More from Kalafi Moala

Kalafi Moala examines why Fiji seems to be backtracking on its former position on Minerva. Obviously the geopolitical issue, which Tonga’s full submission on the outer limits of its continental shelf raises, is the relationship to deep-sea mineral exploration.

All over the world as developing nations struggle to show positive growth in their fragile economies, they face corruption as the chief impediment to growth. What is true worldwide is very much the reality in the Pacific region, writes Kalafi Moala.

The critical issue facing Tonga is that while King George I gave the nobles he appointed large estates to be redistributed to the people, the nobles are leasing out large quantities of their land for millions of dollars, while a lot of their people are without land, writes Kalafi Moala.

Tonga’s political reform agenda may be about to enter a final staging as there is a strong likelihood that the pro-democracy movement’s ‘Akilisi Pohiva, might become Prime Minister which means for the first time, Tonga will have a pro-democracy government, writes Kalafi Moala.

The Pacific media risks being regulated if they do not strive for professionalism. Obviously the PINA leadership has opted to walk the path of self-regulation, but how can self-regulation be monitored and even be enforced, asks Kalafi Moala.

The tuna industry in the Pacific is under serious threat by both legal and illegal overfishing, and is undermined by over licensing of foreign fishing vessels at the expense of locally owned and operated fishing enterprises, writes Kalafi Moala.