The recent Protect our Islands Vava’u Festival was a great success because of community support and drive. The festival was implemented through SPREP and funded as part of the Pacific Regional Invasive Species Management Support Services (PRISMSS). We are very grateful to SPREP and the Ministries for Environment and Fisheries for their continued support.

Since the festival, there has been active engagement by fishermen and community. Including cleaning up of waste along their boat areas. They have even emptied bins. Taking waste to the landfill to make sure it doesn’t stay on the dock.

Inter island biosecurity is essential to protect livelihoods, economies and strengthen biodiversity. Its going to take a mountain of effort to make the changes.

That means the work really starts now…… well actually tomorrow 🙂

Whilst bigger plans are developed and resourcing sought, we can still make actions. And there is no better place to start than VEPA ambassadors. At our monthly meeting tomorrow (Tongan Friday) the topic is community driven biosecurity. Small actions are making valued and effective change.

Image: Falevai ambassador Sima, engaged her community in a talatalanoa this month.

Ambassadors are leading their own community programs each quarter between awareness and action. These initiatives are part of the greater cause for inter-island biosecurity because the best actions start at home! Now its time to give them more tools and skills to be the drivers.