On 21 August 2026, Takili Talagi-Tairi, consultant coordinating the Restoring Island Resilience (RIR) project, and Josef Pisi of SPREP arrived in Mauke to undertake a PRISMSS Restoring Island Resilience (RIR) RERC Follow-Up Technical Support visit.
The purpose of the visit was to undertake follow-up site assessments of the PRISMSS RIR project sites, evaluate implementation progress against previous recommendations, provide technical guidance on invasive species management, strengthen monitoring and reporting systems, and identify priority technical and operational support required to sustain project outcomes.
During their visit, Takili and Josef worked alongside the Mauke Environment Officer and Department of Mauke Agriculture team to assess the current condition of the project sites and discuss progress on invasive species management activities.
During the site visits and monitoring activities, the Mauke team showed Takili and Josef areas where follow-up monitoring and spraying of red passion fruit vines had been carried out. They also compared the condition of the sites before the project began, during implementation, and at present.
“The follow-up visit provides an important opportunity to see the progress on the ground, assess what has worked, and identify what further technical support is needed to sustain the results.”
– Josef Pisi
The comparison showed that although red passion fruit vines are still visible at some sites, the situation has improved significantly compared with previous years and conditions before the project commenced. The vines are no longer as widespread or dense as they were previously.
Continued monitoring, spraying and management will be important to prevent further spread and maintain the progress achieved through the project.
The long-term vision for Mauke is for red passion fruit to be declared eradicated from the island by 2031. Achieving this goal will require continued monitoring, follow-up control measures, community involvement, and collaboration between the Mauke Environment Office, Department of Mauke Agriculture, the RIR project, SPREP and other relevant partners.
The visit provided an opportunity to review progress made so far and identify the continued support and actions required to work towards the 2031 eradication goal.
Monitoring and follow-up control of red passion fruit in Mauke.
