Unearthing stories that matters |
CAIRNS, Australia — Regional lawmakers, regulators, and advocates have taken a decisive stance against the illegal logging networks harming Melanesia, transitioning from dialogue to direct enforcement. During the third Asia Pacific Forests Crime Network (APFCN) gathering at James Cook University in Cairns from last week, thirty-five specialists gathered to confront the…
by Charley Piringi in Cairns, Australia A senior Papua New Guinea leader warned PNG and the Solomon Islands that failing to reform colonial resource laws risks losing people’s resources to foreign “criminal cartels.“ Speaking exclusively to In-depth Solomons at the third Asia Pacific Forest Crime Network meeting in Cairns, outspoken Oro…
by Charley Piringi “When a Prime Minister is simultaneously the regulator, the tax collector, and a timber merchant, state policy inevitably aligns with cartel profit margins.” Sir Francis Billy Hilly. Across the Pacific Islands, customary land ownership has long been seen as the ultimate constitutional shield for indigenous sovereignty. But…
For decades, the sound of chainsaws and heavy machinery have been a normal part of life in the rural Solomon Islands. The country’s rich, dense rainforests have been cut down, piled onto ships, and sent overseas, normally to China as the final destination. But in the last two years, the…
The Solomon Islands Government and the United Kingdom today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) formalising their partnership on forest governance under the UK-funded Forest Governance, Markets and Climate programme (FGMC). FGMC works with tropical forested countries to strengthen forest stewardship through inclusive dialogue, evidence-based policymaking, and market-based initiatives –…
As nations worldwide marked the United Nations’ International Day of Forests on March 21, the Solomon Islands launched a multi-day series of events to highlight the critical link between its lush canopy and its national purse. Under the 2026 global theme, “Forests and Economies,” the Ministry of Forestry and Research…
March 2026 marked a significant milestone for Babatana’s Siporae Tribe with their forest conservation carbon project officially verified by international carbon standard Plan Vivo Climate. They now join Sirebe Tribe as Babatana landowners receiving income for sustainably managing and protecting their rainforest. Atkin Vilaka—spokesperson for the Siporae Tribal Association—says this…
by Georgina Maka’a in Kirakira Yato Conservation Area in East Makira has been declared a “Protected Area” at a landmark event held at provincial capital Kirakira today. This means no logging, mining or other destructive environmental activities will be allowed to take place on the declared area. “Yato now stands…
A Conservation Awareness Meeting was successfully held at Uriaupo Community on 4th March 2026, bringing together community members to discuss the importance of protecting and sustainably managing their natural resources. The meeting took place in Uriaupo, located on Vella Lavella Island in Western Province, and was supported by the Global…
by Dr Tatsuji Nishikawa JICA, Sustainable Forest Resource Management Advisor of Ministry of Forestry & Research Time flies, so as age; we all grow older as years passes by. For Dr Nishikawa Tatsuji age is not a matter of concern, it is the valuable experiences he gets hands on that…
