Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Box 7.2
Case study 2: consultation leads to community support for the
eradication of Pacifi c rats on Vatu-i-Ra Island, Fiji
Vatu-i-Ra is a small, 2.3 ha island located in the Vatu-i-Ra Channel between
Vanua Levu and Viti Levu. It is about 15 km off the north east coast of Viti Levu.
The island is owned by the Nagilogilo clan (Yavusa) who live in two villages in
Rakiraki province of Viti Levu. The clan is made up of 15 families. The island is
listed as a Site of National Signifi cance (SNS) in the Fiji National Biodiversity
Strategy and Action Plan, and has also been identifi ed by BirdLife International
as one of 14 Important Bird Areas (IBA) in Fiji. The island supports nine species
of breeding seabirds including in excess of 20,000 pairs of black noddy (
Anous
tenuirostris
) as well as breeding hawkesbill turtles (
Eretmochelys imbricata
) and the
endemic pygmy snake-eyed skink (
Cryptoblecephalus eximius
).
A large population of Pacifi c rats (
R
.
exulans)
was found present on the island
during surveys undertaken by BirdLife International in 2003 and 2004. Also,
during 2004, ground-nesting seabird species were found in much smaller num-
bers than tree-nesting species (30-200 pairs of ground-nesting species compared
with about 27,000 pairs of tree-nesting black noddies). Based on evidence from
other islands where rats have been implicated in the demise and decline of sea-
bird populations (Atkinson 1985), BirdLife International, concluded that it was
Fig. 7.3
Explaining eradication to community members. Nagilogilo clan
members assist the feasibility study team with bird assessment prior to
eradicating Pacifi c rat (
Rattus exulans
) from Vatu-i-Ra (Fiji). Photo: Karen
Johns.
