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Multi island, multi invasive species eradication in French Polynesia demonstrates economies of scale

Available Online

Coulston, G.

Cranwell, S.

Derand, D.

Ghestemme, T.

Griffiths, R.

Hall, T.

Pott, M.

Will, D.

Zito, J.

Eradication of invasive vertebrates on islands has proven to be one of the most effective returns on investment for biodiversity conservation. To recover populations of the critically endangered Polynesian ground dove (Gallicolumba erythroptera), the endangered white-throated storm-petrel (Nesofregetta fuliginosa), the endangered Tuamotu sandpiper (Prosobonia cancellata) as well as other native plant and animal species, a project was undertaken to eradicate five species of invasive alien vertebrates: Pacific rat (Rattus exulans), ship rat (R. rattus), feral cat (Felis catus), rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) and goat (Capra hircus), on six islands spanning 320 km of open ocean in the Tuamotu and Gambier Archipelagos of French Polynesia. Using a ship to deliver supplies and equipment, a helicopter for offloading and bait application, and ground teams for follow up trapping and hunting, invasive vertebrates were successfully removed from five of the six islands. Pacific rats survived at one site. The project was planned and executed by a partnership consisting of international and local conservation NGOs, working together with local communities. Combining the different eradication operations into one expedition added complexity to project planning and implementation and increased the risk of the operation failing on any one island but generated greater returns on investment allowing six islands to be targeted at significantly less cost than if each island had been completed individually. An extensive and thorough planning effort, effective relationships with local stakeholders and communities, a good operational strategy and a partnership of stakeholders that each brought complementary capacities to the project contributed to its success.

Towards Greener Taxes and Subsidies in Pacific Island Countries and Territories (PICTs)

Watkins, Emma

The Restoration of Ecosystem Services and Adaptation to Climate Change (RESCCUE) project is a regional project implemented by the Pacific Community. The overall goal of RESCCUE is to contribute to increasing the resilience of Pacific Island Countries and Territories (PICTs) in the context of global changes. To this end RESCCUE aims at supporting adaptation to climate change (ACC) through integrated coastal management (ICM), resorting especially to economic analysis and economic and financial mechanisms. The RESCCUE project operates both at the regional level and in one to two pilot sites in four countries and territories: New Caledonia, Vanuatu, Fiji and French Polynesia. RESCCUE is funded primarily by the French Development Agency (AFD) and the French Global Environment Facility (FFEM) for a duration of five years (01/01/2014 to 31/12/2018). The project budget is 8.5 million Euros from AFD/FFEM. It is structured around five components: Component 1: Integrated coastal management supporting ICM implementation through ICM plans, ICM committees, and management activities concerning both terrestrial and marine ecosystems, capacity building and income generating activities. Component 2: Economic analysis using economic analysis to support coastal management and policy decisions. Component 3: Economic and financial mechanisms setting up economic and financial mechanisms to generate additional and sustainable funding for ICM: review of options (payment for ecosystem services, taxes, user fees, trust funds, quota markets, offsets, labels); feasibility studies; implementation; monitoring. Component 4: Capitalization, communication, dissemination of project outcomes in the Pacific going beyond pilot sites activities in order to have impacts at the regional level, by fostering experience sharing between sites, cross-sectoral expertise, and communication and dissemination of the project outcomes. Component 5: Project management implementing and coordinating the project, by providing technical assistance, organizing local and regional steering committees, conducting audits and evaluations (mid-term and ex-post), etc. The report is to present interesting illustrative examples. The examples were selected based on the scale of their (potential) environmental, economic and social impacts, and their relevance to the PICT region, to ensure they are representative of the broader region and any lessons learned from an example in one location could be transferable more widely. This report should be seen as a contribution to the future analysis of taxes and subsidies (and their reform) that can help to meet a range of challenges facing the PICT region. It aims to contribute to guiding the region towards greener taxes and subsidies, by building the knowledge and capacity of policy-makers and stakeholders and offering some ideas for the future further greening of instruments to support the achievement of environmental objectives.

The Rangitoto and Motutapu pest eradication - a feasibility study.

Available Online

Griffiths, Richard.

Towns, David.

The eradication of the seven remaining animal pest species remaining on Rangitoto and Motutapu was announced by the Prime Minister and Minister of Conservation in June 2006. With stoats, cats, hedgehogs, rabbits, mice and two species of rats spread across an area of 3842ha, the proposed project is the most challenging and complex island pest eradication the Department of Conservation (DOC) has ever attempted. To better understand the scale and complexity of the project, a feasibility study was undertaken. This study considered the ecological, economic and social context of the project to allow an informed decision to be made on whether or not to commit resources to further eradication planning. This document outlines the findings of the feasibility study and concludes that while a number of contingencies exist within the project, the proposed eradication is not only feasible, but has many significant benefits. No single precedent exists on which this project can be modelled and information from a wide range of sources has been required. Previous eradication and control programmes have been reviewed in conjunction with what is known about the behaviour and biology of the target species. In some cases, where information has not been available and could not be inferred, trials have been undertaken. The document has been reviewed by a number of experts both within New Zealand and overseas including DOCs Island Eradication Advisory Group. Consultation has also been undertaken with all of the islands key stakeholders and communities of interest. Comments from all of these parties have been reflected in the report. Rangitoto is an iconic Scenic Reserve located just 9km from downtown Auckland City. The island is internationally significant both for its ecology and geology and is an extremely popular visitor destination served by regular ferry services. Motutapu, a Recreation Reserve, is connected to and positioned immediately to the east of Rangitoto. The island, currently managed as a pastoral farm, is noted for its extensive archaeological record but retains a diverse range of habitat types and is the focus of a community-led restoration programme. In addressing the question, can it be done? particular attention has been paid to mice, ship rats, hedgehogs and rabbits as eradication of these species on the scale of Rangitoto and Motutapu has never been attempted. Preventing reinvasion on such highly accessible and intensively visited islands is also an enormous undertaking. It is accepted, that of all the target species, mice present the greatest risk of failure. However, while a number of mouse eradications around the world have failed, all ten attempts on islands beyond the swimming range of mice that have followed current Departmental best practice have been successful, providing confidence in the method. Rangitoto and Motutapu are a significant step up from previous operations in terms of scale but are also the logical next step to apply current techniques. Despite the unprecedented elements within the project, it is considered that the key dependencies on which eradication success relies can be met for the species targeted. Preventing reinvasion is perhaps the most important consideration of the feasibility study and the one that will ultimately determine the fate of the project. Achieving an adequate level of protection for the islands hinges heavily on changing the behaviour of all 100,000 visitors that arrive on an annual basis. Without this any investments made in removing pests will be wasted. Bringing these changes about appears possible but is contingent on a number of commitments and actions that must be put in place by both DOC and its key partners. The feasibility study also addresses what the project will take to complete and attempts to identify as many of the planning issues as possible to enable the project to be properly sized. It explores the techniques that must be used, the resources that will be required and the timeframe over which they need to be deployed. While this eradication project is the most challenging and complex to be undertaken by DOC, it also presents a significant opportunity to improve our current understanding of eradication theory and practice. If successful, the project offers outstanding benefits for conservation. The recovery of locally and nationally endangered species, the creation of a stepping stone for wildlife movement between the Hauraki Gulf and the Auckland isthmus, the potential for advocacy and education, and increased recreation and economic opportunities are just some of the likely gains. The study has shown that this project is feasible, but also that there are many significant reasons why it should proceed.

Protection Des Îles Contre les Espéces Envahissantes : Législation & réseau de veille

Available Online

Groupement Espéces Envahissantes - Direction de l'Environment

La problématique des espéces envahissantes est un théme central pour les îles du Pacifique. En Polynésia française, 46 espéces animales et végétables sont classées, par le code de l'environment, comme étant des menaces pour la biodiversité.

Managing the impacts of the little fire ant (Wasmannia auropunctata) in French Polynesia (full report) = Gestion des impacts de la petite fourmi de feu (Wasmannia auropunctata) en Polynesie francaise

SPREP Publications, Island and Ocean Ecosystems, BRB

Available Online

SPREP

The little fire ant, Wasmannia auropunctata, is a small ant native to Central and South America which has been introduced into seven Pacific Island groups. It is considered by invasive experts to be the greatest ant species threat within the Pacific Region. Although its official discovery in Tahiti was in 2004, it is likely that the little fire ant has been present in Tahiti for much longer. The centre of contamination in Tahiti is the northern Mahina Commune. Initial treatment and monitoring initiatives to combat the ant invasion were carried out between 2005 and 2009, but were discontinued in 2010.

French Polynesia: summary of species on the 2008 IUCN Red List

Climate Change Resilience, Island and Ocean Ecosystems, BRB

Available Online

IUCN

The Pacific islands of Oceania cover almost 15% of the worlds surface and are characterised by a high degree of ecosystem and species diversity. The region is characterised by thousands of isolated small coral atolls and higher volcanic islands, which has led to the high diversity of species found today. In fact, the number of plants and animals found nowhere else on earth (endemic species) is extremely high - often up to 90% for particular groups. Often, these rare and endemic species are adapted to specialised habitats and limited to small areas of a few islands. With economic and cultural dependence on the natural environment very high in the Pacific islands, along with a rapidly expanding human population, there are ever increasing demands on the regions natural resources. Plant and animal species are therefore vulnerable to extinction from climate change, competition from introduced (invasive) species and human impacts such as habitat destruction, over-harvesting of species and pollution.

Approved work programme and budget for 2006 and indicative budgets for 2007 and 2008, Apia Samoa 13-16 September 2005|Programme de travail et budget approuve pour 2006 et budgets previsionnels pour 2007 et 2008, Apia Samoa, 13-16 Septembre, 2005 : programme travail et budget

Island and Ocean Ecosystems, BRB

Available Online

Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP)

SPREP's direction in the Islands Ecosystems Programme reflects a fundamental commitment to sustaining the livelihoods of island peoples today and tomorrow by supporting ecosystem management and species conservation. The Programme focuses on developing the capacities of the peoples of the Pacific islands to equip them to sustainable manage and conserve the terrestrial, coastal and marine ecosystems of their islands. The programme also focuses efforts to protect priority threatened species, and to protect Pacific island countries and terrttories (PICTs) from invasive alien species and living modified organisms (LMOs). In summary, SPREP's core business under this programme is to address the issues of ecosystem conservation, the sustainable management of natural resources and the protection of priority threatened species from the threats of human-induced impacts, invasive species and living modified organisms. These issues require action at the community, national,regional and international levels.

SPREP Approved work programme and budget for 2005 and indicative budgets for 2006 and 2007, Pape'ete, French Polynesia, 13-17 September 2004

Island and Ocean Ecosystems, BRB

Available Online

Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) (SPREP)

SPREPs direction in the Islands Ecosystems Programme reflects a fundamental commitment to sustaining the livelihoods of Island peoples today and tomorrow by supporting ecosystem management and species conservation. The Programme focuses on developing the capacities of the peoples of the islands to equip them to sustainably manage and conserve the terrestrial, coastal and marine ecosystems of their islands. The Programme also focuses efforts to protect priority threatened species, and to protect Pacific island countries and territories (PICTs) from invasive alien species and living modified organisms (LMOs). SPREPs core business under this programme is to address the issues of ecosystem conservation, the sustainable management of natural resources and the protection of priority threatened species from the threats of human-induced impacts, invasive species and living modified organisms. These issues require action at the community, national, regional and international levels.

Rat and introduced bird control to save the critically endangered Tahiti Flycatcher (Pomarea nigra) from extinction : report on the TFC reproductive success for the 2001 breeding season (Part 1: from 1 July to 31 December 2001

Blanvillain, Caroline

Marion, Julie

Noguera, Cedric

Tamaititahio, Marc

Conservation of the Tahiti flycatcher (Pomarea nigra) : Report on advice provided to Societe d'Ornithologie de Polynesie

Island and Ocean Ecosystems, BRB

Available Online

Blanvillian, C.

Pierce, R.J.

The Tahiti flycatcher (Pomarea nigra) is one of several monarch flycatcher species in the Polynesian genus Pomarea, all of which are threatened. The Tahiti flycatcher is currently known from only the western side of Tahiti where, during the 1998-99 season, at least 24 individuals, including 10 pairs, were located in four valleys (Blanvillain 1999). Although ten nests were protected from rats in 1998-99, only three were successful in fledging young. Two of these young apparently disappeared one week after fledging and the third, two months after fledging (Blanvillain 1999). Concern was raised about the possible predation by common myna (Acridotheres tristis), and/or red-vented bulbul (Pycnonotus cafer) on juveniles. In 1999-2000 the Societe d'Ornithologie de Polynesie (MANU) was granted funding for Tahiti flycatcher conservation by the South Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP). During 13-26 September 1999, RP visited Tahiti to advise and help CB with aspects of the programme. This advisory work was funded by the N.Z. Ornithological Congress Trust Board (ICBP). It builds on work by Gaze & Blanvillain (1998) funded by the Pacific Development and Conservation Trust.

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