Atiu Island is taking decisive action to tackle invasive species threatening its ecosystems and community wellbeing, with support from the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) and the Pacific Regional Invasive Species Management Support Service (PRISMSS).
Following a national scoping consultation in 2024, a Letter of Agreement was signed in February 2025 between SPREP and the Cook Islands government, formalising a joint effort to implement the PRISMSS Resilient War on Weeds (WOW) and Resilient Ecosystems, Resilient Communities (RERC) programmes across Rarotonga, Mauke, and Atiu.
On Atiu, invasive species such as the African tulip tree, rats, feral cats, and wild pigs have been identified as priority threats. These species disrupt the island’s fragile environment and pose risks to its water sources, forests, and climate resilience.
“Atiu has a naturally interconnected system of streams and tributaries that supply water across the island,” said Mr. Enua Wichman, National Environment Service Officer. “But wild pigs, through rooting, wallowing, and defecation, are damaging these systems causing erosion, water turbidity, and introducing pathogens that affect both aquatic life and human health.”
