Our Land Our Languages Language Learning in Indigenous Communities House of Representatives
Standing Committee on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs 2012
In June/July 2002 an eradication programme to remove Pacific rats from Maninita Island in the Vava'u group of the Kingdom of Tonga was initiated. The techniques used were similar to those
used in successful rat eradications in New Zealand, in that Pestoff 20R pellets and a network of bait stations were used.
Conditions on the island were not what was expected, the forest having been adversely affected by cyclone Waka and subsequent defoliation by caterpillars, resulting in an open forest canopy. Rats were found to be present on the island in high numbers and were breeding.
Small island states present a significant challenge in terms of sustainable tourism development. On a small island there are limited resources, economic and social activities tend to be concentrated on the coastal zone, and the interconnectivity between economic, environmental, social, cultural and political spheres is strong and pervasive. Consequently the sustainable development of tourism is more a practical necessity than an optional extra.
Many of the sea cucumber fisheries in Pacific Island countries and territories (PICTs) are in a poor state and in need of rehabilitation. This article documents the status of sea cucumbers in the region
This volume is divided into five chapters;
* Chapter 1 provides an overview of the importance of the ocean to Pacific Island people, and describes the key challenges and opportunities the ocean presents.
* Chapter 2 outlines a strategy for managing coastal areas in the Pacific.
* Chapter 3 focuses on the management of shared tuna fisheries and on ways Pacific Island countries could optimize
their benefits under a new regional management regime.
* Chapter 4 analyzes the policy and regulatory environment for seabed mining.
This paper points out that the exposure to climate hazards varies between states based both on geographical factors (such as the propensity to experience cyclones and droughts, island types and topography) and on such factors as population and infrastructure distribution, all of which provide a framework for considering regional vulnerability to climate change.
This excel file include four spreadsheets each representing a separate theme (EMG = Environmental Monitoring and Governance, IOE = Island and Ocean Ecosystems, CCR = Climate Change Resilience, WMPC = waste). Within each theme are the core national environment indicators (scrolling from left to right).