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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.

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 actions de lutte contre les espèces végétales envahissantes et de restauration de la biodiversité ont été menées sur le site UNESCO de Taputapuātea, situé sur l’île de Raiatea en Polynésie française. En valorisant le lien entre les patrimoines naturel et culturel, le projet a impulsé une dynamique de gestion écologique visant à renforcer la flore indigène, voire endémique. Grâce au travail de coordination d’un écologue présent sur le site pendant quatre ans, les actions de sensibilisation et de formation ont permis la montée en compétence et un engagement accru des communautés locales. Sur la base d’un travail de prospection de la biodiversité locale et des espèces envahissantes présentes, des actions de retrait ont été menées sur quatre espèces végétales cibles avant de procéder à la réinstallation de plants patrimoniaux. Un travail de valorisation d’un site restauré a également été réalisé par une association locale, avec l’aménagement d’un sentier pédagogique. Aujourd’hui, les acteurs locaux disposent de compétences renforcées et peuvent s’appuyer sur les équipements et serres fournis afin de poursuivre la production de plants patrimoniaux. La révision du plan de gestion du site UNESCO pourra ainsi bénéficier de leurs capacités, tandis que des financements ponctuels pourraient soutenir des actions à court terme. 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 Chair and host of the 8th Conference, Papua New Guinea, officially handed over the Chair to Fiji, the host of the 9th conference. The representative of Papua New Guinea, Mr Gunther Joku, noted that people benefit from conservation activities and stressed the importance of promoting conservation in support of government development initiatives such as roads, health and education. He also noted the importance of a whole of government approach in conservation and establishment of protected areas, including working with private sector and non government agencies. He raised the issue of resource mobilisation to support these initiatives including looking at the way donors are organised and how international funds are used to support conservation and protected areas establishment.

American Samoa is a tropical island located at approximately 14º South and 170º West in the South Pacific. American Samoa consists of five volcanic islands (Tutuila, Aunu'u, Ofu, Olosega and Ta'u), one coral atoll (Rose Atoll) and one low lying island (Swains Island). It is an unincorporated territory of the United States (U.S.) and is the only U.S. jurisdiction in the South Pacific. The most recent population estimate of 70,100 (U.S. DOC 2009) is approximately 13,000 more than the population in 2000 according to the U.S. Census. The islands are surrounded by steeply sloping coral reefs inhabited by over 250 species of coral and over 961 species of fish (Craig 2009). The majority of the population lives on the main island of Tutuila. Tutuila has a land area of 138 km2 and has steeply sloping terrain which provides very little cultivable land for the inhabitants.

Following the tsunami of Sept. 29 2009, UNESCO International Tsunami Survey Team (ITST) was coordinated by the New South Wales University’s Australian Tsunami Research Centre (ATRC) and the University of the South Pacific arrived in Apia Samoa on October 12, 2009. They were joined by the Government personnel to form the Marine Environmental Assessment Team (MEAT). The team consisted of members from the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries (Joyce Ah Leong, Mikaele Faamai); Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MNRE) (Juney Ward, Pulea Ifopo); Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environmental Programme (SPREP) (Lui Bell); The University of the South Pacific (Ed Lovell; Posa Skelton); Vassar College, USA (Prof. Brian McAdoo).

The tsunami waves that swept through parts of the Samoa Islands on 29 September 2009 brought a lot of marine life with them, portions of which were stranded on land when the waves subsided. In addition to the reef fishes of varying sizes, marine turtles, a few sharks and dolphins were also stranded. Three dolphins were reportedly stranded but rescued and released by villagers with two more that were left on land dead and were buried. This report focuses on marine turtles and attempts to give an account on the number and fate of marine turtles that were stranded on land after the tsunami waves.

A rapid assessment of the environmental impacts of the 29 September tsunami was conducted by a multi-agency team from 3 to 14 October, 2009. Fourteen “green” and 10 “brown” environmental variables were selected and measured based on the experience of the survey team and similar reports from elsewhere. During a tour of the affected area on Upolu by car and on foot those “assessable” variables were scored “high” (over two thirds affected), “medium” (over one third, less than two thirds affected), “low” (less than a third affected) or zero (unaffected). Manono and Savaii were surveyed by air with the former showing evidence of some damage and the later apparently none or very little. The most affected areas in Upolu were villages in the Aleipata, Lepa and Falealili districts with the most obvious indicators of the tsunami’s impact being solid waste (sometimes resulting from the complete destruction of a village), erosion of the beach and fore-shore and the (expected) impact on marine resources. Other environmental variables assessed also showed similar patterns. Impacts on a wharf/dry dock facility are also described (including lost fuel drums) as are the possible environmental implications of new settlements created by displaced persons (mainly revolving around sanitation, drainage and water supply).