Photo Credit: SPREP
On the 18th of June 2025, a small team from the National Environment Service and the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) travelled to Atiu to carry out a project assessment on the activities to be implemented under the RIR project. For Atiu, these activities include assisting with the current wild pig hunting program to address concerns on food security of crops; eradicating the African tulip trees which are currently at low distribution, before they become too widespread; and management of wild cats and rats to help protect endemic bird populations.
Upon meeting with the Atiu Island Council, Executive Officer Mr. Taoro Brown, and Atiu Agriculture staff, the NES local consultant who will coordinate the project, Mr. Takili Tairi, highlighted the activities to be conducted and the resources that will be provided by NES and SPREP to facilitate this work in Atiu. He noted that this project will benefit Atiu and assist with achieving some of the goals in their Island Sustainable Development Plan.
With the support of Mayor Mr. Timaau Mokoroa, Atiu EO, Mr. Taoro Brown, the Island Council and Agriculture staff, Atiu is committed to tackling the invasive species under this RIR project. RIR project consultant, Tairi, noted “this project builds on existing work that our local people are already doing to control the wild pigs in Atiu, while also supporting new initiatives. Through the eradication and management of these invasive species, this project will help to provide a more healthy ecosystem, which in turn provides healthy resources, food security and healthy livelihoods for our communities.”
For the remainder of the short visit, the team travelled to sites around the island to visit areas containing the species that will be targeted under this project, and also to take note of other invasive weed species such as taro vine (Epipremnum aureum) and Merremia (Decalobanthus peltatus), to be considered under future projects. A discussion on methodologies, approaches and mixing rates of the herbicides followed, including conducting initial checks of the equipment that has been sent over for project implementation. NES Atiu Officer, Mr. Enua Wichman, also began ground-truthing the distribution map of African tulip trees that was created with the support of Mr. Antoine Nia of ICI using Lidar and GIS software, to confirm the baseline.
The team in Atiu consisted of NES Atiu officer, Mr. Enua Wichman, NES Biodiversity Coordinator, Ms. Jessie Nicholson, RIR Invasives Project Consultant, Mr. Takili Tairi, Atiu Agriculture staff Mr. Fred Tomokino and Mr. Jason Matakino, SPREP Invasive Species Advisor, Mr. David Moverley, and SPREP PRISMSS Programmatic Coordinator, Mr. Josef Pisi.
NES looks forward to working with all project partners and stakeholders in Atiu, Mauke and Rarotonga over the next year, to help control and eradicate the invasive species under this project.
