“Seabird populations are bouncing back and native florea is recovering as Tonga’s ongoing efforts to restore island ecosystems and build climate resilience have reached another major milestone. A massive effort to remove invasive rats and feral pigs from Kelefesia and Tonumea in the Ha’apai Group was successful, as conservationists from the Government of Tonga, the Pacific Regional Invasive Species Management Support Service (PRISMSS), and Island Conservation have confirmed.

When conservationists visited the two islands to confirm the success of the 2024 restoration campaign, the ecological benefits of the success were already evident. Ground-nesting birds such as Herald Petrels, which had never before been recorded on Kelefesia, are very vulnerable to invasive species. Now, there are new pairs breeding in a secure habitat!”

From Island Conservation.