Atiu is ramping up efforts to control invasive species that threaten its environment, food supply and climate resilience, with vital support from regional and international partners. On the island, African tulip trees, rats, feral cats and wild pigs have been identified as major threats to the island’s ecosystems. These species are damaging forests, affecting water sources and placing additional stress on local communities already vulnerable to climate change.
“Atiu has a naturally interconnected system of streams and tributaries that supply water across the island,” said 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.”
