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Feasibility Assessment for the Removal of Pacific Rats (Rattus exulans) from Late Island. Reports 1 & 2

Bonham, J.

Griffiths, R.

Island Conservation

Community-based conservation and recovery of native species on Monuriki Island, Fiji

Island and Ocean Ecosystems, BRB

Available Online

Brown, J.

Chand, R.

Cranwell, S.

Fisher, R.N.

Harlow, P.

Lovich, K.

Niukula, J.

Rasalato, S.

Seniloli, E.

Thaman, B.

Thomas-Moko, N.

Vadada, J.

The small uninhabited island of Monuriki (40.4 ha) in western Fiji is of national and international conservation concern for its several protected species. Exotic invasive species and a Category 5 cyclone have exacerbated conservation challenges. The cooperation of local, national, and international stakeholders continues to be crucial in restoration of the islands native ?ora and fauna. This summary presents a timeline of restoration efforts and current status of the recovery programme for Monuriki. The critically endangered dry forest habitat of Fiji is only found in a few isolated patches on disparate islands. The Fijian crested iguana (Brachylophus cf. vitiensis) is a critically endangered species restricted to a few small islands in this dry forest zone of western Fiji. The population of crested iguanas on Monuriki Island is the third largest remaining population. Even before iguanas were ?rst documented on the island in the early 1980s, individuals had been removed by local resorts for display purposes, a practice that was previously unregulated. In the late 1990s, the ?rst efforts to conserve and restore Monuriki Island were discussed, but conservation initiatives were not implemented until the development of the Crested Iguana Recovery Plan in 2008. In 2011, domestic goats (Capra hircus) and non-native rats (Rattus exulans) were removed from the island, and 10 pairs of iguanas were brought into captive breeding facilities within Fiji. In 2015, the ?rst 32 captive-bred crested iguanas were released back on Monuriki Island. More than half of these iguanas (N=26) were radio-tracked for 56 days post-release in order to assess survivorship and help provide insights into their short-term movement patterns. Of the 26 iguanas that were tracked, nearly 70% (N=18) were found after 56 days indicating excellent short-term survival. In February 2016, Tropical Cyclone Winston, a Category 5 storm passed through Fiji and devastated some of the tropical dry forest habitat on Monuriki. With sustained winds of up to 230 km/ hr nearly all of the canopy leaves from trees on Monuriki Island were removed and large amounts of debris covered the forest ?oor. Following the cyclone, a brief wildlife survey revealed Monurikis iguana and bird populations were still present. In 2017, the crested iguana captive breeding programme was brought to an end when 16 of the original 20 iguana founders, and an additional 32 captive bred o? spring, were reintroduced onto Monuriki. This was accomplished, in part, due to successful breeding and reestablishment of the remaining wild iguanas on the island. Despite a major storm event, reestablishment likely resulted from reduced egg and hatchling predation by the rats, and excellent habitat recovery after goat removal. Overall these invasive species eradications have proven highly successful for the recovery of the iguanas, wedge-tailed shearwaters (Puffinus paci?cus), and several other non-target species including the banded rail (Gallirallus philippensis) and endangered Fijian peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus). Furthermore, eradication of non-native species has also helped the recovery of the highly threatened tropical dry forest ecosystem in which these species exist.

Marine protected areas increase resilience among coral reef communities.

Available Online

Macneil, A

Mellin, C

With marine biodiversity declining globally at accelerating rates, maximising the effectiveness of conservation has become a key goal for local, national and international regulators

Tourism and visitor management in protected areas: guidelines for sustainability

Available Online

Anna, Spenceley

Buckley, Ralf

Hvenegaard, Glen

Leung, Yu-Fai

Protected areas are a key component of any global conservation strategy. tourism provides a crucial and unique way of fostering visitors' connection with protected area values, making it a potentially positive force for conservation. Visitor experiences can be transformative. Tourism and visitor management in protected areas: Guidelines for sustainability. Tourism for an individual's personal growth and well-being, while instilling an increased sense of stewardship and support for protected area values

Monitoring in tropical national parks the power of knowledge.

Available Online

Gatiso, Tsegaye

Mathevet, Raphael

Vimal, Ruppert

Monitoring is increasingly recognised as a key instrument for effective nature conservation. It attempts to provide quantitative knowledge to implement conservation actions upon scientific evidence

Prevention, Eradication and Containment of Invasive Species: Illustrations from Hawaii

Burnett, Kimberly

Kaiser, Brooks

Pitafi, Basharat A.

Roumasset, James

Invasive species change ecosystems and the economic services such ecosystems provide. Optimal policy will minimize the expected damages and costs of prevention and control. We seek to explain policy outcomes as a function of biological and economic factors, using the case of Hawaii to illustrate. First, we consider an existing invasion, Miconia calvescens, a plant with the potential to reduce biodiversity, soil cover, and water availability. We then examine an imminent threat, the potential arrival of the Brown Treesnake (Boiga irregularis). The arrival of the snake to Guam has led to native bird extirpations, power outages, and health costs.

Feasibility Assessment for the Removal of Pacific Rats (Rattus exulans) from Late Island

Available Online

Bonham. J

Griffiths. R.

Late is an isolated and uninhabited island located about 55 km WSW of the island of Vava'u, in the Kingdom of Tonga. Late supports a tropical broad-leaf forest ecosystem, one of the most threatened ecosystem types in the world and one of the best remaining tracts of diverse native forest in Tonga. Owing to its relatively unmodified forest communities, Late is also a global stronghold for two IUCN listed species of bird, one native mammal, and six species of reptile.

Help for Tonga's threatened native birds to fight back against the invasive rat

Island and Ocean Ecosystems, BRB

Available Online

Moverley, David

Radio Australia

SPREP

Eradicating invasive rats to help protect native Tongan birds.

Guidelines for Invasive species management in the Pacific : a Pacific strategy for managing pests, weeds and other invasive species = Directives relatives a la gestion des especes envahissantes dans le Pacifique : strategie oceanienne de gestion des ravageurs, adventices et autres especes envahissantes

Island and Ocean Ecosystems, BRB

Available Online

Tye Alan

Guidelines for Invasive species management in the Pacific : a Pacific strategy for managing pests, weeds and other invasive species = Directives relatives a la gestion des especes envahissantes dans le Pacifique : strategie oceanienne de gestion des ravageurs, adventices et autres especes envahissantes

Conservation of kakerori (Pomarea dimidiata) in the Cook Islands in 2006/07

Available Online

Robertson Hugh a.

Saul. Edward K.

In 1989, the kakerori (Pomarea dimidiata) was one of the 10 rarest birds in the world with a declining population of just 29 individuals living in forested hill country in the Takitumu Conservation Area (TCA) of south-eastern Rarotonga, Cook Islands. Following 12 years of rat poisoning, the population had increased to 255 birds in August 2001. The programme then shifted from species recovery to sustainable management of the Rarotonga population at 250 to 300 birds. The rat poisoning effort was reduced, and an insurance population was established on Atiu. By August 2004, following the reduction of poisoning from weekly to fortnightly, and the transfer of 30 youngsters to Atiu in 200103, there were 281 birds on Rarotonga and 25 on Atiu. The southern Cook Islands were hit by five tropical cyclones in a four-week period in FebruaryMarch 2005, and forests on Rarotonga were severely damaged. Kakerori survived the storms remarkably well, but the main effect was observed in the following breeding season (2005/06), when nesting success on Rarotonga was exceptionally poor. Reduced canopy cover caused nests to be exposed to abnormally wet conditions, and lack of fruit meant that rats were exceptionally hungry. Only 31 yearlings were known to be alive in August 2006about half the expected numberand annual mortality of banded birds (25%) was the highest since management began. The kakerori population on Rarotonga fell 8% from 275 birds in August 2005 to a minimum of 254 birds in August 2006. The situation was better on Atiu, with the population growing from about 32 adult birds in 2005/06 to a minimum of 37 adult birds in 2006/07, and an Atiu-bred pair nested successfully for the first time. The 2006/07 breeding season on Rarotonga was moderately successful, with a minimum of 51 fledglings found. Because the sustainable management regime of fortnightly rat poisoning in the TCA was only just adequate in giving protection to adult kakerori, the annual poisoning programme was modified by adding rounds of interim poisoning in April and July 2007 aimed at reducing rat and cat numbers before the breeding season.

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