Completed Projects

• Identifying sites of global biodiversity conservation for the Fiji BSAP. Click here.
• Saving Fiji’s forest hotspots. Click here.
• Sustainable management of sites globally important for biodiversity in the Pacific. Click here.
• Protecting the internationally important seabird colony of Vatu-i-Ra Island, Fiji. Click here.

Identifying sites of global biodiversity conservation for the Fiji BSAP back to top

Funded by the UK Government Darwin Initiative (project ref: 11/022)

This three-year project (2002-2005) had several key objectives including:

• Researching and Identifying Important Bird Areas
• Assisting the technical training of Fijian conservationists in terrestrial conservation
• Increasing awareness of conservation and sustainable development across all sectors of society
• The raising of resources for the sustainable management of IBAs

The project successfully achieved all four objectives, with 14 sites of global importance for birds being identified through extensive field work and published in the directory Important Bird Areas (IBAs) in Fiji: Conserving Fiji’s Natural Heritage. Click for BirdLife news and IBA flyer.

The work greatly enhanced the knowledge of Fiji’s avifauna and forests; a particular land-mark was the rediscovery of the endemic Long-legged Thicketbird Trichocichla rufa last seen in 1894 and previously feared extinct.

Some of the new information on Fiji’s threatened birds is good news; some threatened species are more widespread than was previously thought, apparently having been overlooked in the past. The Pink-billed Parrotfinch Erythrura kleinschmidti, rarely seen in the years preceding this project and accordingly classified as Endangered, now appears to be widespread at low densities widely across Viti Levu and is  now classified as Vulnerable. Similarly, the threat status of the Long-legged Warbler has also been revised after being rediscovered at several more sites after the initial record at Wabu and it has been moved from being classed as Data Deficient to Endangered (EN). 

However, it is not all good news for bird conservation in Fiji; the Critically Endangered Red-throated Lorikeet was not observed during the project, a further indication the species remains perilously close to extinction in the remaining extensive tracts of forest on Viti Levu.

The challenges to conserving Fiji’s forest resources remain significant as Fiji has already lost the majority of its forest resources due to logging, urban and agricultural encroachment and invasive alien species posing the greatest threats to these forests. Poor logging practices have caused land degradation and also increase access of invasive alien plants and animals.

With Fiji’s IBAs being identified, the challenge is to turn research in to action which is currently being undertaken with further support from the Darwin Initiative. A project titled Community-Based Conservation Groups at Fiji’s Key Conservation Sites was initiated in 2006 to build the capacity of Fijian conservation professionals to conserve forest resources through the establishment of protected areas, management planning processes and monitoring frameworks. These conservation professionals will then train community members in the management of their own forest resources.

For more details, please contact Vilikesa Masibalavu, Senior Conservation Officer, vilikesa@birdlifepacific.org.fj

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Saving Fiji’s forest hotspots back to top

Funded by the Australian Government Regional Natural Heritage Programme (Ref nr 05/034)

Sustainable management of sites globally important for biodiversity in the Pacific back to top

Funded by the European Commission (ref nr: ENV/RPA/02/0648/TF)

This four year project, completed in March 2008, is a milestone for conservation on Pacific Islands. The overall purpose of the project was to research areas of international importance for biodiversity on Pacific Islands using birds as biodiversity indicators and then to document and disseminate these Important Bird Areas (IBAs). Birds are particularly useful as bio-indicators as they are sensitive to environmental change but that the same time are relatively easy to monitor, this provide a valuable index of key areas for biodiversity.

The project was implemented by Société Calédonienne d’Ornithologie (SCO) in New Caledonia, Société d'Ornithologie de Polynésie (SOP Manu) in French Polynesia, Palau Conservation Society (PCS) in Palau and by the Birdlife International Fiji Programme in Fiji. The Partners and the Fiji Programme undertook extensive field research in these four countries and national IBA inventories have been published (or are being published) in all four countries. In addition, experts have undertaken desk-based studies and compiled IBA inventories for a further 13 Pacific Island Countries or Territories (PICTs): the Commonwealth of the North Mariana Islands, Guam, Kiribati, Federated States of Micronesia, Marshall Islands, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Wallis and Futuna, Tonga, Niue, Nauru, Tuvalu and a review of the Pitcairn Island group was undertaken by the RSPB (the BirdLife Partner in the UK). The data will be available on the World Bird Database by Mid 2008.  This represents the most comprehensive set of terrestrial biodiversity priority sites for the Pacific Region, which can be used to guide conservation action.

The success of the project extends beyond the technical aspects identifying and disseminating information on biodiversity priorities.  An important outcome of the project has been to raise awareness and build capacity at a national and regional level for the sustainable management of globally important sites for biodiversity. The Birdlife Partners who have implemented the project have forged strong national partnerships with other NGOs and Government agencies and developed conservation programmes focused on scientifically set priorities.  The vast majority of the IBAs identified are under community ownership, either legally or customary ownership and the establishment of Site Support Groups (SSGs) will be critical to enhancing the impact and sustainability of the project by empowering communities to manage their own natural resources in a sustainable manner. 

Key outputs of the project include:

• High-quality inventories documenting 8 IBAs in Palau, 14 in Fiji, 32 in New Caledonia and 32 French Polynesia
• Desk-based reviews for 13 PICTs to be published on the World Bird Database
• High quality data on endangered bird species which is being used to review the status of critical species
• Strengthened capacity of Birdlife Partners and national partnerships with NGOs and Government Departments to implement site-based conservation
• The establishment of community-based conservation programmes promoting sustainable management of natural resources

For more details, please contact James Millett James@birdlifepacific.org.fj

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Protecting the internationally important seabird colony of Vatu-i-Ra Island back to top

Vatu-i-Ra is a small island in Fiji, and since 2005 an IBA supporting more than 10,000 pairs of breeding seabirds of six species. The community that owns the island was keen to protect its resource and to develop low-impact tourist visits there. However, a very high population of rats was an immediate threat because rats predate eggs and chicks of seabirds and are responsible for the destruction of countless seabird colonies.

This project was aimed to remove the rats from Vatu-i-Ra island, establish biosecurity controls to prevent re-invasion, and to train community members in rat eradication, seabird identification, and methods for preventing the re-establishment of rats and other introduced species. The project was carried out in 2006/2007 and in 2008, eighteen months after the actual eradication exercise, the island has been declared rat free. Quarantine measures to prevent an accidental reintroduction of rats or other invasive species have been adopted by the island landowners and are being promoted among other communities associated with the island. The lessons learned through this highly successful project are currently being used in a larger Pacific project funded by the David and Lucile Packard Foundation. Click here for more information.

For more information, please contact Elenoa Seniloli at seniloli@birdlifepacific.org.fj

Click here to view the BirdLife Vatu-i-ra news story.

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