The Cook Islands is stepping up its fight against invasive species to protect its biodiversity and strengthen its ability to cope with climate change. Invasive species are the main cause of biodiversity loss in the Pacific, harming ecosystem resilience and reducing the production of ecosystem services, which makes it harder for islands to adapt to climate change.
Invasive species make Pacific ecosystems and communities more vulnerable to natural disasters and the impacts of climate change. They increase erosion, reduce food and fish production, and pose critical threats to ecosystem services and human health. Invasive species will become more widespread as disturbances, carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere, and temperatures all increase under climate change.
A recent study of Pacific Island countries and territories found big gaps in the scope and amount of management action being taken. To address this, the Pacific Regional Invasive Species Management Support Service (PRISMSS) programme held a week-long country mission which included stakeholder engagement consultations and capacity building workshops held in Rarotonga from 17 – 21 June, 2024.
The visiting representatives from PRISMSS, which included SPREP and BirdLife International, looked at introducing two programmes, namely, War-On-Weeds (WOW) and the Resilient Ecosystems-Resilient Communities (RERC) to enhance invasive species management in Cook Islands. These are part of the New Zealand-funded PRISMSS-Restoring Island Resilience Project.
The main objectives were to introduce two of PRISMSS's five programmes, show how they can fill gaps in on-the-ground management, and identify the most important weeds and sites for removal and restoration.
Local experts from government and environmental groups identified five high-priority weeds that are still rare but could spread quickly. These are the Honolulu rose, Giant reed, Dodders on Rarotonga, Red passionfruit found on Mauke island, and African tulip on Atiu. If left unmanaged, these weeds could take over large areas and change entire ecosystems.
Representatives from the Cook Islands National Environment Services (NES), Ministry of Agriculture, and Atiu and Mauke Island Governments will coordinate and compliment efforts for the removal or containment under the WOW Programme.
The Atiu conservation area was chosen as the first site for managing multiple invasive species. This 2,900-hectare key biodiversity area is home to many native birds, including the Atiu swiftlet, Cook Islands Fruit dove, Rimatara Lorikeet, and Rarotonga flycatcher. It also has unique land snails and important marine species. The area is mostly unspoiled, but faces threats from African tulip trees, feral pigs, cats, and rats. These will be the main targets for restoration work under the RERC program.
“Learning about the WOW and RERC programmes has opened pathways to further support existing efforts and plug some of the gaps in managing invasive species in some of our islands. We look forward to working with our local partners and SPREP to get these projects underway, and seeing the benefits that will come to our environment and community livelihoods by removing these invasive species”, said Ms Jessie Nicholson, Biodiversity Coordinator, Cook Islands National Environment Service.
The discussions held during the consultation meetings identified that NES needs assistance to carry out the PRISMSS-RIR project. This includes getting tools, equipment, and herbicides for field workers to manage the priority weeds and the need to raise awareness across the country on how they plan to remove these weeds.
During the week-long visit, basic training was given to workshop participants on 19 June 2024, on how to safely use low-toxicity herbicides, and introduce approaches to control predators such as rats, cats, and pigs on sites. This will help local workers to manage priority weeds and predators more effectively. A new National PRISMSS Coordinator will be under the project through the Cook Islands government to oversee and coordinate the project and ensure it stays on schedule.
Mr David Moverley, SPREP Invasive Species Adviser, praised the Cook Islands Government's ongoing efforts to protect their environment through PRISMSS programmes and said, “PRISMSS has already been working in the Cook Islands through its Natural Enemies-Natural Solutions and Predator Free Pacific programmes.
"Identifying priority weeds and restoration sites through the WOW and RERC programmes reflects the Cook Islands commitment to protecting its environment. They're using PRISMSS as a tool to make their islands more resilient and better able to adapt to climate change."
PRISMSS will continue to work with various stakeholders and partners to provide technical advice on preventing and managing invasive species to restore Island resilience.
For more information please contact:
Mr Nitish Narayan, PRISMSS Communications & Liaison Officer – [email protected]
Pacific Regional Invasive Species Management Support Service (PRISMSS)
The Pacific Regional Invasive Species Management Support Service (PRISMSS) is a coordinating mechanism designed to facilitate the scaling up of operational management of invasive species in the Pacific. PRISMSS brings together experts to provide support within the Pacific region with a focus on protection of indigenous biodiversity and ecosystem function. As a service provider, PRISMSS provides a comprehensive suite of support services in a cohesive, effective, efficient, and accessible manner to Pacific Island countries and territories.
The PRISMSS War on Weeds (WOW) programme, led by SPREP, tackles high-priority invasive plants that threaten ecosystem functions and human well-being by targeting weeds that disrupt water flow, soil quality, and nutrient cycling, we safeguard vital ecological processes and enhance ecosystem resilience and safeguard the health and livelihoods of Pacific communities.
The Pacific Regional Invasive Species Management Support Service (PRISMSS) Predator Free Pacific (PFP) programme, led by Island Conservation leads the charge in removing invasive predators from Pacific islands, restoring balance to delicate ecosystems. With support from BirdLife International, we're not only preventing extinctions but also enhancing ecosystem health and resilience.
PRISMSS-Restoring Island Resilience is a New Zealand-PRISMSS collaboration project that aims to improve Pacific Island Countries and territories livelihoods and resilience to climate change by reducing the impact of invasive species on natural and agricultural ecosystems through the five PRISMSS Programmes.
For further information on PRISMSS, please visit https://www.sprep.org/invasive-species-management-in-the-pacific/prismss