the Pacific team behind me. The entire competition has been an amazing experience, I’ve learnt so much.

“The prize money will enable us to increase our fleet providing more employment opportunities for the Makwanu community.”

Chad Morris, General Manager, Investment and Tourism, Pacific Trade Invest Australia travelled to Palo Alto to support the Pacific finalists and help them prepare their pitches.

“The ocean and fisheries is crucial to the economic livelihood and food security in the Pacific Islands, it’s vital that we continue to develop and promote sustainable fishing enterprises, this is why PTI Australia became a sponsor of Fish 2.0 as it’s a great platform that not only brings Pacific fishing enterprises together but also nurtures and exposes them to an investment market they may otherwise have never encountered.

“There’s some amazing sustainable approaches to fishing that’s being developed in the Pacific, you just need to listen to the pitches from Toata Molea, Didao Fishing Company, Obed Matariki, Shepherd Islands Organic Seafood and James Sanderson, Indigo Seafood to hear how they are making an impact not only in the ocean but also assisting the communities of where they operate.

“Each of the Pacific enterprises did an amazing job pitching, they did the Pacific proud and too see how far they have come both as individuals and clarity in their business from when they started the competition is immense. To have made it to the stage at Stanford University and to pitch to a room full of investors is a huge and they should be proud of this achievement.”

BY GEORGE MANFORD

AUKI

RUBBISH heaps along the streets in Auki township is becoming an eye sore, urging public to cry out for authorities to take action.

“Heaps of rubbishes along the streets in Auki will increase if the town council workers are not collecting those rubbishes and do the cleaning up.”

The Malaita provincial government is being called on to address the issue since Auki is without a dumping site.

Rubbishes are from the Chinese shops and other local business shops in Auki including the market vendors that set up stalls along the streets.

The lack in dump site began last year after the former site was reclaimed as private land by a business man.

It is understood that the Malaita provincial government did negotiations with some landowners last year but have since then had no positive feedback.

BY GEORGE MANFORD

AUKI

THE leader of the cult movement in Malaita, Kemmeul Kaleni, has condemned the way media has been reporting news without taking his side of the story.

In an interview with Island Sun, Kaleni said news agencies should contact him for comments before publishing anything relating to him or his movement.

He expressed being shocked by the amount of ‘lies’ circulating in the mainstream social media.

“I am not happy with stories that publish in the newspaper against me.

“Where did the media get the stories?

“Complainers should come free and talk to me rather than going out to the media.”

Kaleni dismissed claims that his group goes by the name “Message of the Kingdom”.

“Kingdom movement is not a church as people use to label against me and my group.

“The message that I’ve been preaching is about the god where all Christians believe on.

“I’ve been encouraging men, women, youths, and children to return to God’s kingdom.

“It appeared people have misunderstood my teachings and took the message wrongly.

“In my teachings, I don’t talk against anyone or any church for that matter.

“I only advise people to repent from their sins and return to serve the Lord.

“I am surprised that my teachings and messages have been misinterpreted and taken out of context.”

BY SAMIE WAIKORI

A warning is being raised on the status of Salt –fish that it can be toxic for human consumption.

Director of National Public Health Laboratory, Mr Dickson Manongi said yesterday that the fish (tuna) contains very high percentage of salt as everybody aware.

Saying the reason is to protect the fish in a distant time to keep them in a safe condition for later processing.

Manongi perhaps said that comparing the salt-fish with other fish catch and sold in the markets they are totally different and one can differentiate their quality.

He said there were number of incidents experienced that people affected of eating salt-fish (tuna).

Saying those were some of the evidences can be traced to the status of the fish.

“I’m not saying that salt fish is toxic, because it never tested here so we can know its status.

“But due to its existence where it’s not normal to other fishes catch and sell in the market, is what exactly draw considerable fear on the status of the fish,” he said.

Manongi however urged responsible authorities to take up initiative and let people know the status of the fish.

“This is by collecting samples of the fish and putting it for test at the NPHL so we can know what it likes for its status.

“Because every food we consume it has a certain temperature when tested, showing the food fits human consumption or not.

“And the temperature ranges from 10 degrees and below. If any food tests and has a temperature above 10 degrees that shows it never fits human consumption,” he said.

Manongi pointed out that there is a need to do something about the issue to ensure the safety of people’s consumption must at all time be safeguarded.

Salt-fish are frozen tuna taken from fishing boats and often sold at cheaper prices in various fish markets in Honiara.

BY MAVIS NISHIMURA PODOKOLO

OXFAM Australia – Solomon Islands branch has continued to register positive outcome with its projects in the Solomon Islands.

Oxfam Australia is one of the NGOs established itself in the country with eight partners implementing seven projects which described as very successful and have delivered positive outcomes to improve rural livelihood in Solomon Islands.

According to Oxfam Australia statistics, 10,000 people among the total of 609, 883 people have benefited with their project and are slowly improving in their lives.

This statistic are distributed as 22.7% among the total population are living in a life with less than $1.25 USD per day adding 19 .5% don’t have access to safe water.

According to Oxfam surveys, Solomon Islands is small in geographic size hence people are still facing the complex challenge similar to other developing nation.

One of the major factor to the challenges is that, majority of Solomon Islanders live in widely dispersed villages with scattered settlement classified as rural settlement from urban.

It is stated that only few opportunities are available for people to generate income to sustain their livelihoods.

BY GEORGE MANFORD

AUKI

A PROMINENT church leader from one of the mainstream churches in Malaita has called on all Christians to stay neutral and refrain from interfering other religious groups.

The church elder who want his name withheld mentions this following reports of the cult movement in Malaita.

The church elder encourages every Christian to stay calm and respect each other in all ways of Christian life.

The man said Christians should not compare each other in the name of one god where everyone believes in.

“Let’s focus on our own church traditions rather than pointing finger to others.

“I want all Malaitans to concentrate on their personal work of meeting family and house whole needs where their children will be benefited,” he said.

However, majority of people in Auki have criticised the movement, labelling it as false and misleading.

The criticisms have led to an argument between members of the movement resulting in an argument at Fulikafo village along road in central Kwara’ae in Malaita province.

It reported that a conflict occurred between the movement supporters and non-supporters after realising nothing happened as promised by the movement.

A member of one of the mainstream Christian churches in Solomon Islands says the movement’s doctrines and predictions are not true and impossible for people to believe.

“We are all Christian believers of one god that everyone has to work to earn living.”