A $50 million dollar programme to rid the Pacific of invasive species that are destroying people's livelihoods is paying dividends.
Feral cats, rats and the taro vine are having a devasting impact but, with a $20 million contribution from New Zealand, communities across the region are working together with startling results.
In Tonga, 13 paid ambassadors are in charge of controlling the rat population to protect an endangered bird the Tongan whistler or hengahenga.
It's having a startling result with the rare bird being filmed for the first time by the Vava'u Environmental Protection Association. Karen Stone who works with the association says the use of community ambassadors has been critical in the grassroots driven programme
"When you eradicate rats from islands, the increase in seabird populations increases the natural poo that's going into the ocean and this stimulates ocean ecosystems, so it provides more food for fish – the communities benefit because they live off the ocean," she says.
Alanna Smith from the Cook Islands Te Ipukarea Society says the programme requires 100% community buy-in to work but the payoff is worth it.
"Having food available and being more resilient with what they can plant at home and now that they're not having to compete with rats will definitely help in supporting food sources for our community groups," she says.
Niue is also part of the programme aiming to be the largest inhabited island in the world to get its invasive species under control by 2030.
In Fiji children are being taken on eco camps and taught about the ground frogs which act as a natural pest control against insects.
In Gau Island kava farmer Jim Waqairadovu sets feral cat traps to protect the endangered bird the Fiji Petrel.
Through a translator he says he has seen the devastating impact predators have.
"We were taught the skills for trapping wild cats in the forests and other necessary skills in an effort to conserve our natural resources."
All the groups across the Pacific come under the umbrella of the Pacific Regional Invasive Species Management Support Service known as PRISMSS.
David Moverley from the Pacific Regional Environment Programme which manages PRISSMS says its currently working on proposals for over a hundred million dollars for the Pacific.
We need to create resilient ecosystems for communities to thrive – everything that communities, people need in the Pacific comes from the environment," he says.
It's why the first PRISMSS Restoring Island Resilience Awards are being held in a fortnight.
Sponsored by Air New Zealand, all six nominated groups from Fiji, Niue, Samoa, French Polynesia, Cook Islands and Tonga will receive $5000 to help support their work on the ground and the overall winner will get another $15,000.
Some of the nominated organisations plan to use their prize money on self-setting traps created by NZ Auto Traps. It can automatically reset itself up to 100 times.
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