Pacific Regional Invasive Species Management Support Service

"Restoring Island Resilience"

“PRISMSS is a collaboration of leading organisations supporting invasive species management for biodiversity protection in the Pacific.”

Background

Invasive species are the leading driver of biodiversity loss in the Pacific. They have a significant impact on ecosystem resilience leading to a loss of production in ecosystem services and a reduced ability to adapt to climate change. Regional tracking of Pacific Island countries and territories has identified major gaps both in scope and volume of “management action” underway.

Rationale

The 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. The intention is to provide a comprehensive suite of support services in a cohesive, effective, efficient and accessible manner to Pacific Island countries and territories. The goal is to reduce the ecological and socio-economic impact of invasive species on ecosystems through the management or eradication of prioritised species and the protection of valued sites.

PRISMSS currently provides technical support across the following five regional programmes for the Pacific region.

Our Values

Promote environmentally sustainable practices

Work as a team and promote partnerships

Attract and retain potential new Partners

Support each other to achieve common objectives

Respect and value partners strengths and specialties

Stewards of the resources entrusted parties

Impartial and apolitical ensuring high standards of ethical conduct

Encourage professionalism, commitment, accountability and sharing

How PRISMSS Works

PRISMSS was established in 2019 with the assistance of the Global Environment Facility Regional Invasive Species Project (GEF 6 RIP): Strengthening national and regional capacities to reduce the impact of Invasive Alien Species on globally significant biodiversity in the Pacific. It is supported by the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade under the Managing Invasive Species for Climate Change Adaptation in the Pacific (MISCCAP) project.

Why choose PRISMSS?

PRISMSS is the place to go for effective coordination of technical support for Invasive Species Management in the Pacific region.

PRISMSS assists Pacific Island Countries and Territories (PICTs) by;

Providing advice to foster on-the-ground-management actions including the development of new projects

Helping lead the adoption and the development of best practice and innovation in the region

Sharing technical information as far as practical for publication or training materials

Providing training, coaching, and project planning support for project execution

Providing donors with customised and successful options

Donors and Member countries using PRISMSS

PRISMSS Technical Partners

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Resources

Do YOU need assistance?

To request technical assistance for on-the-ground support, please complete the PRISMSS Request Form or email [email protected] for any queries.

Click to view Request Form

Spotlights

5 April 2023	PFP	Eradicating rats on Palmerston Atoll in the Cook Islands White sand beaches, crystal-clear turquoise water and gentle swaying palm trees… that’s the vibe in Palmerston Atoll. But you know what ruins the vibe? Rats. Rats are most definitely not the vibe. But they’re there and they’ve been causing problems for the community’s wellbeing and biodiversity for ages. But hopefully not for much longer.
28 August 2022	PFP	Experts eye Apolima for rat eradication project Government officials and invasive species experts recently held discussions with Apolima residents to consider the establishment of a rat eradication project on the island. Representatives from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environmental Program (S.P.R.E.P.) and PRISMSS met with Apolima residents from last Thursday to Saturday to discuss the removal of invasive species.
17 August 2022	NENS	Invasive Weed Targets for Natural Enemies Workshop in Samoa On Wednesday, 17th of August 2022, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MNRE) hosted a national workshop to prioritise invasive weeds that can be targeted by natural enemies to help increase climate resilience in Samoa. Natural Enemies - Natural Solutions (NENS) has been used safely and successfully in the Pacific against weeds for more than a century. For example, in 2021 scientists successfully released beetles from Ghana as a natural enemy to control the African tulip tree (Spathodea campanulata) in Rarotonga.
3 December 2021	PFP	SPREP Webinar series emphasises the link between rats, seabirds, ecosystems, and reef resilience The last SPREP webinar series for 2021 was hosted on the Battler Lounge on 3rd December with a focus on “Rats, reefs and resilience”. The first line of defence to adapt to climate change is our unique Pacific biodiversity. The webinar also announces the fifth battler of the year award, and marks the beginning of a significant regional invasive species mainstreaming strategy which will be implemented over the next few years.
29 November 2020	PRISMSS	Call For Urgent Action On Pacific Conservation A declaration on the urgency of the global biodiversity crisis and the need for immediate, transformative action in the Pacific was agreed at a pan-Pacific conference today. The 10th Pacific Islands Conference on Nature Conservation and Protected Areas is taking place this week across the Pacific.
3 March 2020	NENS	GEF6 Project Inception Kick Start In Tonga With The Natural Enemies - Natural Solutions Programme Lynley Hayes (Landcare Research, New Zealand), Michael Day (Biosecurity Queensland), and David Moverley (Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme - SPREP), visited Tonga to kick start a Global Environment Facility 6 project to better manage invasive species in Tonga.
22 November 2019	PRISMSS	Participants Talk About The Pacific Regional Invasive Species Management Course Between 22 October and 22 November 2019, the Pacific Regional Invasive Species Management Support Service (PRISMSS) held the first comprehensive event of its kind and scale for the pacific region at SPREP, Apia, Samoa.
4 September 2019		New Zealand Department Of Conservation Boosts Regional Response To Invasive Species The New Zealand Department of Conservation (NZDOC) and the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) officially signed a Declaration of Intent which sees the NZDOC become the first partner of the Pacific Regional Invasive Species Management Support Service (PRISMSS).
10 April 2018	PRISMSS	Increasing Capacity In The Pacific Islands Region To Address The Largest Driver Of Biodiversity Loss Niue, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Tonga and Tuvalu have recently completed national consultations to develop activities for the Global Environment Facility (GEF 6) multi-country invasive species project which will commence in 2019.The national consultations confirmed baseline conditions and determined the logistics, activities and budgets for country programmes.