PILN Soundbites February 2013 Edition

INVASIVE AND WASTE MANAGEMENT PROJECT BEGINS

As from the PILN Soundbites, February 2013 Edition - The Invasive Species and the Waste Management teams from SPREP recently returned from a mission to Tahiti, French Polynesia where they met with various government agencies and nongovernmental organisations on invasive species and waste management issues. The problem is that the Little Fire Ant (Wasmannia auropunctata) is in Tahiti, with a small population on neighbouring Mo’orea island. The ant is spreading throughout Tahiti, with most of the municipalities on the island being afflicted.

"Going green with composting is good so long as Little Fire Ants are kept at bay. SPREP staff inspect a compost site with no Little Fire Ants."

The green waste is one of the pathways for the spread of this invasive ant. The project, which is funded by Fonds Pacifique, Mahina municipality and SPREP, will explore options for managing waste in order to limit the spread of the ant. The key is protecting the other islands of French Polynesia from being contaminated by the ants. Other countries of the Pacific should also be on alert and ensure that good biosecurity measures (including early detection and rapid response plan) are in place.

For more details on the project, please contact David Moverley (davidm@sprep.org).