Search the SPREP Catalogue

Although the term biodiversity emerged from the pool of obscure jargon quite a few years ago, it is still enshrouded with significant ambiguity. At one extreme, some people use it as a loose synonym for nature. At the other extreme, some people reduce biodiversity to simplistic parameters, such as the number of species. Conservation organizations, both private and public, must navigate these waters with great care. They need to engage a pulic that loves nature as embodied in beautiful places and charming creatures - elk in a Yellowstone meadow or snow leopards on a Himalayan snowfield - while expounding the values of species and ecosystems that have "swamp," "rat," or "spider" in their titles. A the same time, to undertake their work in a systematic and rigorous manner, conservation organizations need to be able to quantify their goals and accomplishments. Some things are easy to measure, such as the areas of new reserves, but biodiversity writ large is not one of them.

This Report reviews existing laws that are relevant to the regulation and management of invasive alien species. The Report identifies potential legislative gaps, omissions contained in these legislations. There is a clarification of the extent in which invasive alien species control measures take precedence over, or are subordinate to other relevant legal instruments of government. Finally, the Report makes recommendations1 as to appropriate management mechanism to (i) prevent accidental or intentional introduction of invasive species, (ii) minimise accidental or intentional spread of invasive species within Vanuatu and (iii) co-ordinate invasive species awareness and local prevention and control efforts.

The Republic of Palau requested assistance from the US Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry, to conduct a survey of invasive plant species of environmental concern. A less comprehensive survey was conducted as part of a general survey of the major Micronesian islands in 19982. Similar surveys have been conducted in American Samoa, the Cook Islands, Niue, Samoa and Tonga. The survey was carried out in December 2002 and January 2003. The entire team surveyed the islands of Koror, Ngerkebesang, Malakal, Babeldaob, Angaur, Peleliu and the Rock Islands while Miles and Tiobech surveyed Sonsorol and Hatohobei States. Tiobech, Rengulbai and Terebkul Tellei surveyed Kayangel. Places of present and former habitation and those used by visitors were surveyed in the Rock Islands (Bablomekang, Betikel, Bkul a Chesemiich, Dwight Beach, Ngchelobel, Ngchus, Ngeanges (Neco), Ngercheu (Carp Resort), Ngerchong, Ngeremdiu, Ngermeyaus, Ngidech and Ulong).

A cd containing video of climate change effects in the Pacific

American Samoa is a group of oceanic islands, which lie about 3,680 km southwest of Hawaiíi and about 2,560 km from the northern tip of New Zealand. It is situated along 14 degrees latitude south of the equator. Its immediate neighbor is Samoa (formerly known as Western Samoa), an independent state 128 km to the west. The total land area of American Samoa is about 200 square kilometers, which is shared by five main islands, namely Tutuila, Tau, Ofu, Olosega, and Aunuu. The climate is tropical humid, with an annual rainfall ranging from 3,175 mm at sea level to more than 7,000 mm on the highest mountain, Lata on Tau island.