Apolima Island could provide a model for rat eradication efforts across the Pacific, according to Mr. Seumaloisalafai Afele Faiilagi, Assistant Chief Executive Officer for the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MNRE).
“Apolima Island could become a model for eradicating rats on inhabited islands if it becomes rat-free, and that could be big news for Samoa and a success story in the Pacific. However, we are still a long way away from that,” he said.
Mr. Faiilagi was speaking at a special consultation with the Apolima Island community on Thursday 25 August, held in partnership with the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) and the Pacific Regional Invasive Species Management Support Service (PRISMSS).