Pacific Invasive Learning Network

(PILN)

The Pacific Invasive Learning Network (PILN) connects Pacific professionals and practitioners to share knowledge, expertise, tools, and ideas that are vital to managing invasive species effectively. Multi-disciplinary project teams can work together on strategies with critical input from other teams and experts, resulting in a common vision and a plan for effective conservation action.

Mission

"to empower effective invasive species management through a participant-driven network that meets priority needs, rapidly shares skills and resources, provides links to technical expertise, increases information exchange, and accelerates on-the-ground action"

PILN serves Teams of Pacific island agencies responsible for invasive management, including agencies responsible for agriculture and natural resource management, international trade and border control, as well as environment and conservation.

american samoa fiji france guam kiribati marshall islands
micronesia  new caledonia  niue palau  samoa   solomon islands
tahitifrench polinesia  tokelau tonga   tuvalu vanuatu  wallis and futuna 
     northern mariana  united states of americausa     
Network activities

*** #PILN 2023

*** #PILN 2016 successfully brought 16 country teams together in Samoa. ***


PILN's activities and agenda are determined by the individual and shared needs of the participants.  Examples of projects include:

  • Developing a national invasive strategy;
  • Designing a public awareness programme;
  • Eradicating invasive weeds;
  • Restoring offshore islands by the removal of rats, ants, and other invasive species.

The PILN secretariat has been established at SPREP in Samoa. The network coordinator recruits the teams, organise meetings and activities, and provides ongoing support to network participants. PILN Soundbites, an outline of regional activities and achievements, is periodically distributed to the network to celebrate success and share lessons learned.

The Pilot programme

A 2-year pilot programme of PILN was launched in Palau in May 2006 and completed at the end of May 2008. Activities and achievements over the pilot have been summarised and the experience analysed for the lessons learned in the design and establishment of peer-learning networks.

An external review of the network was carried out in May 2008 and concluded that:

  • PILN was regarded, both by partner organisations and in-country participants, as having been a great success.
  • There is demand for the expansion of PILN to all countries and territories of the SPREP region.
  • A full-time coordinator is essential for maintaining the network.
  • PILN’s greatest weaknesses were identified as insecurity of funding and a poor institutional framework.
  • PILN is an excellent model for capacity building using learning networks. It has wide applicability in many areas other than invasive species.

We believe that PILN will be a highly effective, far-reaching, and sustainably financed strategy to address invasive species and that the network will have a lasting impact on conservation in Pacific Island nations.