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Towards Greener Taxes and Subsidies in Pacific Island Countries and Territories (PICTs)

Watkins, Emma

The Restoration of Ecosystem Services and Adaptation to Climate Change (RESCCUE) project is a regional project implemented by the Pacific Community. The overall goal of RESCCUE is to contribute to increasing the resilience of Pacific Island Countries and Territories (PICTs) in the context of global changes. To this end RESCCUE aims at supporting adaptation to climate change (ACC) through integrated coastal management (ICM), resorting especially to economic analysis and economic and financial mechanisms. The RESCCUE project operates both at the regional level and in one to two pilot sites in four countries and territories: New Caledonia, Vanuatu, Fiji and French Polynesia. RESCCUE is funded primarily by the French Development Agency (AFD) and the French Global Environment Facility (FFEM) for a duration of five years (01/01/2014 to 31/12/2018). The project budget is 8.5 million Euros from AFD/FFEM. It is structured around five components: Component 1: Integrated coastal management supporting ICM implementation through ICM plans, ICM committees, and management activities concerning both terrestrial and marine ecosystems, capacity building and income generating activities. Component 2: Economic analysis using economic analysis to support coastal management and policy decisions. Component 3: Economic and financial mechanisms setting up economic and financial mechanisms to generate additional and sustainable funding for ICM: review of options (payment for ecosystem services, taxes, user fees, trust funds, quota markets, offsets, labels); feasibility studies; implementation; monitoring. Component 4: Capitalization, communication, dissemination of project outcomes in the Pacific going beyond pilot sites activities in order to have impacts at the regional level, by fostering experience sharing between sites, cross-sectoral expertise, and communication and dissemination of the project outcomes. Component 5: Project management implementing and coordinating the project, by providing technical assistance, organizing local and regional steering committees, conducting audits and evaluations (mid-term and ex-post), etc. The report is to present interesting illustrative examples. The examples were selected based on the scale of their (potential) environmental, economic and social impacts, and their relevance to the PICT region, to ensure they are representative of the broader region and any lessons learned from an example in one location could be transferable more widely. This report should be seen as a contribution to the future analysis of taxes and subsidies (and their reform) that can help to meet a range of challenges facing the PICT region. It aims to contribute to guiding the region towards greener taxes and subsidies, by building the knowledge and capacity of policy-makers and stakeholders and offering some ideas for the future further greening of instruments to support the achievement of environmental objectives.

Economic impact of invasive species in the Pacific.

Available Online

Baling, Marleen

Daigneault, Adam

Greenhalgh, Suzie

Narsey, Padma

Sinclair, Robyn Jean

Invasive species are a key threat to terrestrial biodiversity and the livelihoods of Pacific Island communities.

The impacts of introduced house mice on the breeding success of nesting seabirds on Gough Island

Available Online

Bond, Alexander L.

Caravaggi, Anthony

Cooper, John

Cuthber, Richard J.

Ryan, Peter G.

Invasive species are the main threat to island biodiversity; seabirds are particularly vulnerable and are one of the most threatened groups of birds. Gough Island, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the South Atlantic Ocean, is an Important Bird and Biodiversity Area, and one of the most important seabird colonies globally. Invasive House Mice Mus musculus depredate eggs and chicks of most seabird species on the island, but the extent of their impact has not been quantified. We used field data and bootstrapped normal distributions to estimate breeding success and the number of surviving chicks for 10 seabird species on Gough Island, and compared estimates with those of analogous species from predator-free islands. We examined the effects of season and nest-site location on the breeding success of populations on Gough Island, predicting that the breeding success of Gough birds would be lower than that of analogues, particularly among small burrownesting species. We also predicted that winter-breeding species would exhibit lower breeding success than summer-breeding species, because mice have fewer alternative food sources in winter; and below-ground nesters would have lower breeding success than surface nesters, as below-ground species are smaller so their chicks are easier prey for mice. We did indeed find that seabirds on Gough Island had low breeding success compared with analogues, losing an estimated 1 739 000 (1 467 0002 116 000) eggs/ chicks annually. Seven of the 10 focal species on Gough Island had particularly high chick mortality and may have been subject to intense mouse predation. Below-ground and winter breeders had lower breeding success than surface- and summer-breeders. MacGillivrays Prion Pachyptila macgillivrayi, Atlantic Petrel Pterodroma incerta and Tristan Albatross Diomedea dabbenena are endemic or near-endemic to Gough Island and are likely to be driven to extinction if invasive mice are not removed.

Observations of a rapid decline in invasive macroalgal cover linked to green turtle grazing in Hawaiian marine reserve

Available Online

Bahr, Keisha D.

Balazs, George H.

Coffey, Daniel M.

Rodgers, Ku'ulei

Since the 1950's, 19 algal species were intentionally (e.g., aquaculture food) and/or accidentally (e.g., ballast water) introduced into Hawaii (Glenn and Doty 1990).

Fiji climate change and health adaptation. Proceedings of the symposium.

Available Online

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.

American Samoa invasive species and action plan.

Available Online

American Samoa invasive species strategy and action plan for the only US territory in the South Pacific being such is faced with unique threats with its location from a national perspective and has a need for both nation al and regional collaborations. The ecological integrity of American Samoa is of utmost importance in the face of invasive species. The cultural identity of American Samoans is also closely tied to the ecological integrity of its natural environment. And given its a highly limited economy, any impact by invasive species on its natural ecosystems that provide goods and services will be almost immediate. The establishment of an invasive species plan, with its clearly articulated priority actions, goals and objectives will provide a guidance to deal with the threats of invasive species. The implementation of the plan will: (1) increase awareness of their threats; (2) inspire cooperation to prevent and minimize their impacts and implement appropriate approaches; and (3) improve decision making through the process of data and information sharing from the best available science. Priorities are: Implement urgent and necessary actions; Enhance capacities for informed decisions; Advance preventive and rapid-response protocols and measures.

Invasive species and human health

Biodiversity Conservation, BRB

Available Online

Mazza, Giuseppe

Tricarico, Elena

Invasive alien plants and animals are known for their disruption of ecosystems and threat to biodiversity. This book highlights their major impact on human health. This includes not only direct effects through contact with the species via bites, wounds and disease, but also indirect effects caused by changes induced in ecosystems by invasive species, such as more water hyacinth increasing mosquito levels and thereby the potential for malaria. Covering a wide range of case studies from different taxa (animals and plants), and giving an overview of the diverse impacts of invasive species on health in developed and developing countries, the book is a significant contribution that will help in prioritizing approaches to controlling invasive species and mitigating their health effects. It covers invasive plants, marine species, spiders and other arachnids, ticks and dust mites, insects, mosquitos and other diptera, freshwater species (invertebrates and fishes), amphibians and reptiles, birds and mammals.

Natural resources management and the environment in small island developing states.

Available Online

The First United Nations Conference on Environment and Development held in Rio de Janeiro in 1992 (also known as the Earth Summit) acknowledged that SIDS are a special case for sustainable development (given their unique and particular vulnerabilities).This gave rise to the First International Conference on SIDS in 1994 and the Barbados Program of Action (BPOA) which is the main policy framework addressing the economic, social and environmental vulnerabilities facing SIDS. The sustainable development of SIDS was also at the heart of the Second International Conference on SIDS held in Mauritius in 2005, and the Mauritius Strategy for the further implementation of the Programme of Action for the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States was adopted and subsequently endorsed by the United Nations General Assembly. The United Nations Conference on Environment and Sustainable Development held in Rio de Janeiro in June 2012 (Rio+20) agreed to convene the Third International Conference on SIDS in 2014. This was later endorsed by the UN General Assembly (UNGA). The Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States (SIDS) through Genuine and Durable Partnerships will be held in Samoa in September 2014. FAO has been involved in supporting SIDS in addressing sustainable development issues and has contributed to the regional preparatory process (i.e. Caribbean, Pacific and AIMS regions) as well as the inter-regional and global consultation process held at the UN Headquarters in New York in February 2014. The outcome documents of these preparatory meetings specifically mention topics that are relevant to FAOs core areas such as coastal zone management and ecosystem based approaches, institutional capacity to deter illegal, unreported and unregulated fisheries and increased attention to small-scale fisheries. Climate change is also highlighted as a threat to food security, natural resources (land, water, forest and biodiversity) and marine and coastal resources. This paper focuses on the environmental challenges of sustainable development issues with particular attention to natural resource management, environment and climate change in the food and agriculture sector (including crops, livestock, fisheries and forestry). FAOs agriculture, fisheries, forestry and technical assistance programmes provide considerable resources to assist member countries promote conservation, sustainable use and management of natural resources and to reduce the risks associated with climate extremes as well as resilience building.

Alien species as a driver of recent extinctions.

Available Online

Bellard, C.

Blackburn, T.

Cassey, P.

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.

Invasive species and climate change.

Available Online

Climate change is expected to cause extinctions when native plants and animals are prevented from migrating out of their hotter or drier habitats to more suitable climates. But for many species a more imminent or serious threat will be the opportunities created by climate change for invasive species to proliferate and cause more harm. Invasive species have already caused many extinctions and are one of the major causes of decline of native species and ecosystem degradation. The 2009 assessment of the vulnerability of Australias biodiversity to climate change noted that in many cases the impacts of invasive species benefiting from climate change are likely to exceed the direct impacts of climate change.

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