7 October 2024, Pitcairn - The Island Council of Pitcairn has formally adopted the first Territorial Invasive Species Strategy and Action Plan (TISSAP) for the Island on 25 September 2024 which paves way for the protection of the unique biodiversity and ecosystems of the Pitcairn islands, as well as of local crops critical for the community’s food security.
TISSAP’s are a critical document to ensure invasive species management is coordinated within a territory and that the different sectors involved with invasive species management are working together toward the same goals and are essential to show political will for managing invasive species and are looked upon favourably by funding bodies.
A TISSAP takes account of the regional guidelines produced by Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) and Pacific Community (SPC), whose goal is to assist Pacific island countries and territories in planning the effective management of invasive species to reducing the negative impacts of invasives on their rich and fragile native heritage, communities and livelihoods.
SPREP Invasive Species Adviser, Mr. David Moverley commented, “The development of the TISSAP for Pitcairn Island is a critical step in bringing the people of Pitcairn together and determining what their priorities are for the protection and enhancement of their environment and lifestyle”.
“The TISSAP provides a plan for the community to achieve their priority actions and confidence for donors to invest in agreed and endorsed priorities moving forward”.
The TISSAP has been developed after an extensive review of existing information, a consultative visit on invasive species management by technical experts and consultations with the community late in October and December 2023.
Bringing people together to agree on priorities, “The TISSAP provides the Government of Pitcairn Islands a strategy on how best to manage invasive species that are specific to Pitcairn” commented Ms Michele Christian, Division Manager, Environment, Conservation and Natural Resources.
Ms Christian underlines “The TISSAP also provides further scope for seeking funding pilot projects on Pitcairn.” Based on the structure of The Guiding Framework for Invasive Species Management in the Pacific, the TISSAP provides both background information and a detailed Action Plan. This one is organised according to the three thematic areas of the guidelines: Foundations, Problem Definition, Prioritisation, and Management Action.
Among the 149 documented introduced species on the Pitcairn islands, five can also be found in the 100 of the World’s Worst Invasive Species list published in 2004 by the IUCN. Among these, the Rose-apple, Lantana and Blue Morning Glory are the worst invasive plant threats on the island.
Managing invasive rats is also a major vision of the plan. On the one hand, keeping Ducie and Oeno islands rat-free is a major vision requiring the implication of both local community and visitors. In the longer run, the eradication of Pacific rats from Henderson and Pitcairn is under discussion.
These efforts would contribute to petrel species conservation, as most of the world population of Henderson petrels and over 90% of the world population of Murphy’s petrel’s nest in the Pitcairn Group.
The TISSAP also provides guidelines to prevent the arrival of high-risk invasive species present in the region with a focus on the 30 species that are priority threats to Pitcairn.
To that regard, Ms Charlene Warren, Pitcairn’s Biosecurity Officer comments that there are “very few pathways to move people and our supplies. Therefore, it is important now more than ever that we try to upkeep a firm control at the border.”
The development of Pitcairn’s TISSAP is a strategic step setting the base for further projects. It has been made possible in the context of the PROTEGE project, funded by the European Union.
Managed by SPREP through its invasive species programme since 2019, the invasive species component of PROTEGE has funded projects to enhance the resilience of Pacific territories by preserving the biodiversity and associated ecosystem services.
PRISMSS will continue to work with stakeholders to support the implementation of the Pitcairn islands TISSAPs by providing advice to foster on-the-ground-management actions including the development of new projects and helping lead the adoption and the development of best practice and innovation with sharing technical information as far as practical for publication or training materials and providing donors with customised and successful options.
PROTEGE
The Oceanian Regional Project of Territories for the Sustainable Management of Ecosystems (PROTEGE) is an initiative that aims to promote sustainable and climate-resilient economic development in the European Overseas Countries and Territories of the Pacific (OCT), based on biodiversity and renewable natural resources and divided into four components, which are Agriculture and forestry, coastal fisheries and aquaculture, water and invasive species.
PROTEGE is a regional cooperation project that supports the public policies of the four Pacific OCTs: New Caledonia, French Polynesia, Wallis and Futuna and the Pitcairn Islands aiming to reduce the vulnerability of human and natural systems to the impacts of climate change by increasing adaptation capacity and resilience. It also aims to improve management, conservation and sustainable resource use of biological diversity and water resources. It is funded by the 11th European Development Fund (EDF) for a 4-year period. The PROTEGE project is being implemented jointly by the Pacific Community (SPC) and SPREP.
SPREP, through the Pacific Regional Invasive Species Management Support Service (PRISMSS), is leading implementation of the invasive species component.
For further information please contact Mr Louis Thiercelin, Project Manager on [email protected] or Mr Nitish Narayan, PRISMSS Communications & Liaison Officer on [email protected]