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The inextricable links between climate change and sustainable development have been increasingly recognised over the past decade. In 2007, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)1 concluded with very high confidence that climate change would impede the ability of many nations to achieve sustainable development by mid-century and become a security risk that would steadily intensify, particularly under greater warming scenarios. Article 4.8 of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) lists several groups of countries that merit particular consideration for assistance to adapt to climate change “especially: (a) small island countries, (b) countries with low-lying coastal areas, c) countries with areas prone to natural disasters.” Small Island Developing States (SIDS) have characteristics which make them particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change, sea level rise (SLR) and extreme events, including: relative isolation, small land masses, concentrations of population and infrastructure in coastal areas, limited economic base and dependency on natural resources, combined with limited financial, technical and institutional capacity for adaptation.2

The nations of CARICOM16 in the Caribbean together with Pacific island countries contribute less than 1% to global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions (approx. 0.33%17 and 0.03%18 respectively), yet these countries are expected to be among the earliest and most impacted by climate change in the coming decades and are least able to adapt to climate change impacts. These nations’ relative isolation, small land masses, their concentrations of population and infrastructure in coastal areas, limited economic base and dependency on natural resources, combined with limited financial, technical and institutional capacity all exacerbates their vulnerability to extreme events and climate change impacts. Stabilising global GHG emissions and obtaining greater support for adaptation strategies are fundamental priorities for the Caribbean Basin and Pacific island countries. CARICOM leaders recently unveiled their collective position that global warming should be held to no more than 1.5°C19 and continue to develop a Climate Change Strategic Plan. The Pacific island countries have expressed their priorities for addressing climate change regionally through the Pacific Leaders’ Call to Action on Climate Change20 and the Pacific Islands Framework for Action on Climate Change 2006-2015.21

Niue is a single raised coral atoll in the South-central Pacific located at latitude 19 S and Longitude 169 W. It is isolated, being approximately 480 kilometre East of Tonga. 930 kilometre west of Rarotonga and 660 kilometre South-East of Samoa. The island is the largest raised coral atoll in the world, being 259 square kilometers and formed of two terraces: a lower terrace averaging about 60 metres. The interior is a plateau, the edge of which slopes steeply down to the lower terrace. This lower terrace ends abruptly in most places in steep cliffs containing caves and deep chasms

The endemic kereru (Hemiphaga novaeseelandiae) (also known as kuku, kukupa or New Zealand pigeon, but henceforth referred to as kereru) and the Chatham Island subspecies, parea (Hemiphaga novaeseelandiae chathamensis), are the only extant representatives of the genus Hemiphaga. A programme has been set up to monitor kereru populations. The aim of this monitoring programme is to provide a clearer picture of medium- to long-term trends in kereru populations at key sites (e.g., mainland “island” management sites and their paired non-treatment sites), and to document the responses of kereru populations to management actions. This report sets out the requirements for monitoring kereru at key sites as part of a national programme. In addition, it is intended to be used as a practical guide for anyone (e.g., iwi, conservation groups, school groups) planning to initiate a kereru monitoring project. The most efficient way of detecting and interpreting kereru population trends is considered to be by undertaking 5-minute counts with distance estimates in conjunction with phenology monitoring and display flight monitoring. It is therefore recommended that others use these methods wherever possible. A section on other techniques is included to cover situations where 5-minute counts may not be practicable. Wherever possible, kereru monitoring should be integrated into existing Department of Conservation bird monitoring and management programmes, rather than requiring the initiation of new projects. Iwi, conservation groups and interested members of the public will be encouraged to participate in kereru monitoring and conservation management. Annual results from each site should be forwarded to the programme co-ordinator, who will review and collate the data, and prepare an annual report for distribution to all participants and interested parties. Explanation of the programme, relevant aspects of kereru ecology, and background information are provided in the main text. Descriptions of the actual methods are given in the appendices.

Bird conservation in the Pacific islands