Search the SPREP Catalogue

Introduced common mynas Acridotheres tristis have been implicated as a threat to native biodiversity on the oceanic islands of St Helena and Ascension (UK). A rice-based bait treated with Starlicide® was broadcast for consumption by flocks of common mynas at the government rubbish tips on the two islands during investigations of potential myna management techniques. Bait was laid on St Helena during two 3-day periods in July and August 2009, and on Ascension over one 3-day period in November 2009. As a consequence of bait ingestion, dead mynas were found, especially under night roosts and also at the main drinking area on Ascension, following baiting. On St Helena early morning counts at the tip suggested that whilst the number of mynas fell after each treatment, lower numbers were not sustained; no reduction in numbers flying to the main roost used by birds using the tip as a feeding area was detected post-treatment. On Ascension, the number of mynas that fed at the tip and using a drinking site, and the numbers counted flying into night roosts from the direction of the tip, both indicated declines of about 70% (from about 360 to 109 individuals). Most dead birds were found following the first day of bait application, with few apparently dying after baiting on days 2 and 3. Despite the low concentration of Starlicide used, aversion to the bait was apparent during the trials. These results indicate that Starlicide may contribute to myna control programmes but questions remain over the mode of action of the chemical (in terms of individual differences among birds the responses to its toxic properties) and the longer-term susceptibility of birds to baiting.

This report provides a summary of the analytical results for a range of food and other household items that were collected in October 2010 as part of the background information gathering phase of the Cook Islands POPs Project. The samples were analysed for a wide range of possible pesticide contaminants, including the POPs pesticides. The samples were also tested for polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)

Dioxins are organic compounds that are not produced intentionally but only as a product of other chemical procedures such as incineration, wood and fuel burning, combustion,and others. When dioxins enter the food chain,they are retained in the fatty tissue of living organisms. General hospital waste, including used bandages, are put into yellow bins to indicate that they will be burned in the incinerator. Syringes from the outer islands are delivered to the incinerator in special boxes. Needles are disposed of in a special electric burner. The incinerator area has become a dumping ground for a variety of waste not just for burning. The hospital does not have a sustainable environment policy. Quarantine wastes are incinerated at the Rarotonga airport. Two incinerators were purchased in 1973. One has only one of its two chambers operational. The other has not worked for years and has supplied parts for the other as parts are no longer available. The Airport Authority and AirNZ have had discussions about the efficiency of the incineration process, especially when food waste from LSG is included with wet waste from daily aircraft. A new incinerator for the airport is warranted if aircraft waste continues to be required to be burned at its destination.. A general survey of domestic fuel and waste burning revealed that 89% of households use gas cookers although 33%also use an umu for cooking food at least once a month. 68% burn green waste with only 2 of those who were surveyed having compost bins. 17.6 tonnes of wood and 2794 kg of LPG are burned by householders each month. Recycling is used with varying degrees of efficiency within our schools. Green waste is burned in all schools. Some attempt at composting is used in one of the primary schools. None of the schools had an environmental sustainability policy, and it was noted that students had seen already separated material combined together during the weekly collection by the waste contractors. There is not enough information about who accepts material for recycling or other more appropriate methods of disposal of school waste. In 2008,the statistics department recorded 17 million litres of gasoline and other mineral fuels imported to the Cook Islands for general use by the public for cars,boats,etc,and also by Te Aponga Uiraandthe Airport Authority. In 2010, 21% of the 9214 registered vehicles are older than 6 years with implications as to their effectiveness regarding exhaust emissions. 336,000 litres of fuel is consumed annually by the inter island shipping service and local charter and recreational craft. There is no policy about the disposal of waste oil. 11 tonnes of tobacco products including 8.5 million cigarettes were imported into the Cook Islands in 2008. 52 tonnes of plastic and polymers were imported in 2008, mainly for use by food vendors.

Millions of people are crowded along the coastal fringes of continents, attracted by rich fertile land, transport connections, port access, coastal and deep-sea fishing, and recreational opportunities. In addition, significant populations live on oceanic islands with elevations of only a few meters. Many of the world's megacities, cities with populations of many millions, are situated at the coast, and new costal infrastructure developments worth billions of dollars are being undertaken in many countries. This coastal development has accelerated over the past 50 years, but it has taken place with an assumption that the stable sea levels of the past several millenia will continue; there has been little consideration of global sea-level rise. Global sea-level rise and its resultant impact on the coastal zone, one of the consequences of global climate change, has been identified as one of the major challenges facing humankind in the 21st century. Impacts on the environment, the economy, and societies in the coastal zone will likely be large.

Rarotonga the capital of the Cook Islands is rapidly developing with tourism as one of the major income earners for the country. The health of the lagoon and reef is important for the welfare of the people. It is vital that the health of the lagoon is monitored and action is taken to protect the health of the lagoon, coral reef and the people that use it. Human activities contribute to the decreased water quality, for example farming of pigs, deforestation and farming crops close to streams. The water quality monitoring programme gives an evaluation of the state of the streams and lagoon, and can be used to identify issues that need to be addressed.

The issues of weather and climate have been of increasing interest and concern for Pacific Island Countries and Territories over recent years. This reflects the vulnerability of Pacific islands to extreme weather events and other potential disasters that have a weather-related component.

Plastic production pellets sampled from four beaches along a stretch of coastline (south Devon, SW England) and accompanying, loosely adhered and entrapped material removed ultrasonically have been analysed for major metals (Al, Fe, Mn) and trace metals (Cu, Zn, Pb, Ag, Cd, Co, Cr, Mo, Sb, Sn, U) following acid digestion. In most cases, metal concentrations in composite pellet samples from each site were less than but within an order of magnitude of corresponding concentrations in the pooled extraneous materials. However, normalisation of data with respect to Al revealed enrichment of Cd and Pb in plastic pellets at two sites. These observations are not wholly due to the association of pellets with fine material that is resistant to ultrasonication since new polyethylene pellets suspended in a harbour for 8 weeks accumulated metals from sea water through adsorption and precipitation. The environmental implications and potential applications of these findings are discussed.

The thesis is a comprehensive assessment of the effects of oil and dispersed oil on subtidal seagrass using a range of in situ and laboratory experiments on whole plants and seagrass leafblade sections. Apart from assessing the effects of oil and dispersed oil on seagrass between seasons, locations and morphologically different species, the study determines whether laboratory results are indicative of those obtained in situ as an initial step in developing a rapid laboratory testing protocol for seagrass assessment.

The project aims to develop climate change adaptation policies and strategies to assist the Pacific Island tourism sector protect and grow local livelihoods.

In 1989, the Asian Development Bank provided technical assistance to the then Department of Agriculture and the Survey Department through a NZ Consulting Firm - ANZDEC under an ADB Land Resource Planning Survey Project. The Project provided training on mapping and GIS capability for the survey staff who were involved in the mapping work. Electronic GIS data and equipment were handed over to the Department of Agriculture at the end of the project which were later on damaged by Cyclone Ofa in 1990. A decade later, the Integrated Climate Change Risks in Agriculture and Health Sectors (ICCRAHSS) Project funded by the GEF through UNDP contracted the services of a consultant to provide: -improved GIS maps for soil, crops and rainfall distribution under different climatic projections; -review existing GIS systems and possible areas for collaboration; -consider a program to support capacity building on the use of the system and; -some applications that addresses options for climate change adaptation for the agriculture sector. Based on this report, a GIS system for the Ministry of Agriculture was procured to address the need for such a system to be in place with the expectation that the system will be properly utilized and maintained by relevant people.