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The Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) has congratulated the inaugural winners of the Pasifika Environews Awards, in particular Solomon Islands journalist, Mr Charley Piringi, who won the SPREP Best Environment story and runner up, Ms Sera Sefeti, a journalist for Islands Business.
SPREP, Pacific Islands News Association (PINA), Internews Earth Journalism Network (IEJN) and the Office of the Pacific Ocean Commissioner (OPOC) collaborated to run the Pasifika Environews Awards to honour exemplary reporting, photography and videography that sets a standard for environment, ocean, and climate change reporting in the Pacific.
SPREP’s Communications and Outreach Adviser, Ms Nanette Woonton, said SPREP as the lead regional organisation for the protection and sustainable development of the Pacific environment recognises the critical role of all media in disseminating public information, education and influencing behaviour for the better.
“We want to congratulate everyone who took time to submit an entry, and especially all the winners. We thank you for continuing to amplify our One Pacific voice when it comes to challenges we are facing in relation to the environment. SPREP encourages our Pacific media colleagues to keep up the great work,” said Ms Woonton.
Mr Charley Piringi’s story that won the SPREP Best Environment story and the prize money of USD1,000 was an investigative piece on mining in Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands. Guadacanal is known to many people as a region in the Solomon Islands where “milk and honey flow.” It is known for fertile farmlands, the pristine river systems, the gold and earth minerals, and the rich unique cultures.
“It took me six months to work on the story alone. Gathering information for the story was challenging especially when there were officials who were not so willing to share information, and there was also the challenge of traveling down to remote Guadalcanal where the mining operation was happening,” he said.
“I travelled two times to the remote village for interviews, and at some point, I was not allowed to enter the mine site to do my work. Simply, it is not easy working on environmental stories that involve mining and logging in the country.”
Ms Sera Sefeti, the runner up in the SPREP Best Environment story and the winner of USD500 wrote about the plight of Moce Island villagers, in the Lau Group in Fiji, following the volcanic eruption in Tonga last year.
“Writing environmental stories concerning climate change, ocean or atmosphere is a passion of mine because these are issues that affect all humans. The pain, the suffering, the resilience, and the depth of our people deserve to be told. I was inspired to write this story because this is one of the most remote islands in Fiji and their stories are hardly highlighted because of their remoteness,” she said.
“When I got there, I was pleasantly surprised to hear their stories and the different emotions people felt even they all experienced the same event. I was empowered by their stories, challenged by their resilience, inspired by their sustainable practices, and humbled by their acts of community and rich cultural practices.”
Ms Sefeti is not a stranger to SPREP. In 2022, she won the Tertiary Level Journalism Category of the 2022 Vision Pasifika Media Award, when she was a journalist at the University of the South Pacific (USP) writing for the Wansolwara.
The winners of the Pasifika Environews Awards were congratulated by the President of the Republic of the Fiji Islands, His Excellency Ratu Wiliame Katonivere, when he announced them in Suva on Wednesday 08 June 2023, during World Ocean Day.
They are:
- SPREP Best Environment Story: Charles Piringi, Solomon Islands
Runner Up: Sera Sefeti, Fiji Islands
- OPOC Best Ocean Story: Vijay Narayan, Fiji Islands
Runner Up: Ben Bilua, Solomon Islands
- Pasifika Environews Best Climate Change Story: Moffat Mamu Ghala, Solomon Islands
Runner Up: Irwin Angiki, Solomon Islands
