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This island nation contains many marine eco-systems, from globally significant coral reefs to mangroves, seagrass areas, seamounts and deep-sea trenches supporting at least 769 fish species, including sharks and rays, as well as whales, dolphins and sea turtles.

To formally launch the second phase of the Biodiversity and Protected Areas Management (BIOPAMA) programme, a regional inception workshop for the Pacific was held at the Tanoa Tusitala Hotel, Apia, Samoa from 11th to 15th June 2018. The aim of the inception workshop was to ensure that all 15 countries in the Pacific ACP Group of States were engaged for the second phase of BIOPAMA. The working title of the workshop was ‘Regional Workshop on Improving Information and Capacity for More Effective Protected Area Management and Governance in the Pacific’. The invited participants primarily centred on people who are directly involved in work relating to marine, coastal and terrestrial (including inland waters)protected areas including: national government staff, NGO project officers; staff from national, regional and international agencies and institutions, and; resource persons with special technical skills and experience. The ACP Secretariat was represented by Mr Edmund Jackson. The full list of workshop participants can be found in Annex B

A Global Environment Facility (GEF) funded project is currently being implemented in the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) titled the “Prevention, Control and Management of Invasive Alien Species in the Pacific Islands”. This is a multicountry project and includes Niue, Federated States of Micronesia, Cook Islands, Papua New Guinea, Palau, Kiribati, Tonga, Samoa and Vanuatu. Activities within the framework of this project include the conservation of priority species and ecosystems and the management of invasive alien species (IAS). Please see Table 1 below for list of key deliverables identified by the Government of RMI.

A Global Environment Facility (GEF) funded project is currently being implemented in Niue titled the “Prevention, Control and Management of Invasive Alien Species in the Pacific Islands”. This is a multicountry project and includes the Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Niue, Papua New Guinea, Palau, Tonga, and Samoa. Activities within the framework of this project include the conservation of priority species and ecosystems and the management of Invasive Alien Species (IAS).

A Global Environment Facility (GEF) funded project is currently being implemented in the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) titled the “Prevention, Control and Management of Invasive Alien Species in the Pacific Islands”. This is a multicountry project and includes the Niue, Cook Islands, Marshall Islands, Papua New Guinea, Palau, Tonga, Kiribati, Samoa and Vanuatu. Activities within the framework of this project include the conservation of priority species and ecosystems and the management of invasive alien species. Please see Table 1 below for list of key deliverables identified by the Government of the FSM

A Global Environment Facility (GEF) funded project is currently being implemented in the Cook Islands titled the “Prevention, Control and Management of Invasive Alien Species in the Pacific Islands”. This is a multicountry project and includes the Niue, Federated States of Micronesia, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Papua New Guinea, Palau, Tonga, and Samoa. Activities within the framework of this project include the conservation of priority species and ecosystems and the management of Invasive Alien Species (IAS).

A Global Environment Facility (GEF) funded project is currently being implemented in Kiribati titled the "Prevention, Control and Management of Invasive Alien Species in the Pacific Islands". This is a multicountry project and includes the Niue, Federated States of Micronesia, Cook Islands, Marshall Islands, Papua New Guinea, Palau Tonga and Samoa. Activities within the framework of this project include the conservation of priority species and ecosystems and the management of invasive alien species. Please see Table 1 below for list of key deliverables identified by the Government of Kiribati.

The spread of marine species beyond their native environment is of increasing concern due to rapid growth in commercial shipping and recreational boating, activities that can help organisms ‘hitchhike’. Marine invasive species are currently recognized as one of the major direct causes of biodiversity loss and changes in ecosystem provisioning and supporting services.

Many governments are actively encouraging private investment in biofuels developments to harness the perceived benefits of biofuels such as agricultural development, increased energy security and independence, improved balance of trade and reduced greenhouse gas emissions. However, in the rush to pursue the benefits of biofuels, the risks of invasion by introduced species have received little or no attention and are not being adequately prevented or managed. The situation is most acute in countries lacking the capacity and resources to adequately avoid and manage the risks of invasion. Lack of suitable pest and weed risk assessment and management regimes compromises the long-term viability of the biofuels sector and threatens local livelihoods and the environment.

The Pacific islands of Oceania cover almost 15% of the world's surface and are characterised by a high degree of ecosystem and species diversity. The region is characterised by thousands of isolated small coral atolls and higher volcanic islands, which has led to the high diversity of species found today. In fact, the number of plants and animals found nowhere else on earth (endemic species) is extremely high - often up to 90% for particular groups. Often, these rare and endemic species are adapted to specialised habitats and limited to small areas of a few islands. With economic and cultural dependence on the natural environment very high in the Pacific islands, along with a rapidly expanding human population, there are ever increasing demands on the region's natural resources. Plant and animal species are therefore vulnerable to extinction from climate change, competition from introduced (invasive) species and human impacts such as habitat destruction, over-harvesting of species and pollution.