Beowulf
Newcomer
- Nov 1, 2020
- 102
Fiji Sun
Fijian Military Cuts
Fijian Military Cuts
Fijian Military to downsize to 5,000 total personnel National Defense Minister Langi Varea met with the President Thursday afternoon to discuss the current defense budget and the 15,000 active personnel under currently enrolled in the Fijian military. President Mara's proposal to the minister was to cut the force from a standing 15,000 to a force of 3,000 active and 2,000 reserve for a combine force of 5,000 personnel. This due to equipment and payment issues brought up by the Mrs. Ganila during public discourse forum last Tuesday evening. With the navy currently seeing 3 ships in production with a huge budget drain the Island does not see reason into funding or maintaining such a large military force in the Pacific. Queen Elizabeth's Barracks in Suva are already overstaffed and overflowing with troops according to Major General Te Manai. "We do not have the current housing nor budget to field such an unprecedented amount of young men and women in the Island. As we speak the Military is one of the largest employers on this peaceful island and we do not need that to be the case. The navy is indeed needed to police fishing and move about our vast economic exclusion zone. Though their training is currently an up in the air question. The military as it stands is heavily under equipped, if we are to downsize by two thirds our current pool we should be able to cover it in our budget and keep a safer Fiji." | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Fijian Rugby Association
| New Fishing Regulations Your next haul can be inspected by a task force lead by the Fijian Navy. Here is a list of absolute no-nos under the new guidelines: No person shall take, be in possession of, sell, offer or expose for sale or export any of the following: Trochus Shell Trochus niloticus (sici) measuring less than 90 mm [3.5 inches] across the whorl; Tritons Trumpet Shell Charonia tritonis (davui) The Triton Trumpet is now a rare find in the Pacific, most often found at moderate depths of 5—20 meters and deeper in coral rich habitats. It is an active predator on coral eating sea stars like the Crown of Thorns Starfish and cushion stars. Pearl Oyster Shell Pinctada margaratifera (civa) Pearl Oyster Shell (civa)of which the nacre or mother-of-pearl measures less than 100 mm [4 inches] from the butt or hinge to the opposite edge or lip. Giant Clams Tridacna derasa / squamosa / maxima (vasua) flesh, including adductor muscle or mantle tissue. Beche-de-mer (sea cucumbers) Metriatyla scabra (Holothuria scabra) (dairo) (sandfish) No person shall export, either in a natural or processed form, any other species whatsoever of a length less than 7.6 centimetres [3 inches]. Live fish of any kind; Turtle flesh; Turtle shell Turtle shell unless worked into jewellery or otherwise processed into a form approved by the Permanent Secretary for Primary Industries and Cooperatives. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Page 2, Suva School Dress Code allows girls to wear slacks | Page 3, Man catches sword fish | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Page 4, New housing development under Mara Administration | Page 5, Beauty marks may lead to cancer | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Page 6, Cartoons and Word Puzzle | Sasha Tipukani, Fijian Sun 1997 |