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The 15 islands of the Cook Islands have been occupied by its native maori people since the great Pacific migrations in large voyaging canoes or VakaMoana, which took place fromthe Polynesian homeland of Avaiki4, possibly since 500-600AD. The deep and wide waters connecting these islands have always been used as highways and for the resources they contain. Our people developed a distinct Polynesian perspective, language, lifestyle and culture.

Reports from the PACC project

This report is presented in 4 chapters. Chapter 1 provides background on the process of developing the Cook Island National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP). The Cook Islands was one of the first countries to commit to the CBD by signing it at the Earth Summit in 1992, and the Cook Island National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP) was one of the first to be completed for the Pacific Region. This in itself was a positive step towards implementation of the CBD. The NBSAP was prepared based on feedback from stakeholder workshops. However, progress on implementation of the NBSAP has been limited, and significant progress has been made only in several areas in regard to meeting the targets of the CBD. Chapter 2 deals with progress on implementation of the NBSAP. The most significant achievement has been the improvement in the status of threatened species, and this target has been achieved through the upgrading of the Rarotongan Flycatcher (Pomarea dimidiata) from critically endangered to endangered on the IUCN red list of threatened species, in addition to this a number of other targets have been partially achieved. The Cook Islands Biodiversity database, listing the country’s biodiversity is a significant and on-going step towards achieving article 7 of the CBD. Chapter 3 relates to mainstreaming of biodiversity considerations throughout both Government and non-government institutions. This was attempted through the incorporation of the NBSAP into the National Environment Strategic Action Framework (NESAF) and the subsequent inclusion of the NESAF into the National Sustainable Development Plan (NSDP). Despite this, the policy framework did not translate to on the ground mainstreaming of biodiversity concerns. A table is presented showing the role of various institutions in biodiversity. Chapter 4 looks at the CBD targets, and shows the status of the Cook Islands in meeting these targets. Success has been achieved in relation to Goal 2, promoting the conservation of species diversity. Areas where achievements have not met the targets include percent coverage of protected areas, and effective mainstreaming of biodiversity. Another area where more effort is required is in the formulation and implementation of effective management plans for major alien species that threaten ecosystems, habitats or species. Though many targets have not been met, overall, the Cook Islands have made considerable progress towards meeting their obligations under the CBD. The main problem lies not with lack of progress, but in trying to find where this progress has been made. There is a need to improve the monitoring and evaluation system in order to identify progress. The preparation of a report such as this should be an ongoing activity, with progress against goals recorded as it is made. This will make the preparation of future reports much more straightforward, and easily completed using the capacity within the National Environment Service.

This document is part of a technical report series on conservation projects funded by the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF) and the Conservation International Pacific Islands Program (CI-Pacific). The main purpose of this series is to disseminate project findings and successes to a broader audience of conservation professionals in the Pacific, along with interested members of the public and students. The reports are being prepared on an ad-hoc basis as projects are completed and written up. In most cases the reports are composed of two parts, the first part is a detailed technical report on the project which gives details on the methodology used, the results and any recommendations. The second part is a brief project completion report written for the donor and focused on conservation impacts and lessons learned.

The Cook Islands comprises 15 islands with a total land area of 237 sq km and a maximum height above sea-level of 652 m. The islands are scattered over an Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of 1.8 million sq km; one of the largest EEZ’s in the South Pacific.