Controlling the spread of the Crown of Thorns Starfish (Acanthaster planci) for Nuutele and Nuulua Islands, Aleipata Report

An outbreak of the crown of thorn starfish (Acanthaster planci) was observed in a number of villages after the 2009 tsunami. The Division of Environment and Conservation (DEC) of Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MNRE) and the Fisheries Division of the Ministry of Agriculture worked with the communities to collect the starfish mainly from the areas along the south and southeast coast of Upolu Island. This activity was undertaken to remove the majority of the COTs to reduce the impacts on the reef. Although the collection activity was carried out for these areas, there have been a number of reports from various communities around Upoly, Savaii and Manono Islands. The large numbers of COTs observed in their marine environment have raised concerns on the health of the corals as well as the safety of the communities swimming and fishing in the reef flats and lagoon areas.