The Pacific Regional Invasive Species Management Support Service (PRISMSS) hosted a special event for environmental ministers attending the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) Ministerial High Level Talanoa to celebrate Pacific success toward scaling up the management of invasive species through the Restoring Island Resilience project. 

During the event, a panel of experts discussed the climate resilience objectives of the new project and Niue, Tonga and Samoa pledged their support for scaling up invasive species management. Island Conservation’s Head of Operations, Richard Griffiths, who is also the PRISMSS Technical lead for the Predator Free Pacific Programme, was on the panel sharing the Late Island success story and the many benefits that came from the project.  

“With the completion of Late, that will be the largest island in the Pacific where invasive rats have been removed. On the island now, seabirds are having the best breeding season that they’ve had for 1000 years. And as those seabird populations recover, so too will those all-important nutrient pathways that nourish the forests, the soils, and also the island’s surrounding reefs.” – Richard Griffiths, Island Conservation Head of Operations  

The Climate Change Adaptation Adviser at SPREP Filomena Nelson, was also on the panel shedding light on the interconnectedness of invasive species removal and climate adaptation.  

“There’s a clear link between how do we adapt to the impacts of climate change and how do we manage or support eradication of invasive species in our region? There’s a clear link between that. Our natural ecosystems, they provide the first line of defense against storm surges, against flooding events.” – Filomena Nelson, SPREP Climate Change Adaptation Adviser  

Filomena Nelson continues to emphasize the positive impacts of funding opportunities like this in providing the countries in the region access to additional financial support to tackle this issue. The Restoring Island Resilience project aims to help Pacific Island nations to scale up the management of invasive species and increase the resilience of island ecosystems and communities.  

This event successfully launched the New Zealand Government funded PRISMSS Restoring Island Resilience project, which will run until 2026, and is a big win for the planet. As Richard Griffiths puts it, so long as we can prevent the reintroduction of invasive species, “the benefits from the projects are going to live on forever.”  

Check out the full video for more details >>