A GEF-6 Regional Invasives Project Workshop was held from the 23 -27 June at the Muri Beach Club Hotel, where 4 Pacific Island countries, Niue, Tonga, Marshall Islands and Tuvalu came together to discuss project achievements, effective partnerships, and sustainable pathways to integrate activities into national programmes and future projects.
The project aims to reduce the threats from Invasive Alien Species (IAS) to terrestrial, freshwater and marine biodiversity by developing and implementing comprehensive national and regional IAS management frameworks.
The National Environment Service, Ministry of Agriculture and Te Ipukarea Society were part of a one-day workshop on Wednesday 25th June to learn from the successes and challenges of implementing activities for the above-mentioned countries, and to discuss the upcoming GEF-8 Regional Invasives project, which the Cook Islands is a part of. The regional project will feature elements from the Pacific Regional Invasives Species Management Support Service (PRISMSS) 5 programs, such as National and inter-island biosecurity, removal of introduced mammalian predators, and biological control of widespread weeds.
Representatives from NES and MoA identified activities and programs that is beneficial to the Cook Islands under the GEF-8 project as well as identifying projects that can be funded under the three financial institutions such as the Adaptation Fund, Green Climate Fund and the Global Environment Facility.
The Cook Islands identified eradication projects for the mynah bird, rats, wild pigs and cats for some Pa Enua islands and Rarotonga as well as the introduction of bio-controls for some species.
The project is expected to produce the following four outcomes: Strengthening of Invasive Species Management across sectors, Enhancing Invasive Species Control and surveillance, Improve Invasive Species Knowledge, and Improving Capacity.
The GEF-8 Project will begin implementation in October 2026.
