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Video of Little Fire Ant, Wasmania auropunctata, Regional Alian Invasive Species Project funded by Global Environmental Facility - Pacific Alliance for education of the problems they cause to the community; instructions on eradication by baiting of Little Fire Ants on Vanuatu described and recommendation of best investiment and management for alien invasive species is to have quarantine and biosecurity systems in place with trained personnel and resources to prevent the spread of alien invasive species coming into the country and spreading within the country. Acknowledgements to Global Environmental Facility - Pacific Alliance for Sustainability, United Nations Environment Program, SPREP, Vanuatu Department of Environment, Vanuatu Department of Biosecurity, Vanuatu Environmental Protection and Conservation Department, Vanuatu Agriculture Department, Vanuatu Forestry Department, Vanuatu Land Department, Live and Learn Education, Hawaii Ant Laboratory - Casper Vanderwounde, Talua Theological College, Vanuatu - Mango Station, Vanuatu - Solway Community, Vanuatu - Pepsi Area, Vanuatu - Lavusvatu community, Vanuatu - Freswater 1 area, Vanuatu - Hollen area, Vanuatu - No. 2 Lagoon area

Palau became a signatory to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in 1998, and on January 6, 1999 the National Congress, the Olbiil Era Kelulau (OEK), ratified the treaty.

This case study describes control to eradication of tradescantia (Tradescantia fluminensis, wandering jew) on Stephens Island (Takapourewa), Cook Strait. Control commenced in 1990 and most tradescantia was removed by May 1992, leaving only small isolated patches. Island caretakers attempted to control tradescantia along with their other tasks for the next 10 years. Tradescantia abundance increased over this period. Not until 2003 was the eradication goal made clear and a dedicated weed team assigned to implement it. Eradication of tradescantia from Stephens Island now appears imminent but remains elusive, with two small plant fragments having been found in the last 5 years. We discuss factors important to achieving eradication and suggest that systematic and persistent effort by highly motivated and dedicated people is critical to eradication success.

This booklet is an outcome of a Climate Change and Health symposium organized by the core working group of the Piloting Climate Change Adaptation to Protect Human Health project in Fiji. The views expressed in the document by named authors are solely the responsibility of the named authors. Referencing and quote from this booklet should be acknowledged accordingly. It is a product of Ministry of Health & Medical Services -Fiji, MOHMS Fiji and World Health Organization, WHO collaboration. The views and opinions expressed in this proceeding belong to the speakers, and do not necessarily reflect those of organizing institutions.

We assessed the prevalence of alien species as a driver of recent extinctions in five major taxa (plants, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals), using data from the IUCN Red List. Our results show that alien species are the second most common threat associated with species that have gone completely extinct from these taxa since AD 1500. Aliens are the most common threat associated with extinctions in three of the five taxa analysed, and for vertebrate extinctions overall.

The three most invasive rat species, black or ship rat Rattus rattus, brown or Norway rats, R. norvegicus and Pacific rat, R. exulans have been incrementally introduced to islands as humans have explored the world’s oceans. They have caused serious deleterious effects through predation and competition, and extinction of many species on tropical islands, many of which are biodiversity hotspots. All three rat species are found in virtually all habitat types, including mangrove and arid shrub land. Black rats tend to dominate the literature but despite this the population biology of invasive rats, particularly Norway rats, is poorly researched on tropical islands. Pacific rats can often exceed population densities of well over 100 rats ha?1 and black rats can attain densities of 119 rats ha?1, which is much higher than recorded on most temperate islands. High densities are possibly due to high recruitment of young although the data to support this are limited. The generally aseasonally warm climate can lead to year-round breeding but can be restricted by either density-dependent effects interacting with resource constraints often due to aridity. Apparent adverse impacts on birds have been well recorded and almost all tropical seabirds and land birds can be affected by rats. On the Pacific islands, black rats have added to declines and extinctions of land birds caused initially by Pacific rats. Rats have likely caused unrecorded extinctions of native species on tropical islands. Further research required on invasive rats on tropical islands includes the drivers of population growth and carrying capacities that result in high densities and how these differ to temperate islands, habitat use of rats in tropical vegetation types and interactions with other tropical species, particularly the reptiles and invertebrates, including crustaceans.

The GEFPAS Integrated Island Biodiversity Final Project Review Meeting was convened in Vava’u, Tonga from the 21 st – 24 th November and concluded on the 25 th November, 2015 in Nuku’alofa, Tonga and was attended by representatives from the Cook Islands, Nauru, Tonga, Tuvalu, SPREP and UNEP and it concluded with the following key outcomes

Outbreaks of the corallivorous crown-of-thorns seastar Acanthaster planci (COTS) represent one of the greatest disturbances to coral reef ecosystems in the Indo-Pacific, affecting not only coral reefs but also the coastal communities which rely on their resources. While injection approaches are increasingly used in an attempt to control COTS densities, most of them display severe drawbacks including logistical challenges, high residual environmental impacts or low cost-effectiveness. We tested a new alternative control method based upon acidic injections of cheap, 100% natural products. We investigated the lethal doses, intraand inter-specific disease transmission and immune responses of COTS when injected with fresh lime juice (extracted from local Citrus arantifolia) and white spirit vinegar. High COTS mortality was achieved with small volumes: 10–20 ml per seastar induced death in 89%/ 97% of injected specimens after an average 34.3 h/29.8 h for lime juice and vinegar respectively. Highest efficiency was reached for both solutions with double shots of (2 × 10 ml) in two different areas on the body: 100% mortality occurred within 12–24 h, which is similar or faster compared with other current injection methods. Multiple immune measures suggested that death was very likely caused by pH stress from the acidic solutions rather than a bacterial infection. Contagion to either conspecifics or a variety of other reef species was not observed, even at COTS densities 15 times higher than the highest naturally reported. 10 to 20 l lime juice/vinegar could kill up to a thousand COTS at a cost of less than 0.05 USD per specimen; no permits or special handling procedures are required. We conclude that injections of lime juice and vinegar offer great advantages when compared to current best practises and constitute a cheap and natural option for all reefs affected by COTS

Water lettuce is a free floating aquatic plant in rosettes of green leaves, rosettes occuring singly or connected to others by short stolons whose origins are uncertain. It forms large, dense floating mats. The plant can adapt to life in ponds, dams, lakes and quiet areas of rivers and streams, but cannot withstand salt water. Still continue with observation whether it is to survive in winter.

Days 1 and 2 of the workshop course exposed participants to the theory behind rodent eradications (Fig 1). The nature and importance of undertaking a project feasibility assessment was explained and the key questions that need to be answered to determine if a project is feasible were discussed.