We made it into the finals!
ALOFI, Niue, 18 September 2026: Niue Ocean Wide Trust is today revealed as a 2026 Finalist of The Earthshot Prize, the world’s most prestigious environmental award, for its leadership in pioneering Ocean Conservation Commitments (OCCs) - long-term Indigenous-led financing model to address ocean and climate funding challenges and protect globally crucial ocean territory.
The Earthshot Prize, founded by Prince William in 2020, recognises solutions from different geographies, sectors and stages in their life cycle, dedicated to solving our planet’s greatest environmental challenges. Now past the halfway point of the Earthshot decade, The Earthshot Prize in 2026 is celebrating leadership from all corners of the globe, as people turn environmental ambition into action at scale.
The Blue Pacific - 30 million square kilometres of ocean- is one of world's healthiest marine ecosystems, accounting for half of the global tuna supply. Despite its global significance, small island nations like Niue have struggled to fund long-term protection of these waters. The region faces dual challenges: localised pressures on biodiversity from illegal fishing and near-shore overexploitation, alongside systemic vulnerabilities to climate shifts like rising sea levels and ocean acidification. Island states like Niue are on the front line of climate change and biodiversity loss, managing vast marine territories - Niue's marine territory is 1,200 times its landmass - with extremely limited financial resources and short-term financing. Growing climate impacts make sustained monitoring, enforcement, research and community stewardship increasingly urgent.
Nominated in the Revive Our Oceans Earthshot category, the Niue Ocean Wide Trust works to fund long-term protection of Niue’s ocean territory for future generations benefiting both local Niueans and the global community. It does this in a novel way by selling OCCs in addition to receiving traditional grants. The OCC presents a long-term financing model that calculates the real annual cost of protecting and managing Niue’s ocean and converts that into an annual OCC contribution per square kilometre over a 20-year period. At NZD250 per OCC, these are affordable to a range of stakeholders including individuals, as well as companies, philanthropies, governments and multilaterals.
To date, about 40,000 OCCs have been sponsored by over 800 stakeholders, representing a diverse and growing number of ‘care-holders’ committed to the long-term protection of Niue’s Ocean. Funding includes approximately 33% from philanthropic organisations including Bezos Earth Fund, Blue Nature Alliance, Conservation International, approximately 7% from bilateral government partners - the governments of New Zealand, Australia and Niue – 0.71% from corporates and 0.57% from individuals - all contributing towards an initial NZ$32 million endowment to fund the Niue Ocean Wide Trust in perpetuity. The Trust finances conservation, monitoring, enforcement, community stewardship, preservation of indigenous and traditional knowledge (ITK), sustainable blue economy opportunities associated with food security and sustainable livelihoods, and resilience initiatives for the future.
Strengthening Leadership for Ocean Management
Two Niue participants recently took part in the 2026 Marine Spatial Planning and Integrated Ocean Management Leadership for Change Programme, an initiative of the Pacific Community (SPC) designed to strengthen leadership capacity for those working across ocean management and related sectors.
Representing Niue were JinNam Hopotoa, Communications and Technical Manager for Niue Ocean Wide Trust (NOW), and Floyed Viliamu, Niue Met Technician/Oceans Officer. The intensive five-day programme focused on “Leadership from the Inside Out,” encouraging participants to examine not only how they lead others, but also how their own behaviours, loyalties, reactions and decision-making influence their ability to navigate complex challenges.
Each day explored a different dimension of leadership: seeing yourself as a system, identifying loyalties, understanding personal triggers and blind spots, engaging strategically, and learning how to remain anchored and steady when working through uncertainty, conflict and change.
Rather than relying solely on traditional classroom learning, the programme combined real-world case discussions, structured exercises, small-group consultations and participant experiences. Participants were also challenged to develop and examine their own personal leadership case studies, creating an opportunity to reflect on difficult situations and identify lessons that could strengthen their leadership practice.
For Niue, participation in programmes such as this is particularly relevant as the country continues to advance Marine Spatial Planning, Integrated Ocean Management and long-term stewardship of its ocean space. Effective ocean management requires more than technical knowledge; it also depends on strong leadership, collaboration, communication and the ability to bring people and organisations together around complex decisions.
The participation of Hopotoa and Viliamu also provides an opportunity to bring lessons from the programme home and apply them within their respective areas of work, contributing to the continued development of local capacity and Niue-led leadership in ocean management. We would like to extend our gratitude to all of our facilitators, sponsors and organizers for making this workshop and training possible.
Through continued investment in its people, Niue is strengthening the skills and leadership needed to navigate change while ensuring that the management of our ocean remains informed, collaborative and locally driven.
Peau Pendants Niue Wins 2026 Global Recognition Award for Innovation
We would like to congratulate Niue-born conservation enterprise Peau Pendants Niue. Peau Pendants Niue has been named a 2026 Global Recognition Award winner for Innovation, recognising its its unique approach to transforming an invasive coral predator into a conservation-focused product with purpose while supporting ocean conservation.
Following a highly competitive international evaluation process, of over 15 thousand entrants Peau Pendants Niue was shortlisted as a finalist and made it into 4.8% of successful 2026 recipients. The Global Recognition Awards highlighted the initiative as an example of how innovation originating from a small island can contribute valuable lessons for conservation economies around the world. This is a great example of an Ocean positive business that contributes to circular economy.
“We are honored to have Peau Pendants Niue among the distinguished 2026 Global Recognition Award recipients. Its achievements exemplify the spirit of excellence that the Global Recognition Awards seek to celebrate.”
Our Story is at 5:12 - Video Produced by Broadcasting Corporation Niue (BCN)
Founder and CEO JinNam Hopotoa extended a heartfelt Fakaaue Lahi Mahaki first of all to God and also to everyone who has supported the journey from those who have purchased or were gifted our pendants and shared the story, to those who have encouraged and believed in the vision.
The award marks another important milestone for a Niue-born initiative demonstrating how creativity, conservation and entrepreneurship can work together to support healthier reefs and a more sustainable ocean future. If you want to learn more or grab a pendant or two to help our reefs and oceans, please visit www.peaupendants.com
We need Data to make informed decisions!
It was a privilege to spend time with the team from Pacific Community-SPC, led by Malcolm Fraser Principal Advisor: Pacific Digital & Data Stewardship in collaboration with NOW building on recent discussions and consultations with the Global Ocean Accounts Partnership (GOAP) team from the University of New South Wales around ocean accounting, data governance and the future of data management in Niue.
The week provided an important opportunity for government departments, key stakeholders, non-state actors to come together, share perspectives and actively contribute to discussions around how Niue can strengthen the way data is collected, managed, shared and accessed.
A key area of discussion was the potential development of a central data hub or holding platform that could better support access to information across sectors while ensuring appropriate governance, ownership and management of Niue’s data.
There were some very encouraging signals throughout the consultations and workshop. Many participants raised shared concerns and challenges, but importantly, also identified practical solutions, opportunities for greater coordination and a strong willingness to collaborate.
These conversations are an important step towards developing a robust and fit-for-purpose data management and governance framework one that is designed for Niue, responds to our national needs and priorities, and can continue to serve our communities, decision-makers and future generations.
NOW at the 11th Pacific Islands Conference on Nature Conservation and Protected Areas
Niue Ocean Wide Trust is pleased to be represented in New Caledonia at the 11th Pacific Islands Conference on Nature Conservation and Protected Areas, an important regional gathering bringing together Pacific leaders, practitioners and partners working to strengthen nature conservation across our Blue Pacific.
The Pacific Islands Roundtable for Nature Conservation (PIRT) is a key coordination mechanism supporting implementation of the Pacific Islands Framework for Nature Conservation and Protected Areas and the Vemööre Declaration. Together, these frameworks help guide collective action across protected areas, species conservation, and importantly, the people and communities who steward them.
NOW CEO Brendon Pasisi is currently attending the conference and was invited to participate as a panelist, sharing Niue’s experience and the work being led through NOW.
Highlighting Niue’s approach to managing and protecting our ocean, including the Niue Moana Mahu Marine Protected Area, ongoing monitoring, compliance and management efforts, and the role of the Ocean Conservation Commitment (OCC) mechanism in creating a long-term pathway for financing ocean protection.
For Niue, effective conservation goes far beyond establishing MPAs, It is about ensuring they are properly managed, monitored, financed and supported by the people who depend on and care for them.
We are proud to contribute Niue’s experience to this important Pacific conversation and to continue learning alongside our regional partners as we work collectively for a resilient and thriving Pacific Ocean.
Extending our gratitude to Pacific-Community-SPC and the organizers of this meeting cohosted by Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme - SPREP, New Caledonia and the Pacific Islands Roundtable for Nature Conservation (PIRT). Thank you for having us in the room and in part of these meaningful discussions and collective development for the region.
More importantly, experiences like these help connect young people with the environments right on their doorstep building and linking traditional knowledge, respect and a sense of responsibility for their ocean from an early age.
NOW looks forward to continuing coordination with the Tuapa RMAC and keeping up with the amazing work Tuapa Reading Class, creating further opportunities for our young people to learn directly from their reef and community.
Supporting Villages from Planning to Action
The Niue Ocean Wide (NOW) Trust held its second RMAC Follow-up Meeting, bringing village representatives together to review progress on their marine management plans and support the next steps towards implementation.
With the first tranche of grant funding released to seven villages for the first three years, NOW continues to work alongside their RMACs as they move from proposals into practical, community-led action. The meeting reinforced the project pathway from submitting village proposals, NOW review and consultation, submission through the Flux grants management system, through to final consideration by the NOW Trustees.
The session also provided an opportunity to introduce NOW’s new Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) and Monitoring, Control and Surveillance (MCS) Managers, who will help RMACs navigate the management, compliance and sustainability components of their plans and ensure proposed activities align with the objectives of the Trust.
With the impacts of climate change and climate variability increasingly visible across Niue, supporting communities to turn local priorities into action is becoming even more important. Villages also expressed interest in protecting traditional and culturally significant heritage sites, including areas with customary or family connections, as potential priorities within future management proposals.
For the remaining seven villages, NOW warmly encourages RMACs to continue progressing their marine management plans and proposals. Our team is here to help communities navigate the process and move their ideas towards submission and implementation.
A new careholder of Niue Moana Mahu all the way from Israel!
Another meaningful commitment made to Niue’s ocean through the sponsorship of an Ocean Conservation Commitment (OCC), supporting the protection of one square kilometre of the Niue Moana Mahu Marine Protected Area.
In sharing the announcement, Dr.Yosef praised Niue’s practical and law-based approach to ocean governance and highlighted the commitment as a step toward strengthening cultural and environmental ties with Niue. Niue Ocean Wide warmly congratulates you Dr. Yosef for taking this personal step in support of our ocean. Every OCC contributes to the long-term protection and stewardship of Niue’s marine environment while helping build a
growing global community committed to safeguarding our Moana for future
Mutalau Village Revives Traditional Canoe-Building Skills!
Photo credit: Ekalesia Mutalau Youth Vaka Project
Mutalau is one of five out of seven villages already progressing with implementation of the first tranche of grant funding provided through Niue Ocean Wide (NOW).
As part of its marine management plan under the component of traditional knowledge, the village has begun a traditional Vaka (canoe) -building initiative aimed at preserving and passing on an important cultural skill that is gradually fading.
Photo credit: Ekalesia Mutalau Youth Vaka Project
Village men are taking younger men and children into the forest to learn how to identify the right trees for canoe construction, before guiding them through the traditional shaping and building process.
Photo credit: Ekalesia Mutalau Youth Vaka Project
The project is not only about building a canoe, but about ensuring that the knowledge, skills and cultural practices surrounding canoe building continue to be shared with the next generation.
Living Water: From Source to Reef
French Polynesia welcomed ministers, water sector representatives, partners and emerging young water professionals from across the region to the 10th Pacific Water and Wastewater Ministers Forum and the 17th Pacific Water and Wastewater Annual Conference and Expo.
In his welcome message, Hon. Taivini Teai, Minister of Agriculture, Marine Resources & the Environment of French Polynesia, highlighted this year’s theme: “Living Water: From Source to Reef, Water Shapes Life in the Pacific.”
The message underscored the importance of water as a precious and fragile resource that connects Pacific peoples, cultures, economies and ecosystems. Across the region, island communities face very different water challenges from drought and saltwater intrusion to extreme rainfall, flooding, sanitation pressures and limited freshwater supplies.
Hon. Teai emphasised that there is no single solution for the Pacific. Water and sanitation systems must be designed around the unique geography, climate, resources, culture and capacity of each island community, while also preparing for the impacts of climate change and growing economic pressures.
Central to the discussion is the “source to reef” approach, recognising that water management extends far beyond drinking water supply. Protecting watersheds and freshwater lenses, improving sanitation and stormwater management, and reducing pollution all play an important role in safeguarding coastal waters, lagoons and coral reefs.
Clinton Chapman - Director, Department of Utilities, Ministry of Infrastructure
Marking the occasion, Niue’s Department of Water and Utilities, represented by Director- Clinton Chapman, sponsored and presented an Ocean Conservation Commitment (OCC) certificate to the Government and people of French Polynesia. The presentation symbolised Niue’s commitment to regional cooperation and recognised the shared responsibility Pacific nations carry in protecting the ocean and the interconnected environments that sustain island communities.
Hon. Taivini Teai, Minister of Agriculture, Marine Resources & the Environment of French Polynesia
The OCC presentation also served as a gesture of partnership between Niue and French Polynesia, strengthening relationships and creating a foundation for continued collaboration and knowledge sharing across water, ocean conservation and environmental resilience initiatives going forward.
The conference message reinforced the close connection between healthy water systems and the wider wellbeing of Pacific communities supporting public health, climate resilience, biodiversity, agriculture, aquaculture, tourism and local livelihoods.
The Aliutu Women’s Weaving Club has marked a special milestone
The Aliutu Women’s Weaving Club has marked a special milestone in receiving government funding for the first time to support its ongoing work in traditional weaving and cultural preservation. In recognition of this opportunity, the women wanted to give back by supporting something meaningful that connected closely with their own cultural practices from weaving and the use of natural resources to traditional reef gleaning and their strong relationship with each other as mother grandmothers, great grandmothers, sisters and friends - with ocean.
Mrs. Mana Talagi - President & Takitaki of Aliutu Womens Weaving Club
Mana Talagi who is the clubs president shared that she was particularly inspired by a presentation delivered by one of the delegates who recently travelled to Glasgow for the Commonwealth Games. After hearing more about the work being done to protect Niue’s ocean, she was eager for the Aliutu Women’s Weaving Club to make its own contribution through the sponsorship of one Ocean Conservation Commitment.
Catherine Etuata Papani, presenting on NOW to team Niue in Glasgow
(Photo credit: Mana Talagi)
Mana expressed her gratitude to God for the opportunity and also encouraged younger women to come forward, learn from the elders, and become part of the weaving club so that this important art, knowledge and tradition can continue to be passed on to future generations.
Members of Aliutu Womens Weaving Club (Photo credit: Mana Talagi)
The Aliutu Women’s Weaving Club is now preparing for the Constitution celebrations in October and warmly invites everyone to come along and view their beautiful handmade crafts, traditional weaving and block printing.
A heartfelt fakaaue lahi to Mana and the women of the Aliutu Women’s Weaving Club for supporting ocean conservation while continuing to strengthen and celebrate Niue’s cultural heritage.
These are the latest updates from NOW made possible by your support!
Thanks to your contributions as OCC sponsors and or contributors to the NOW Trust, incredible progress is happening on the ground in Niue and on the global stage. Your valued support is driving real impact protecting our ocean, uplifting our people, and inspiring the region and world.
Fakaaue lahi mahaki, oue tulou - Thank you, from all of us at Niue Ocean Wide Trust.
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Stay tuned for more awesome updates coming up!
