Giff Johnson, Marshall Islands Journal Journalist Profile

Articles

Marshall Islands nuclear legacy: report highlights lack of health research

2 days ago | radionz.co.nz | Giff Johnson

A new report on the United States nuclear weapons testing legacy in the Marshall Islands highlights the lack of studies into important health concerns voiced by Marshallese for decades that make it impossible to have a clear understanding of the impacts of the 67 nuclear weapons tests. 'The Legacy of US Nuclear Testing in the Marshall Islands,' a report by Dr. Arjun Makhijani of the Institute for Energy and Environmental Research, was released late last month.
Marshall Islands: Cocaine haul at Wotho Atoll

1 month ago | radionz.co.nz | Giff Johnson

The discovery of 18 blocks of wrapped cocaine with an approximate total weight of 45 pounds was made on the oceanside of Kabin Island, Wotho Atoll, in mid-March by 11 local residents hunting coconut crab, according to a press release from the Office of National Security (ONS). News of the discovery circulated among Wotho residents and local government officials before the Marshall Islands Police Department (MIPD) headquarters on Majuro was notified by the Wotho Atoll local council.
Marshall Islands: Rongelap Evacuation Changed Course Of History

2 months ago | community.scoop.co.nz | Giff Johnson

Article – RNZFeature – Greenpeace’s Rainbow Warrior, which helped evacuate people of Rongelap Atoll in 1985, shines a spotlight on the legacy of US nuclear testing in the Marshall Islands, writes Giff Johnson.
Marshall Islands: Rongelap evacuation changed course of history

2 months ago | rnz.co.nz | Giff Johnson

Feature - The late Member of Parliament Jeton Anjain and the people of the nuclear test-affected Rongelap Atoll changed the course of the history of the Marshall Islands by using Greenpeace's Rainbow Warrior ship to evacuate their radioactive home islands forty years ago. They did this by taking control of their own destiny after decades of being at the mercy of the United States nuclear testing program and its aftermath.
East New Britain Initiative: FSM, Marshall Islands and Papua New Guinea sign tuna deal

Mar 2, 2025 | rnz.co.nz | Giff Johnson

For decades, the Marshall Islands and other Pacific Islands struggled with how to generate more revenue from the commercial tuna industry. Now, a three-nation agreement signed in Honiara could be the latest game-changer for Pacific fisheries cooperation. Beginning in the 1980s, island nations for the first time began selling licenses to distant water fishing fleets to fish in their waters. But this generated only a tiny fraction of revenue from the multi-billion dollar industry.
Marshall Islands changes Ukraine vote

Mar 2, 2025 | mvariety.com | Giff Johnson

MAJURO — The Marshall Islands and Palau joined Russia and the United States in voting Monday last week against a resolution in the United Nations General Assembly about Ukraine, which called for the withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraine.
Marshall Islands changes Ukraine vote

Feb 27, 2025 | rnz.co.nz | Giff Johnson

The Marshall Islands and Palau joined Russia and the United States in voting Monday against a resolution in the United Nations General Assembly about Ukraine, which called for the withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraine. While the official UN voting board showed Marshall Islands and Palau as the only Pacific Islands to vote with Russia on this resolution (as reported by The Pacific Newsroom earlier in the week), Marshall Islands Ambassador to the United Nations John Silk clarified the vote.
Marshall Islands at high risk of cyber attack

Feb 20, 2025 | mvariety.com | Giff Johnson

MAJURO — Pacific Island countries are ripe for cyber-attacks. With few resources, even fewer skilled information security personnel and low levels of internet awareness in most populations, island nations are easy targets for phishing attempts, and malware and ransomware attacks. “The ocean doesn’t make you safe in the digital world,” said the director of the Marshall Islands Marine Resources Authority, that was the victim of a malware attacked two years ago.
Marshall Islands at high risk of cyber attack

Feb 19, 2025 | rnz.co.nz | Giff Johnson

Analysis - Pacific Island countries are ripe for cyber-attacks. With few resources, even fewer skilled information security personnel, and low levels of internet awareness among populations, island nations are easy targets for phishing attempts, as well as malware and ransomware attacks. "The ocean doesn't make you safe in the digital world," said the Marshall Islands Marine Resources Authority (MIMRA) director, who was the victim of a malware attack two years ago.
Trump deportations roil Pacific waters

Feb 5, 2025 | rnz.co.nz | Giff Johnson

Analysis - The Trump administration's aggressive action to deport illegal aliens is reverberating around the Pacific, with commentators from Papua New Guinea to Samoa warning that the arrival of dozens, possibly hundreds, of islanders deported from the United States is likely to result in negative consequences for these small islands.