Celebrating 25 Years of Action for Biodiversity

Studies have suggested the total number of inshore fish and offshore species could be 900 or more [ ] 226 Fruitful ideas for conservation interventions The main intervention favoured by most R2R BIORAP respondents was the implementation of enforceable conservation and restoration prac- tices, including the establishment, or strengthening of, systems of marine managed areas, including some no- take Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). Also suggested were restrictions on the catching of particularly threatened species until their numbers recovered sufficiently to allow exploitation to recommence. Other interventions suggested were improved marine pol- lution control and waste management, including improved household and institutional sewerage treatment and disposal; and enforceable legislation or by-laws against coral degradation such as damage due to boat anchors. A con- certed campaign to raise awareness of the importance and conservation sta- tus of biodiversity was also considered a priority by most contributors. The main interventions to address the drivers of the loss of terrestrial BES were the implementation of enforceable conservation and res- toration practices, national aware- ness and education programmes; the propagation, and replanting of coastal protection species, specifi- cally coastal reforestation, and the establishment of nurseries, improved windbreaks, hedges and seawalls. Among the suggested conservation interventions would be the designa- tion of selected uninhabited reef islets as wildlife reserves for threatened native plants and animals where their exploitation could be made illegal or where sustainable harvesting prac- tices could be encouraged. Such islets would ideally be free from pests such as ants, rats and weeds or could be the focus of eradication programmes for these species. Islets like Tepuka Islet and the associated marine pro- tected area could also serve as nature and cultural tourism sites and living laboratories for Tuvaluan students to learn about their biodiversity and ecosystem services. Agricultural conservation areas could also be established, which could include: • An excavated taro pit garden conservation and enrichment ini- tiative, in which a diversity of cul- tivars of both taro and other plants could be promoted, as well as the planting of important mulching or fertilizer plants around these areas • The promotion of mixed coco- nut-dominant agroforestry areas • The establishment of fodder and mulching plant reserves with appropriate plants used for feeding pigs and other animals, many of which are also the main plants used for mulching and composting. This could include living fencing and hedging that can be pruned to provide fodder or mulch • Village garden enrichment pro- grammes that include increased cropping of food trees and other perennial food plants, short-term seasonal vegetables, medicinal and other culturally valuable plants and improved hedge plants. This could also see villages designated as hor- ticultural enrichment areas. T uvalu is a group of nine small low-lying limestone islands or atolls with a total land area of only 25.9km 2 spread over an ocean area of about 1.3 million km 2 . Tuvalu’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) covers an oceanic area of approximately 900,000km 2 . Funafuti, the most highly populated atoll and capital, has 33 islets encircling a lagoon with a land area of about 275km 2 . The isolated, small, low-lying resource-poor atolls of Tuvalu are on the frontline against climate change, with the escalation impacting natural disasters and declining food, health and energy security. Red eyed frogs, Funafuti, Funafute Michael Coghlan on flickr Tuvalu