In a significant advancement for biodiversity and community resilience in the Pacific, Island Conservation, in partnership with the Tuvalu Department of Environment and supported by the Pacific Regional Invasive Species Management Support Service (PRISMSS) programme, has completed the eradication of invasive rats from four key islets on Nukufetau Atoll.
This effort, part of the PRISMSS’s Predator Free Pacific (PFP) programme, brings renewed hope for the region’s fragile ecosystems and sets a precedent for similar conservation initiatives across the Pacific Islands.
From July to September 2024, invasive rats were removed from Motumua, Sakalua, Teafuaone, and Teafatule islets in Tuvalu. These islets, which serve as nesting sites for Pacific bird species and hatcheries for endangered green sea turtles, were under severe threat from invasive rats that damaged local habitats, depleted natural food sources, and disrupted ecological balance.
