Vanuatu ambassador hails China's earthquake relief efforts

Vanuatu's Ambassador to China Nguk Yang Dennis Nai has expressed his gratitude to the Chinese government for its timely humanitarian aid, which he said will play a crucial role in helping the Pacific Island nation rebuild and recover from the devastating earthquake that struck last month.

On Dec 17 last year, Vanuatu was hit by a powerful 7.3-magnitude earthquake which killed 14, injured more than 200, and severely damaged the country's urban infrastructures.

A Chinese cargo plane arrived in Vanuatu's capital Port Vila on Thursday, bringing much-needed relief supplies, including tents, folding beds, water purification systems, non-perishable instant food, and essential medical equipment.

In an interview with the China Global Television Network (CGTN), ambassador Nai extended his thanks to China for its support.

"We are very glad to have a friend like China. It was the first one to respond. On the very next day, they have donated to my country 10,000 U.S. dollars. Three days later, the Red Cross (Society of China) gave 100,000 U.S. dollars to our Red Cross. And also two days later, the Chinese government has helped us with another million dollars in USD. On top of that, there was a plane that arrived yesterday (Jan. 1) from Shenzhen. It comes with 35 tons of aid and very importantly, there are four engineers to help us evaluate the worthiness of the building. On top of that, we have medical supplies (from China), abundant medical supplies that in normal times is good for one year. So, this come in very needy times, it is a great help from the Chinese government and not only from government to government, even from people to people. There were lots of people that donated money to help us out through this disaster. Not only from companies, but even from the private sector too," he said.

In addition to the current disaster relief, Nai also said Vanuatu looks forward to deepening cooperation with China in disaster prevention and mitigation, particularly against the backdrop of intensifying climate change.

"Vanuatu is located in the South Pacific. Because of climate change, we have lots of challenges every year, earthquakes, typhoons, during the cyclone seasons, but whenever there are things like these, China is always there for us. This modern-day technology from China is very helpful to the people of the Pacific islands. It's not only helpful to Vanuatu, but the whole Pacific," he said.

Vanuatu ambassador hails China's earthquake relief efforts

Switzerland, known for its pristine lakes and rich tradition of fishing, is facing a significant challenge of plunging fish stocks that could threaten the livelihood of many in the fisheries industry.

In recent years, local fishermen have seen their catches decline drastically, with about 90 percent of the fish consumed in the country now being imported. This shift reflects broader environmental changes impacting Swiss fisheries, and the difficulties local fishermen are enduring are becoming more evident each year.

At seven in the morning, as the first light of dawn begins to break, a handful of fishermen at a dock in Geneva prepare to head out to the lake to check the nets they set the previous day. As the long nets were hauled from the water, the catch of perch was relatively small, but the fishermen were still satisfied, especially since they managed to net two large pike, which would fetch a good price.

Francois Liani, a fisherman of 30 years, said 2024 has been the worst year for fishing with the lowest amount of catch.

"I have never seen anything like this in over 30 years. That's right, 2024 is the worst year in the past 30 years," he said.

Fifty years ago, there were more than 800 professional fishermen in Switzerland. Today, that number has dropped to fewer than 90.

"There are many reasons, but one of the most important reasons is global warming -- it is one of the biggest problems. We have also new mussels that come from the Black Sea on the Eastern Europe that came about five, seven years ago. They have a large impact on the food availability for the fishes," said Maxime Prevedello, communication officer for the French-speaking region of the Swiss Fishing Federation (SFV).

As a result, the growth rate of fish has slowed significantly. In 2012, 2013, and 2014, a professional fisherman was able to catch around 1,000 tons of fish annually. Today, that number has dropped to just around 100 tons -- a mere one-tenth of what it used to be, according to Prevedello.

In the summer of 2024, Switzerland once again endured high temperatures. Native fish species such as perch, grayling, and the Alpine char, which have adapted to cold water, have been particularly affected. According to Switzerland's environmental authorities, 58 percent of the country's native fish species are now classified as endangered.

Swiss fishermen face growing struggle as local fish stocks plunge