This is a summary of New Caledonia's Strategy for Invasive Alien Species that threaten natural ecosystems which was endorsed by the governing board of the Conservatoire d'espaces naturels (CEN) at the end of 2016. This summary was produced to raise awareness amongst New Calendonians and visitors of the priority actions that have been developed at the territory level and the urgent need for cooperative action to address this major threat to the country.

Setting up pig traps.

Setting up pig traps.

The Pacific islands of Oceania cover almost 15% of the world’s surface and are characterised by a high degree of ecosystem and species diversity. The region is characterised by thousands of isolated small coral atolls and higher volcanic islands, which has led to the high diversity of species found today. In fact, the number of plants and animals found nowhere else on earth (endemic species) is extremely high - often up to 90% for particular groups. Often, these rare and endemic species are adapted to specialised habitats and limited to small areas of a few islands.

New Caledonia is a tropical archipelago of the South Pacific Ocean, and is one of the 36 world biodiversity hotspots. However, its unique biodiversity is increasingly threatened by habitat fragmentation and introductions of invasive alien species. Among these invaders, the red-vented bulbul (Pycnonotus cafer) is currently expanding towards the north of the main island. This passerine features in the IUCN-ISSG list of the 100 worst invasive species of the world because of impacts caused by its diet.

Brochure (French & English) on setting up pig traps.

The Restoration of Ecosystem Services and Adaptation to Climate Change (RESCCUE) project is a regional project implemented by the Pacific Community. The overall goal of RESCCUE is to contribute to increasing the resilience of Pacific Island Countries and Territories (PICTs) in the context of global changes. To this end RESCCUE aims at supporting adaptation to climate change (ACC) through integrated coastal management (ICM), resorting especially to economic analysis and economic and financial mechanisms.