A recent meeting in Auckland finalised project activities which include eradicating rodents (in French Polynesia, Palau, and the Cook Islands) and controlling pigs and deer (in New Caledonia) within areas of high conservation value.
The BirdLife Pacific Partnership has started a new four-year European Union funded regional Invasive Species programme which seeks to reduce the spread and the environmental and socio-economic impact of invasive alien species by supporting the eradication and control of invasive alien species and also enhancing biosecurity.
BirdLife Partners involved in the programme are Te Ipukerea Society (Cook Islands), Palau Conservation Society, NatureFiji-MareqetiViti, O Le Si’osi’omaga Society Inc. (Samoa), Société d’Ornithologie de Polynésie (French Polynesia) and Société Calédonienne d’Ornithologie (New Caledonia).
The Programme is also supported by a Technical Advisory Group which recently met in Auckland and includes the Pacific Invasives Initiative (PII), the South Pacific Regional Environment Programme, University of the South Pacific, NZ Landcare Research and the NZ Department of Conservation.
The meeting finalised project activities which include eradicating rodents (in French Polynesia, Palau, and the Cook Islands) and controlling pigs and deer (in New Caledonia) within areas of high conservation value. In Fiji the programme will develop biosecurity models targeting the non-native American Iguana, mongoose and the Brown Tree Snake.
The meeting also identified the capacity, research, and monitoring needs for the programme. Among the research opportunities include support for a post graduate student to examine the social, economic and or biological impact of managing invasive alien species or related element of the programme.
Rats were eradicated by spreading specially formulated rodent bait using a helicopter (Credit: BirdLife International Fiji Programme).
Goats and rats have been removed from two Fijian islands in a joint operation conducted by BirdLife International’s Fiji Programme and the National Trust of Fiji aimed at protecting unique wildlife on Monuriki and Kadomo. “This is a massive achievement which will provide benefits for the iguanas, birds, plants and people of these islands”, said Sialesi Rasalato from BirdLife International.
The Mamanuca island chain is a well-known tourist destination and nationally important for some unique and threatened wildlife. The islands of Monuriki and Kadomo are among Fiji’s most critical islands for burrowing seabirds and endemic iguana.
Monuriki was the location for the Tom Hanks film Cast Away which depicts his successful attempts to survive on the island following a plane crash. In real life, the 41 hectare island is home to less than a hundred Critically Endangered Fijian Crested Iguana Brachylophus vitiensis which are found on only a few islands, in the dry western side of the Fijian archipelago. Both Monuriki and Kadomo also provide vital habitat for nationally significant breeding colonies of Wedge-tailed ShearwaterPuffinus pacificus. Thousands of the fish-eating seabirds have excavated burrows across the islands in which to rear their chicks, and can be heard making their strange ‘baby-crying’ calls after dark.
In 1999 and 2003, the National Trust of Fiji surveyed a few islands in the Mamanuca Group detecting a rapid decline in the iguana population as a result of major habitat degradation by goats. In 2009, BirdLife International undertook surveys that showed that rats and goats were also posing severe threats to the breeding seabirds on both islands.
Introduced by humans and alien to Fiji, rats eat many life forms including eggs, seeds, and insects, whilst goats eat all plants within reach and trample fragile seabird burrows. Together these pests have substantially altered the ability of native plants and animals to exist on the islands and, if left unchecked, would lead to the loss of many including the shearwaters and iguanas. “Most documented extinctions, and present causes for decline among Pacific island birds, are the result of invasive alien species like rats and goats”, said Elenoa Seniloli of BirdLife International.
To deal with these threats, the National Trust of Fiji and BirdLife International carried out an intensive and complex operation to rid the two islands permanently of goats and rats. For the goats, those that could be mustered and caught – by the local Yanuya Rugby Team – were taken to the mainland, while all remaining animals were later eliminated by professional hunters from New Zealand using trained sniffer dogs. The rats were eradicated by spreading specially-formulated rodenticide from a helicopter in a hi-tech procedure using GPS equipment and a specifically designed spreader bucket which could calibrate required bait-drops. If no sign of either pest are detected after two years, Monuriki and Kadomo islands will be officially declared rat and goat-free.
It’s now vitally important that these alien creatures don’t return, and project partners are calling for all visitors to check their boats and equipment for unwanted stowaways before landing on the islands. “It has taken years of preparation and work to rid these introduced pest animals from Monuriki and Kadomo, and a careless visitor could bring them back in a day”, said Jone Niukula of the National Trust of Fiji.
“We ask visitors to be especially careful”, added Joeli Vadada – landowner and National Trust of Fiji Volunteer Ranger for Monuriki Island. “Visitors to the islands need to check everything before they go ashore for stowaway seeds, lizards, rodents and insects.”
BirdLife is now developing a bio-security programme that will provide further information and training to the Islands communities and tourist operators, enabling them to prevent pests from getting back to the Islands. “We also intend to work with the landowners in developing projects that enable them to benefit from the islands natural resources in a sustainable way such as through eco-tourism”, noted Mrs Seniloli.
This is the 12th successful island restoration programme completed by the BirdLife International Fiji Programme. With over 300 islands in Fiji there are many opportunities to eradicate unwanted pests and improve the future for biodiversity and people.
The planning, consultations, financing, technical assistance and implementation of the goat and rat operations have required numerous partnerships within Fiji and around the world. In communicating the project’s success, BirdLife International and the National Trust of Fiji acknowledge that this result would not have been possible without the efforts of many, including Nadroga/Navosa Provincial Council, the Fiji Department of Environment, the Fiji Police Force, Biosecurity Authority of Fiji, Mamanuca Environment Society, the Pacific Invasives Initiative, Ross Wharfe, Luke Robertson, New Zealand Department of Conservation, skilled hunters, the David & Lucile Packard Foundation, the UK Darwin Initiative, Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund, Aage V. Jensen Foundation and European Community and the landowners of Monuriki and Kadomo Mataqali Vuna-i-vi and Mataqali Namatua, Taukei Yanuya, and the village of Yanuya (Koro ko Yanuya).
BirdLife's Dr Mark O'Brien tests the speakers for Vatu-i-ra island, Fiji.
Two staff from the BirdLife Fiji Programme and the Pacific Secretariat gave up any amorous intentions of their own on Valentine’s Day to try a little avian matchmaking.
Together with volunteers from the Vatu-i-ra Site Support Group (SSG), the team spent three days on Vatu-i-ra Island, Fiji, installing a solar-powered sound system designed to broadcast the calls of several threatened seabirds in a bid to attract them back to the island.
“We’re very excited to be contributing to the conservation of one of Fiji’s rarer species,” said Sione Gonewai of the Yavusa Nagilogilo, also Chair of the Vatu-i-ra Site Support Group.
“As the owners of Vatu-i-ra our community recognises our role as custodians of the site. We’ve been working to protect the island, its seabirds and the marine environment upon which they depend for a number of years.”
In 2006 with the local community BirdLife undertook a successful eradication of Pacific rats, accidentally introduced by people many centuries before. Introduced mammals have been the number one driver of bird extinctions and their impact has been particularly severe in the Pacific. However, thanks to a great deal of hard work across the BirdLife Pacific Partnership a number of islands around the region have now been cleared of invasives.
These sites are acting as safe havens for many species and Vatu-i-ra is no exception. The island supports internationally significant populations of several noddies, terns and boobies; and already since the eradication survey teams have recorded encouraging signs of regeneration such as an apparent increase in the number of ground-nesting birds like Crested and Bridled Terns – those that are most susceptible to predation.
Now the aim is to take full advantage of this site by establishing the first colony of Collared Petrels at a predator free location.
“Our mammal free islands are huge assets”, said Sialesi Rasalato, BirdLife’s Fiji Programme Conservation Officer. “Now we’re really looking to join all the dots and maximise the potential these sites have for conservation”.
Petrels are the most threatened group of seabirds in the tropical Pacific having suffered historical declines owing to both overharvesting of adults and chicks for food and the negative impact of invasive mammals. Collared Petrel was uplisted to Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List in 2011 because available evidence suggests its global population probably numbers fewer than 10,000 individuals and it is experiencing an ongoing decline. Although surveys last year discovered that the species still occurs on a number of islands around Fiji, they also found invasive mammals present at all sites.
Remote playback has proven itself to be an enormously successful tool in New Zealand and elsewhere for attracting threatened seabirds to breed at specific sites. In this case, selecting a predator-free island offers the chance of establishing a colony of a very rare species where one of the major threats has been removed. The speaker system can run for up to five years, switching on every night to broadcast calls and turning itself off again to recharge in daylight. As well as the sound system the team has installed 20 artificial nesting burrows to encourage the first birds in.
“Collared Petrel is an obvious target, but we’re looking to benefit a number of Fiji’s rare and threatened seabirds like Tahiti Petrel and Polynesian Storm-petrel,” commented Sia Rasalato.
2012 marks the start of a real push for petrel conservation in Fiji. NatureFiji-MareqetiViti are continuing their searches for petrel burrows with specially trained dogs on Gau, and have just installed a playback device to begin attracting birds to artificial burrows where they can be effectively monitored and protected. The BirdLife Fiji Programme and the Nabukelevu site support group on Kadavu are also beginning a similar project.
BirdLife would like to acknowledge all of its donors who have supported the important work described here: The David and Lucile Packard Foundation, the Aage V. Jensen Charity Foundation, the Pacific Seabird Group, the Crowder Messersmith Conservation Fund and Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund.
From Prioritisation to Conservation Action: Community-Based Conservation Groups at Fiji’s Key Conservation Sites
BirdLife Fiji
Map showing Fiji’s IBAs: Circled are the four target sites of this the Darwin Project. Zoom In
Darwin Initiative project ref: 162/15/019
Between 2002 and 2005, the UK Government’s Darwin Initiative supported a project implemented by BirdLife International’s Fiji Programme to identify Important Bird Areas (IBAs) in Fiji. This project identified fourteen sites of global importance for birds during three years of extensive field work and the subsequent inventory: Important Bird Areas (IBAs) in Fiji: Conserving Fijis Natural Heritage was launched in 2006 (see BirdLife's news story, Fiji's IBA book launched).
Having identified Fiji’s IBAs, the challenge is to turn research in to action which is now being undertaken with further support from the Darwin Initiative. In 2006, a project called Community-Based Conservation Groups at Fiji’s Key Conservation Sites was initiated. The overall purpose of this project is to build the capacity of Fijian conservation professionals to conserve forest resources through the establishment of protected areas, management planning processes and monitoring frameworks. These conservation professionals will then train community members in the management of their own forest resources.
The challenges remain significant, however. Fiji has already lost the majority of its forest resources with logging, urban and agricultural encroachment and invasive alien species posing the greatest threats to these forests, often all at the same time.. Logging operations disturb forest blocks while logging roads increase access by agriculture pests and alien plants and animals.
BirdLife Fiji
Poor logging practices are one of the major threats to the Fiji’s IBAs Zoom In
Four sites are the target of this project’s activities: three have no formal protection and one is reserved. They are:
The Natewa / Tunuloa Peninsula (FJ03) on Vanua Levu, which has lowland forest and, together with the island of Taveuni, supports the only populations of the charismatic Orange Dove and Silktail. The area is under particular threat from logging;
Nabukulevu and Kadavu East on the island of Kadavu support four bird species and several subspecies endemic to Kadavu; they are threatened by agricultural encroachment and invasive alien species; and
Taveuni, the only formally protected area, which is under looming threat from agricultural encroachment and invasive alien species.
The main objectives of the project are to:
develop models of community-based protected areas;
establish management plans for priority sites;
develop an IBA monitoring framework and establish a baseline on which to assess future conditions of IBAs; and
raise resources for the further development of managed areas in Fiji.
Significant progress has been achieved. Highlights include:
positive responses from communities and provincial governments for the development of managed or protected areas;
the establishment of a community conservation group on the Natewa Peninsula while continuing work with existing conservation groups in two other IBAs;
the establishment of a community-declared protected area totaling about 5000ha on the Natewa Peninsula;
a management plan drafted for the statutory reserves on Taveuni;
two university students supported to develop frameworks relating to bird populations and forest management;
the establishment of a draft monitoring framework and initial baseline;
a fundraising workshop resulting in funding for two project concepts from the GEF Small Grants Programme;
extensive awareness work in Fiji through media, community work and awareness materials
Fijian Warriors stand proudly beside Birdlife's stand at the 2006 British Birdwatching Fair Zoom In
The challenges to conserving Fiji’s forest resources remain substantial: the causes of deforestation are deep-seated with low local capacity to manage forests. Communities, however, are often under great pressure to derive income through logging. On the hopeful side, many communities would like to manage their forests in sustainable ways, often aware that forest management is related to water quality, fresh water and marine fisheries, the availability of sustainable forest products including fruits and vegetables and flood risk management.
This Darwin Initiative project is building the capacity of a cohort of young Fijian conservational professionals who are developing skills that will contribute to sustainable forest management in the future. Another exciting development this year is the launch of Fiji’s first national NGO committed to terrestrial conservation: Mareqeti Viti/NatureFiji which is working closely with Birdlife International to develop a terrestrial conservation programme. Important Bird Areas in Fiji: Conserving Fijis Natural Heritage is available from Environment Consultants Fiji. For further information contact:
Vilikesa Masibalavu,
Fiji Programme Conservation Manager, Vilikesa@birdlifepacific.org.fj
James Millet,
Senior Technical Advisor,
Birdlife Pacific Partnership, James@birdlife.org.fj
Fiji supports a diverse range of birds, many of which are found nowhere else in the world. This book presents the best sites for bird conservation to strengthen and add to Fiji’s existing protected area system.
This book documents the results of a three-year research project to identify sites of global importance for bird conservation in Fiji. It draws on all previously published research on Fiji’s birds but relies mostly on data obtained from the 43 field surveys undertaken by this project. Those sites found to meet or exceed the selection criteria as defined by BirdLife
International are designated as Important Bird Areas (IBAs). IBA designation has no legal basis but it provides a strong scientific justification for the conservation of these areas.
Fourteen sites have been identified as IBAs, covering about 17% of Fiji’s land area and about 40% of Fiji’s remaining forest. These IBAs comprise the largest remaining areas of natural forests on the main islands (Viti Levu, Vanua Levu, Taveuni, Kadavu and Gau) plus the whole of two small islands which each support a threatened bird species found nowhere else (Rotuma and Ogea) and Vatu-i-Ra, which supports Fiji’s biggest seabird nesting colony. The safeguard of these areas is vital for the conservation of Fiji’s threatened and endemic bird species. Fiji holds 11 species threatened with global Extinction and another six classified as Near Threatened. It also has sole responsibility for 27 national endemic species, while another ten species are shared only with its smaller closest neighbours.
The network of 14 IBAs supports all the known populations of the most threatened species and >40% of the populations of the other threatened and endemic species. Conservation of these IBAs requires awareness, commitment and action from government through to native land-owners. BirdLife International aims to work with land-owners to promote conservation awareness and action, and to help the government and all the people of Fiji to ensure survival of these birds and other wildlife for the benefit of future generations of Fijians.
A blog by the staff, guests and owners of Matava - Fiji's Premier Eco Adventure Resort about the fantastic bird watching in the Fiji Islands and specifically Kadavu
Darwin Initiative project ref: 162/15/019
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