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La liste préventive des espèces exotiques envahissantes de Wallis et Futuna a été créée en 2024 par une révision de la règlementation, à la suite d'une prestation d’une biologiste, et de la consultation d’associations et de services du territoire. Elle répertorie 123 espèces absentes du territoire mais présentes dans la région et dont Wallis et Futuna entend se préserver. Le document compile des fiches techniques de reconnaissance et de gestion des 123 espèces figurant sur la liste préventive, relatives aux milieux terrestres, humides et de rivières et marins. Le document détaille également les 6 étapes du plan d'intervention rapide élaboré pour répondre aux introductions d'espèces exotiques envahissantes à Wallis et Futuna : (i) réceptionner le signalement, et collecter les informations; (ii) confirmer l'identification de l'espèce; (iii) améliorer la connaissance sur la répartition de l'espèce; (iv) évaluer la situation et choisir l'option de gestion; (v) élaborer et mettre en place un plan d'intervention et (vi) veiller.

Invasive vertebrates are a leading cause of the extinction on islands and rats (Rattus spp.) are one of the most damaging to island ecosystems. Methods to eradicate rates from islands are well established and there have been over 580 successful eradications to date. Increasingly, rat eradications are being implemented on tropical islands, a reflection of the need to protect the threatened biodiversity in the tropics. Yet rat eradications on tropical islands fail more frequently than those in temperate climates. In an effort to identify the main reasons for the lower success rate on tropical islands and possible solutions, a workshop was convened with the 34 experts in rat eradication, tropical rodent and island ecology and toxicology. The workshop focused on projects using aerial broadcast of brodifacoum, a 2nd generation anticoagulant, because this approach had provided the highest success rate for eradicating rodents from islands. The workshop participants reviewed previously identified challenges to successful rat eradications on tropical islands including increased insect and crab densities resulting in competition for bait, year round or unpredictable timing of breeding rats and increased or unpredictable availability of alternative, natural foods. They also identified a number of new, likely reasons for the lower success rate on tropical islands and provided recommendations for how to address these risks in the planning and implementation of rat eradications. While the success rate of aerial broadcast rat eradications in tropical environments is quite high at 89%, it is hoped that by following the recommended best practices provided in this paper, future success rates will be closer to the 96.5% demonstrated for aerial broadcast rat eradication on temperate islands.