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Aleipata Islands Invasive alien species follow up surveys

Division of Enviornment and Conservation, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment

GEFPAS integrated island biodiversity final project review meeting, 23-25 November, Vava'u and 25th Tongatapu, Kingdom of Tonga

Available Online

The GEFPAS Integrated Island Biodiversity Final Project Review Meeting was convened in Vavau, Tonga from the 21 st 24 th November and concluded on the 25 th November, 2015 in Nukualofa, Tonga and was attended by representatives from the Cook Islands, Nauru, Tonga, Tuvalu, SPREP and UNEP and it concluded with the following key outcomes

Lime juice and vinegar injections as a cheap and natural alternative to control COTS outbreaks

Available Online

Moutardler, Gregoire ... et al.

Outbreaks of the corallivorous crown-of-thorns seastar Acanthaster planci (COTS) represent one of the greatest disturbances to coral reef ecosystems in the Indo-Pacific, affecting not only coral reefs but also the coastal communities which rely on their resources. While injection approaches are increasingly used in an attempt to control COTS densities, most of them display severe drawbacks including logistical challenges, high residual environmental impacts or low cost-effectiveness. We tested a new alternative control method based upon acidic injections of cheap, 100% natural products. We investigated the lethal doses, intraand inter-specific disease transmission and immune responses of COTS when injected with fresh lime juice (extracted from local Citrus arantifolia) and white spirit vinegar. High COTS mortality was achieved with small volumes: 1020 ml per seastar induced death in 89%/ 97% of injected specimens after an average 34.3 h/29.8 h for lime juice and vinegar respectively. Highest efficiency was reached for both solutions with double shots of (2 × 10 ml) in two different areas on the body: 100% mortality occurred within 1224 h, which is similar or faster compared with other current injection methods. Multiple immune measures suggested that death was very likely caused by pH stress from the acidic solutions rather than a bacterial infection. Contagion to either conspecifics or a variety of other reef species was not observed, even at COTS densities 15 times higher than the highest naturally reported. 10 to 20 l lime juice/vinegar could kill up to a thousand COTS at a cost of less than 0.05 USD per specimen; no permits or special handling procedures are required. We conclude that injections of lime juice and vinegar offer great advantages when compared to current best practises and constitute a cheap and natural option for all reefs affected by COTS

Taking the sting out of the Little Fire Ant in Hawaii

Lee, Donna J.

Leung, PingSun

Motoki, Michael

Nakamoto, Stuart T.

Vanderwoude, Casper

Inthe1990's,LittleFireAnts(LFAs)founditswaytotheislandofHawaii,mostlikelytravelingwithashipmentof potted plantsfrom Florida.These plants weresubsequentlysold toconsumers along theeastcoast of theIsland, alongwithLittleFireAntcolonieslivinginthepottingmedium.LFAisnowthrivingandcontinuestospread.Fifteenyearsaftertheinitialdetectionin1999,LFAhasspreadtoover4000locationsontheislandofHawaiiandhas beenfoundinisolatedlocationsonKauai,Maui,andOahuIslands.Currenteffortsareexpectedtocontaintheinfestations on the otherislands but signi cant additional investment isneeded tohalt therapid spread of LFA on the island of Hawaii. Increased management expenditures can suppress infestations; reduce spread between sectors; and decrease long-term management costs, damages, and stings.| Animmediateexpenditureof$8millioninthenext23yearsplusfollow-upprevention,monitoring,andmitigation treatments will yield $1.210 billion in reduced control costs, $129 million in lowered economic damages, 315 million fewer human sting incidents, and 102 million less pet sting incidents over 10 years.| Over35years,thebene tsinclude$5.496billioninreducedcontrolcosts,$538millionlesseconomicdamages, 2.161 billion fewer human sting incidents, and 762 million fewer pet sting incidents.

Awareness Strategy - Management of Water Lettuce (Pistia stratiotes) Aquatic plant

Biodiversity Conservation, BRB

Available Online

Divison of Environment and Conservation

Water lettuce is a free floating aquatic plant in rosettes of green leaves, rosettes occuring singly or connected to others by short stolons whose origins are uncertain. It forms large, dense floating mats. The plant can adapt to life in ponds, dams, lakes and quiet areas of rivers and streams, but cannot withstand salt water. Still continue with observation whether it is to survive in winter.

Removing Rodents from Small Islands Final Report on a Capacity Development Workshop completed in Tonga

Biodiversity Conservation, BRB

Available Online

Espinosa, Irene

Griffiths, Richard

Days 1 and 2 of the workshop course exposed participants to the theory behind rodent eradications (Fig 1). The nature and importance of undertaking a project feasibility assessment was explained and the key questions that need to be answered to determine if a project is feasible were discussed.

Report on Niue Feral Pig Management Pilot Programme, October 2015

Biodiversity Conservation, BRB

Available Online

Craw, Jack

Progress report from Jack Craw to Josie Tamate (Directory General, Ministry of Natural Resources), Brendon Pasisi (Director DAFF), Sauni Tongatule (Director Department of Environment), David Moverly (SPREP) and Huggard Tongatule (Department of Environment).|This is the final progress report on the pilot programme. It covers the visit to Niue September 8 to September 18 2015, with master hunters Glen Osborne and Peter Peeti. The purposes of this trip were to continue the hunting training, progress the toxin trial and attempt to progress the lured enclosure trial.

Invasive alien species surveys, Aleipata Islands, Samoa : September-December 2015

Available Online

Serra. G

Tipamaa. F.T.

Samoa is part of the Polynesia-Micronesia Biodiversity Hotspot, one of 34 regions of the world where extraordinary levels of biodiversity and endemism are coupled with extremely high levels of threat (Mittermeier et al. 2004). The four Aleipata islands (Photo 1), holding a high percentage of representative and threatened species of Samoa, certainly represent a key site in the Polynesia-Micronesia biodiversity hotspot. In a 1986 review of 226 islands in the South Pacific region, these islands together rated 30th in importance for biological diversity (Vanderwoude et al. 2006). They were also more recently included in the list of the 7 Key Biodiversity Areas of Samoa (Conservation International et al. 2010).

Invasive alien species surveys, Aleipata Islands, Samoa : Follow up visit to Nu'ulua

Available Online

GEF-PAS Invasive Alien Species Project

Between the 27th and 29th of October 2015 invasive alien species surveys were conducted as part of the GEF-PAS invasive alien species project/Samoa to help inform the Aleipata management Plan. As part of these surveys sticky traps were placed on Nuulua Island to detect the presence of Rattus sp. The sticky traps were checked after two nights with no evidence of rat presence. These sticky traps were left for a further 50 nights to increase the chances of detecting rat. As part of this return trip to Nuulua Island an incidental bird list was compiled and other species of interest (i.e. Yellow Crazy Ants and Coconut Crabs), were recorded when encountered.

2015 Myna Survey. Report to inform the Samoan Myna Management Plan

Biodiversity Conservation, BRB

Available Online

Serra. G.

Young. S

In May 2015, 74 line transects in three different habitat types (plantation, mixed crops, urban) were surveyed on Upolu and Savaii islands, Samoa, with an aim of estimating the population size, density and distribution of two invasive bird species, Common Myna (Acridotheres tristis) and Jungle Myna (Acridotheres fuscus). Based on the available literature, the surveyed habitats were identified as preferred foraging habitat for the two myna species. The three habitats make up 24.9% of Samoas land area. Survey data were analysed using the Distance program. It was estimated that the population of myna birds occurring in the plantation, mixed crops and urban habitats of Samoa is approximately 158,995 (+- 29,588). Approximately 130,030 (+- 19,837) myna were estimated to live on Upolu and 28,968 (+- 9,751) on Savaii, across the three habitat types. Survey results also revealed that both species show a significant preference for urban habitat. Jungle Myna were estimated to be the most numerous (population estimate: 133,925 +-24,321), occurring on both islands and in all surveyed habitat types. Jungle Myna seem to have saturated the urban habitat available in Upolu and therefore have proceeded to colonise plantations and mixed crops adjacent to urban areas. Common Myna (population estimate: 23,367 +- 7,612), having reached the shores of Samoa ca. 20 years later than Jungle Myna, show highest density in urban environments. They are concentrated in the north-west section of Upolu, with only a few individuals observed on the east coast of Savaii.

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