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Recent field surveys of the flora of Niue have identified three new species records for the island. Erigeron bellioides DC. (Asteraceae) and Psidium cattleyanum Sabine (Myrtaceae) are new naturalised records and Crepidomanes saxifragoides (C.Presl) P.S.Green (Hymenophyllaceae) is an addition to the indigenous flora.

We present a list of Chemicals of Concern (CoCs) in plastic toys. We started from available studies reporting chemical composition of toys to group plastic materials, as well as to gather mass fractions and function of chemicals in these materials. Chemical emissions from plastic toys and subsequent human exposures were then estimated using a series of models and a coupled near-field and far-field exposure assessment framework. Comparing human doses with reference doses shows high Hazard Quotients of up to 387 and cancer risk calculated using cancer slope factors of up to 0.0005. Plasticizers in soft plastic materials show the highest risk, with 31 out of the 126 chemicals identified as CoCs, with sum of Hazard Quotients > 1 or child cancer risk > 10􀀀 6. Our results indicate that a relevant amount of chemicals used in plastic toy materials may pose a non-negligible health risk to children, calling for more refined investigations and more human- and eco-friendly alternatives. The 126 chemicals identified as CoCs were compared with other existing regulatory prioritization lists. While some of our chemicals appear in other lists, we also identified additional priority chemicals that are not yet covered elsewhere and thus require further attention. We finally derive for all considered chemicals the maximum Acceptable Chemical Content (ACC) in the grouped toy plastic materials as powerful green chemistry tool to check whether chemical alternatives could create substantial risks.

This report was prepared as one of the outputs of the GEF PAS project “Prevention, eradication and control of invasive alien species in the Pacific islands” funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF), implemented by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and executed by Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) in partnership with the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Niue (DAFF). It was designed to contribute to two activities in Niue’s programme within this project: 1. Develop and establish long term monitoring and GIS for areas with important native biodiversity that may be impacted by invasives. Huvalu Conservation Area, which is the subject of a project within the Regional Forestry and Protected Areas Management Project (FPAM), was identified as the key area for survey. 2. Conduct a pilot feasibility study for ten priority weed or vertebrate eradication targets.

This report was prepared for the Samoan Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MNRE) by consultant James Atherton with the assistance of Forestry Division Staff in particular Vailega Timoteo Molesi and Peteli Pese The O Le Pupú Pu'e National Park (OLPP) is located approximately 15km south of Apia on the border of the districts of Falealili and Siumu (see figure 1). It was the first national park to be established in the South Pacific and in Samoa. The original area of the O Le Pupú Pu'e National Park was about 4,234 hectares (10,457 acres), but with the inclusion of the Togitogiga Forestry Plantation on the western edge of the park in 2008, as well as the recreational area at the Eastern edge, the Park increased to 5,019 hectares (12,396 acres) (MNRE, 2010).

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).

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 Nu’ulua 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 Nu’ulua Island an incidental bird list was compiled and other species of interest (i.e. Yellow Crazy Ants and Coconut Crabs), were recorded when encountered.

In May 2015, 74 line transects in three different habitat types (plantation, mixed crops, urban) were surveyed on Upolu and Savai’i 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 Samoa’s 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 Savai’i, 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 Savai’i.

PacWaste (Pacific Hazardous Waste) is a four year (2013-2017), €7.85 million, project funded by the European Union and implemented by Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) to improve regional hazardous waste management in 14 Pacific island countries plus Timor Leste, in the priority areas of healthcare waste, asbestos, E-waste and integrated atoll solid waste management. Asbestos-containing wastes and materials are a major issue for many Pacific Island countries with a history of use of asbestos-containing building materials in construction. All forms of asbestos are carcinogenic to humans and inhalation of asbestos fibres that have become airborne can cause serious lung disease or cancer.

PacWaste (Pacific Hazardous Waste) is a four year (2013-2017), €7.85 million, project funded by the European Union and implemented by Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) to improve regional hazardous waste management in 14 Pacific island countries plus Timor Leste, in the priority areas of healthcare waste, asbestos, E-waste and integrated atoll solid waste management. Asbestos-containing wastes and materials are a major issue for many Pacific Island countries with a history of use of asbestos-containing building materials in construction. All forms of asbestos are carcinogenic to humans and inhalation of asbestos fibres that have become airborne can cause serious lung disease or cancer.