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At the outset, I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to the Government of French Polynesia for the warm welcome, and for graciously hosting us in your beautiful country. I would also like to thank the Blue Cradle Foundation and collaborating partners for organising the Tiaki Moana Summit and Workshop on ‘Other Effective Area based Conservation Measures (OECM).

Operations to eradicate rat population have been taking place on islets in French Polynesia and in Wallis and Futuna to preserve native species and ecosystems threatened by these rodents. The main goal are to strengthen the resilience of communities on Ua Pou and Wallis to preserve populations of native species. These include the seabirds that nest on the islets of the Marquesas archipelago, as well as the birds, turtles, crabs and plants that comprise the ecosystems of the islets in the lagoon of Wallis.

Actions to control invasive plant species restore biodiversity were carried out at the Taputapuatea UNESCO site located on the island of Raiatea in French Polynesia. By promoting the link between natural and cultural heritage, project has stimulated an ecological management approach aimed at strengthening native, and even endemic flora. Thanks to the coordination work of an ecologist who has been on site for four years, awareness-raising and training activities have strengthened the skills and commitment of local communities. Based on a survey of local biodiversity and the invasive species present, removal actions were carries out on four target plant species before reinstalling heritage plants. One of the restored sites has also been enhanced bu the creation of an educational trail set up by the local association.

Innovative monitoring systems have been developed to measure the impact of the Rusa Deer on the undergrowth of New Caledonia rain forests and to assess the abundance of this invasive species in three priority areas of the territory. The development of these systems follows objectives that complement the professional control actions implemented within the PROTEGE framework. The monitoring aims to carry out an initial assessment and evaluate the benefits of the control operations, using tools tailored to action areas that are difficult to access and boast exceptional biodiversity. More than 80% of the plant species in high altitude rainforests are endemic to New Caledonia.

Introducing a sniffer dog team in French Polynesia and reviewing regulations in Wallis and Futuna has strengthened biosecurity measures to better prevent the introduction of invasive alien species (IAS). In order to protect a local biodiversity characterised by a high level of endemism and threatened by these introductions, the two territories decided to strengthen the prevention and control methods available to them.

Des dispositifs innovants de suivi ont été développés afin de mesurer l’impact du Cerf Rusa sur le sous-bois de forêts humides de Nouvelle Calédonie et évaluer l’abondance de cette espèce envahissante, dans trois zones prioritaires du territoire. L’élaboration de ces dispositifs poursuit des objectifs complémentaires aux actions de régulation professionnelle mises en œuvre dans le cadre de PROTEGE. Le suivi vise notamment à réaliser un état initial et à évaluer les bénéfices des opérations de régulation, grâce à des outils adaptés à des zones d’intervention difficiles d’accès et caractérisées par une biodiversité exceptionnelle, plus de 80% des espèces végétales des forêts humides d’altitude étant endémiques à la Nouvelle-Calédonie. Un travail initial de sectorisation a permis mieux de caractériser les enjeux, les pressions sur l’environnement ainsi que le contexte socio-économique afin de délimiter les zones d’intervention prioritaires. Pour la première fois en Nouvelle-Calédonie, un protocole standardisé de mesure de l’impact des cerfs a été élaboré. Il s’appuie sur plusieurs indicateurs et prend en compte les spécificités des espèces végétales concernées et des contraintes associées à sa mise en œuvre. En complément, PROTEGE a permis d’élaborer une méthodeinnovante d’évaluation de l’abondance des cerfs, reposant sur l’utilisation d’un drone équipé de capteur thermique pour l’enregistrement de vidéos nocturnes. Un algorithme développé spécifiquement a par ailleurs vocation à réaliser automatiquement les détections à partir de ces vidéos, facilitant considérablement le traitement des données. La mise en œuvre de ce protocole pour la prospection de 4 700 hectares a révélé des densités de populations et des concentrations de hardes localement très élevées, atteignant par endroits des niveaux parmi les plus élevés enregistrés à l’échelle mondiale. Ces résultats fournissent des informations précieuses pour le ciblage de futures interventions et le suivi de leurs bénéfices. FICHE FINALE DE CAPITALISATION DU PROJET PROTEGE, financé par l'Union Européenne.

La mise en place d’une brigade de chiens de détection en Polynésie française et le processus de révision de la règlementation à Wallis et Futuna ont permis de renforcer les mesures de biosécurité pour une meilleure prévention des introductions d’espèces exotiques envahissantes (EEE). Afin de protéger une biodiversité locale caractérisée par un fort taux d’endémisme et menacée par ces introductions, les deux territoires ont souhaité renforcer les moyens de contrôle et de prévention à leur disposition. FICHE FINALE DE CAPITALISATION DU PROJET PROTEGE, financé par l'Union Européenne.

The Ua Pou islets Pacific rat eradication operation was undertaken in August-September 2023. It attempted a global first of aerially broadcasting rodent bait by drone from a small ship in open sea across the islets of Motu Tākaè, Motu Oa, and Motu Mokohe, at Ua Pou in the Marquesas Islands. The aerial bait application resulted in only two of the three islands having bait successfully applied across their entirety, nonetheless, monitoring 12 months later has confirmed Motu Oa and Motu Tākaè are rat free as is the partially isolated section of Motu Mokohe that was also baited. The eradication success is supported by the establishment of biosecurity knowledge and practices throughout the Ua Pou communities. The results of the seabird and other environmental monitoring will help sustain a commitment over time, as well as benefiting the wider conservation community. The operation demonstrated that drones could be operated off a boat for rodent eradication purposes but was constrained by the consistently strong winds and swell conditions. A larger vessel with a deeper draught is recommended for similar operations in the future and would likely increase the number of flyable days and improve the ease with which take-offs and landings are undertaken by the drone pilots.

PEBACC+ aims to strengthen the resilience of ecosystems, economies and people to the impacts of climate change. The Project will support the coastal protection of Ouvea (Loyalty Islands Province) the restoration of urban mangroves in Greater Noumea (South Province) and secure water provision in Kouaoua (North Province)

The operational plan for the eradication of Pacific rats Rattus exulans from Motu Mokohae, Motu Takahe, & Motu Oa, at Ua Pou (combined area; 50ha, Marquesas), French Polynesia, establishes the methodology, responsibilities and tasks required for the implementation of the proposed eradication operation.