Pacific Magazine > Magazine > October 26, 2007

Pac Notes

Pac Notes

No Standing On Ceremony

PHOTO: ANTONIO QUMI

A five-year-old European Union ban on kava products from the Pacific has devastated regional producers. How best to get the Europeans to lift their ban? Why, honor them at a kava ceremony in Suva.

The September 27 ceremony coincided with the fifth anniversary of the start of negotiations for the Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) between the EU and the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) bloc of countries. Andrea Salviati, the trade and political officer at the Delegation of the European Commission for Pacific in Suva, accepted a bowl of kava on behalf of the EU. He was accompanied by Ritva Sallmén, the trade counselor at the Suva mission.

Ratu Josateki Nawalowalo, chairman of the Fiji Kava Council, which is affiliated to the International Kava Executive Council, urged the EU pair to help convince Brussels to lift the ban on kava imports. Ratu Josateki estimates the ban has cost the Pacific Islands more than US$1.4 billion in lost export revenue since 2002.

The bans were triggered by Germany in 2002 when the Federal Institute for Drugs and Medicinal Devices revoked licenses to sell kava-based products based on now disputed links between kava extracts and liver damage.  Other European countries followed suit, placing bans on kava imports or asking producers to voluntarily recall their products.

Among the hardest hit kava producers were Fiji, Hawaii, Samoa, Tonga and Vanuatu. The bans virtually crippled the Pacific kava export industry, but if trade is opened up again, the Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea would consider exporting the crop too.


DOING BUSINESS

Tahiti Turmoil French Polynesia President Oscar Temaru…but for how long?  PHOTO: BRUCE SOUTHWICK/ZOOMFIJI A most unlikely political alliance has seen French Polynesia go through more political turmoil in recent months, prompting France’s Secretary for Overseas to introduce legislation that would attempt to douse at least some of the flashpoints. Christian Estrosi wants to table a bill in the French Parliament that would shorten the mandate of the current local legislative assembly and trigger snap elections by the end of January 2008.This follows a turbulent September, which began with French Polynesia President Gaston Tong Sang being ousted in a no-confidence motion and the return of Union for Democracy (UPLD) leader Oscar Temaru as president. Temaru pulled off the victory thanks to a de facto alliance with an old adversary, veteran Tahoeraa Huiraatira leader Gaston Flosse.Business is concerned. Small and Medium Businesses Confederation (Confédération Générale des Petites et Moyennes Enterprises, CGPME) President Christophe Plee says investments are on hold in light of the ongoing uncertainty, and Tahiti is heading for a “social clash” between the young unemployed and others if there isn’t growth. Now that he is back in the top job, Temaru says elections shouldn’t be held until mid 2008 at the earliest. WOW! Guam lawmaker Sen. Ray Tenorio came out recently as a World of Warcraft-playing, level-70 Dwarven priest by the name of Paleray. Tenorio revealed his love of online gaming to the Pacific Daily News, creating a frenzy of comment along the lines of, “is he the coolest politician ever” in online gamers’ discussion groups. Tenorio is the Majority Leader in the 28th Guam Legislature and Criminal Justice, Public Safety, Youth and Foreign Affairs Committee chairman.