The recent inaugural Oceania Seabird Symposium brought together birders, researchers, government and non-government organisations at Auckland University, New Zealand, to learn more about seabird conservation and monitoring efforts taking place across the region.

The Cook Islands was well represented with Kas Silk from National Environment Service, Brennan Panzerella from Muri Environment Care and Alanna Smith from Te Ipukarea Society, sponsored by the Australian Seabird Group, who promote seabird research and conservation in Australasian and the South Pacific. The Cook Islands country report spoke to a range of different seabird conservation activities carried out over the past five years, from rat eradication projects on Suwarrow (Cook Islands National Park), Palmerston and Takutea to enhance ecosystem benefits, including improved ground nesting seabird numbers. New National monitoring surveys for species we rarely see including petrel and shearwater species which come to land at night were also discussed. Petrels and shearwaters have unique tube noses and can either nest on the ground or in crevices and burrows. From this new monitoring project, the local team were able to share more on recent night surveys, which for the first time, revealed hotspots of Tropical shearwater and Tahiti petrel activity within the inland Takuvaine valley area.

Researchers from Tahiti spoke about the ecological benefits of seabird guano (poo). For example, guano brought to land provides nutrients for plants to grow, rain washes some of the nutrients back to the surrounding coral reef ecosystem helping reefs to grow and in turn supporting healthy homes for reef fish to thrive. This is called the Seabird Nutrient Cycle.

Controlling coconut tree numbers was also discussed to allow for more favourable seabird nesting sites. For example, a six-year coconut tree eradication project on Palmyra has taken place with the replanting of native coastal shrubs and trees to provide more suitable habitat for seabirds and other species. A similar coconut tree control project is in the pipeline for parts of Tetiaroa Island, in Tahiti, where parts of Tetiaroa are to be cleared of coconut trees and replanted with preferred nesting flora by seabirds. Such restoration ideas could be possible for islets within Suwarrow, the Cook Islands National Park, and hotspot for numerous nesting seabird species including, Boobies, Sooty terns, Frigate birds and many more!

Threats to seabirds were closely covered from predator species such as rats, dogs and cats to the less conspicuous invasive species being the Yellow Crazy Ant. These ants have spread across the pacific via the introduction of new plants with contaminated soil hosting the ants. Tetiaroa, Tahiti has recently been invaded by the Yellow Crazy Ant resulting in negative impacts on native flora, blindness in nesting seabirds due to ant attacks, and increased crab mortality.

With the Yellow Crazy Ant now recorded on Rarotonga, Manuae, Mitiaro and Atiu, it’s important we are vigilant and take responsibility for checking all cargo and air freighted goods for these hard to miss pests. This will help halt their spread and so their opportunity to degrade our pristine ecosystems such as the recently declared rat free island of Palmerston and the recently rat eradicated island of Takutea.

The local seabirding team look forward to drawing on their new learnings and contacts gained from the symposium. Project ‘Te manu tai o te Kuki Airani’ will run over the next two years, monitoring the rarely seen petrel and shearwater species on Rarotonga, Aitu and Mangaia. Threats will also be identified, along with recommendations for possible restoration projects, to help protect these elusive seabirds in the future.