Pacific Region News

Biologist rejects tourism use of Johnston atoll

BOSTON, Massachusetts—Boston University marine biologist Phillip Lobel, who has been examining the effects of chemical weapons incineration on Johnston Atoll, has recommended that the atoll’s small islands be used in the future solely for research and not as an eco-tourism resort.

Since 1990, the U.S. Army has been destroying two thousand tons of nerve and mustard gas agent and other chemical weapons on the atoll, located 824 miles southwest of Honolulu. The Pentagon has announced that it expects the project to be completed within two years.

Washington officials have suggested that the atoll’s future use could involve diving and other eco-tourism ventures. But Lobel said his studies have shown that the atoll still contains dangerous pollution from its previous usage as a dumping ground.

“There are certain areas on the island where we recommend people not to eat the fish,” he said.

In some areas herbicides and PCBs are evident, Lobel said. “So it’s my personal opinion that eco-tourism is just not an appropriate use for the island. I would rather see it used as a scientific research laboratory (to study) the effect of these contaminants on the environment.”

Madang anti-plastic drive called off

MADANG, Papua New Guinea—Abuse of a plastic clean-up campaign, scheduled to run through December, has forced two supermarkets to call it off.

Campaign spokesperson Gary Dunlop said the project was becoming too expensive, as people started bringing plastics from as far as Lae, Karkar and Wewak.

“We were just helping to clean up Madang town,” he said, “and not the whole country.”

Some plastic collected and paid for by the supermarkets was believed to have been recollected from the local dump and sold again.

10 percent of PNG sex workers tested HIV positive

PORT MORESBY, Papua New Guinea—A June survey of female sex industry workers in Lae and the capital by the Medical Research Institute showed that just over 10 percent tested HIV-positive.

The survey showed that even more sex workers had contracted other sexually transmitted diseases, including syphilis and gonorrhea.

The average age of prostitutes is 24. Typically, they have been involved in the sex industry for two years and serve an average four clients a week.

Giant Pacific squid on display in New York

NEW YORK, New York–A rare Pacific Ocean giant squid, 25 feet long and weighing 249 pounds, has been placed on public display at the American Museum of Natural History.

It is believed to be the world’s best-preserved specimen of the deep-sea creature, whose habits have never have been observed in the wild.

Commercial fisherman off the coast of New Zealand netted the squid in 1997.