Reintroduction Projects in the
South Pacific
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Land Snail
Recovery,
New Caledonia
Fabrice Brescia and colleagues are working on the conservation of Placostylus
fibratus in New Caledonia (the Snail of the Isle of Pines). These
snails
are harvested for consumption from the natural populations on the Isles
of Pines. The harvest has increased over the years, reaching 48 tonnes
(about 700 000 snails) in 1993. This generates a traditional economic
activity
assessed at F CFP 22.5 millions (US $ 180 000). A recent survey showed
a 30% decrease in numbers in the field between 1993 and 1999, mostly
explained
by over exploitation of this resource. The recovery program team is
currently
developing farming methods. The plan is to produce young on mass, and
release
these into the forest to restocking populations of P. fibratus
that
have almost disappeared. Contact Fabrice Brescia (brescia@cirad.nc),
Institut Agronomique néo-Calédonien (I.A.C.)
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Imperial
Marquesas
Dove, Marquesas Islands
Five Upe, or Imperial Marquesas Piegeon (Ducula galeata), were
reintroduced
to the island of Ua Huka in May 2000, and a further 5 birds were
translocated
in 2003. Upe were previously confined to the island of Nuku Hiva in the
Marquesan archipelago (French Polynesia), and this was the source
population
for the reintroduction. The Upe is a huge frugivorous pigeon, one of
the
largest in the world. It is historically known only from Nuku
Hiva
island, but archeological evidences showed that it was present in the
past
in all the main islands of the group and was extirpated by the
Marquesan
hunters before the arrival of European navigators. The total
population
was estimated to be 140-210 in the 1990s, and the species is classified
as critically endangered by the IUCN due to its small range and to a
continuous
decline due to illegal hunting and reduction of forest habitat. Because
of the high risk of extinction the Société
d'Ornithologie de Polynésie Manu (an NGO, created in 1990
in
Tahiti devoted to bird conservation) decided with the approval of the
government
and the support of the local authorities to reintroduce the Upe on the
nearby island of Ua Huka. Since the first release the pigeons are
surveyed each year. The first chicks were observed shortly after
reintroduction, and the population has been estimated around 18 in
2004,
25 in 2005 and 32 in 2006. It seems that our objective of 50 birds on
Ua
Huka by 2010 will be achieved, thanks to the breeding rate of these
birds.
Population numbers are also slowly growing on Nuku Hiva, where people
are
now sensitive about the fate of the Upe, and Manu has been solicited by
the inhabitants of other islands from the Marquesas to reintroduce
Upe.
Contact Philippe Raust (praust@manu.pf)
or Anne Gourni (agourni@manu.pf)
and at the Société d'Ornithologie de Polynésie (sop@manu.pf).
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Kakerori, Cook Islands
Kakerori, or Rarotonga Monarch (Pomarea dimidiata) were
introduced
to Atiu Island (20º 01’ S, 158º 07’ W), southern Cook
Islands,
from 2001-2003. A total of 30 birds from the Takitumu
Conservation
Area (21º 15’ S, 159º 45’ W) in Raratonga were released.
These
consisted of 10 birds (4 yearling females, one 2-year-old female, three
yearling males, two 2-year-old males) were released in August 2001, 10
birds (6 yearling females, 4 yearling males) in August 2002, and
10 birds (5 yearling females, one 2-year-old female, 3 yearling males,
one 2-year-old female) in August 2003. Atui Island is 2693 ha, of
which about 1640 ha (60%) is suitable forest habitat (880 ha makatea
forest,
440 ha coastal or littoral forest, and 320 ha of inland forests).
The translocation is classified as introduction because there is no
evidence
the species was extirpated following human arrival. However, is
likely
that kakerori lived on Atiu in the distant (pre-human) past because the
species has been around for longer than the island of Rarotonga and so
must have lived on other, older, islands in the southern Cook
Islands.
The aim of the introduction was to establish a second population in
case
some disaster (especially tropical cyclone) hit the small population
(250-300
birds) that is confined to about 200 ha on Rarotonga. Atiu was chosen
from
other islands in the southern Cooks because of apparent absence of ship
rats (Rattus rattus), a large area of suitable habitat, no known
competitors,
no likely impact on other native wildlife, and keen interest by the
local
community to have kakerori. Birds were mist-netted late afternoon and
held
in transfer boxes overnight, or mist-netted in the early morning and
transferred
the same day, hence the holding period varied from 3-23 h. They were
supplied
with water and fruit-fly larvae while in transfer boxes. Birds were
transferred
in batches of 1-7 birds, by foot to the road-end (10-60 minutes), then
by road to airport (20 minute drive), by commercial or charter aircraft
(45 minute flight), and then by road (5-20 minutes) to release sites on
Atiu. There is ongoing monitoring of colour-banded birds on Atiu, and
in
source population on Rarotonga, and rat poisoning around the port on
Atiu
to hopefully intercept any ship rats that may arrive in cargo.
Initial
indications are that the introduction has been successful, with good
survival
of transferred birds, and successful breeding recorded in a variety of
habitat types on Atiu. See Robertson et al. (2006) (see below) or
contact Hugh Robertson (hrobertson@doc.govt.nz),
New Zealand Department of Conservation.
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Rimatara
Lorikeet, Atiu, Cook Islands
Rimatara Lorikeets, also called ‘ura, kura or Kuh’s Lorikket (Vini
kulii)
were reintroduced to Atiu Island, 215 km north-east of Rarotonga, on 24
April 2007 when 27 birds arrived by plane from Rimatara in French
Polynesia. The Rimatara birds were previously the
only population left in the species historic range, although there are
also two introduced populations in the Line Islands of Kiribati.
The kura was previously found throughout the southern Cook Islands but
appears to have been extirpated from the region by 1820 due to demand
for
its small red feathers that were used for ceremonial adornments.
It probably survived on Rimatara due to a tapu put in place by Queen
Tamaeava
Arii Vahine around 1900 and due to the absence of ship rats (Rattus
rattus)
on the island. Atiu was chosen as a reintroduction site due to
the
absence of ship rats there, and a key part of the project will be to
ensure
it remains free of ship rats. The planning for the project took
place
over a 15 year period, and was complex due to crossing of cultures,
languages
and national boundaries. The lorikeets
are
being monitored by the local Atiu population, with annual revisits by
members
of translocation team to estimate abundance and breeding activity.
There have
been at least two successful nests (fledging 4 young) on Atiu, and
>= 4 of
the translocateed birds dispersed to the neighbouring island of Mitiaro
(which
has black rats) and are persisting on that island so far.
The
reintroduction was featured in the November 2008 issue of
Psittascene, the magazine of the World Parrot Trust (www.psittascene.org). Contact Gerald McCormack (gerald@nature.gov.ck)
or Alan Lieberman
(alanlieberman@earthlink.net).
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Guam
Rail, Guam and Northern Mariana Islands
Ko’ko’ (Guam rails, Gallirallus owstoni) are endemic to the
island
of Guam, but were extirpated by introduced brown tree snakes.
However,
some birds were taken into captivity in the mid 1980s before they were
completely extirpated. A programme to introduce captive-reared
ko’ko
to snake-free Rota Island, 76 km N of Guam, was initiated in 1989 to
conserve
the species. Over 700 have been released on Rota to date, mostly
at the eastern end of Rota, but the population there appears to be
small
and unstable, at least partially due to feral cats. In September
2006, when 46 ko’ko’ were released in Apanan, located in the southern
part
of the island. The release site was moved to Apanan as it
contains
more preferred habitat and is far from a development project currently
underway in the east that will attract additional cats. Ko’ko’
have
also been reintroduced to a 22-ha area on Guam where trapping and a
perimeter
barrier have been used to reduce abundance of brown tree snakes
barrier.
Contact Suzanne Medina (medinas@guam.net)
or Paul Wenninger (pwenninger@yahoo.com),
Department of Agriculture, Guam.
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Bridled White-eyes to
Sarigan,
Northern
Mariana Islands
Biologists with the
Marianas
Avifauna Conservation Project have introduced the bridled white-eye (Zosterops
conspicillatas) to Sarigan (16°
42' N, 145° 47' E), a 500 ha island in the Northern
Mariana archipelago. This is viewed as a conservation
introduction, and is part of a larger plan to conserve endemic bird
species
threatened by the exotic brown tree snake.
50 birds (29 male, 20 female, 1 unknown) were released on 3 May
2008,
and these came from the island
of Saipan (15º
15'
N, 145º 48' E) which has a population of brown tree snakes. A total of 77 white-eyes were captured on Saipan from 22-24 April, and some were used in a
trial to
assess the degree to which white-eyes were likely to prey on Sarigan snail populations,
specifically those of the humped tree snail (Partula gibba). The
50
birds selected for release were transported to Sarigan by helicopter on
the day
of release, and 14 fitted with transmitters (model LB-2N, Holohil
Systems
Ltd). These transmitters weigh 0.35 g
and the white-eyes weigh about 7 g. The
transmitterised birds were then monitored from 3-11 May 2008. Contact Paul Radley (paulradleycnmidfw@gmail.com),
Division of Fish & Wildlife, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.
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Laysan
Teal, Midway Atoll, Hawaiian Islands
The Laysan Teal or Duck (Anas laysanensis) is endemic to the
Hawaiian Islands, where it was restricted to Laysan Island (land area
ca.
4 km2; 25º 46’N, 171º 44’W) for the last 150 years. In 2004
and
2005, teal were translocated to two islands of Midway Atoll National
Wildlife
Refuge (land area ca. 6 km2; 28° 12’ N and 177° 22’ W), part of
their presumed prehistoric range, to reduce high risk of
extinction.
Post-release monitoring with the aid of radio telemetry was used to
determine
the success of the re-introduction attempt during October 2004-2007.
The
population has increased after three breeding seasons from forty-two
founders
caught and transported directly from Laysan. 150 independent F1
and
F2 juveniles were marked with unique colour band combinations
July-November
2007. Laysan Island, the only source population, currently supports
approximately
600 Laysan Teal. Contact Michelle Reynolds (michelle_reynolds@usgs.gov).
See Reynolds et al. (2007) and/or http://biology.usgs.gov/pierc/Native_Birds/Laysan_ducks.htm.
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Reintroduction Specialist Group, Oceania Section
Updated 13 March 2009