Annual Portfolio Overview
Polynesia-Micronesia Biodiversity Hotspot
January 2011
Introduction
The Polynesia-Micronesia Hotspot includes all the islands of Micronesia, tropical Polynesia, andFiji. Included in this enormous expanse of ocean are more than 4,500 islands, representing 11
countries, eight territories and one U.S. state (Hawaii). Despite its large marine coverage, which
is four times larger than the United States, it is one of the smallest hotspots in terms of terrestrial
land area, covering only 46,315 square kilometers, an area the size of Switzerland. The total
population of the hotspot is approximately 3,235,250 but 65 percent of the population is found in
Hawaii and Fiji. Within the hotspot, six countries and territories do not meet the criteria to beeligible for CEPF support. These include Nauru; the U.S. state of Hawaii; the U.S. territories ofAmerican Samoa and Guam; the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and Tuvalu.
CEPF’s $7 million investment was launched in September 2008 with a call for proposals byConservation International’s Pacific Islands Program, which was selected as the Regional
Implementation Team (RIT). This portfolio overview describes achievements that have takenplace from 30 September 2009 until 31 December 2010 and builds upon the first annual portfolio
overview completed in January 2010.
The geographic complexity and isolated nature of Pacific Islands have led to the development of
extremely high levels of endemism in this hotspot. The various mechanisms of island
biogeography and evolution have been able to work particularly clearly in the Pacific free ofcontinental influences. As a result, the hotspot is home to approximately 5,330 native vascularplant species, of which 3,074 (57 percent) are endemic; 242 breeding native bird species of whichapproximately 164 (68 percent) are endemic; 61 native terrestrial reptiles, of which 30 (49percent) are endemic; 15 native mammals, all bats, 11 (73 percent) of which are endemic; andthree native amphibians, all endemic. Although there are no true native freshwater fish, at least 96
marine species are found as adults in freshwater and 20 species are endemic. Knowledge of
invertebrate diversity is very patchy, but for many groups that have been studied, it is high. Landsnail diversity is particularly high with over 750 species in Hawaii alone and perhaps 4,000
species in the insular tropical Pacific.
Island ecosystems and species are extremely vulnerable to impacts, such as habitat destruction
and invasive species, and therefore the flora and fauna of this hotspot ranks among the mostendangered in the world. In fact, species extinction rates in this hotspot approach the highest in
the world, especially for birds and land snails. Plant, bird, and invertebrate diversity in the hotspot
are particularly high, but diversity of non-volant mammals, reptiles and amphibians is low.
The major threats to Pacific biodiversity are human-induced and include invasive species, habitat
alteration and loss, destructive harvesting techniques, and over-exploitation of natural resources.
The impact of extreme natural events such as cyclones, drought, and fire may also be significant
at times. The future impact of climate change and sea level rise is uncertain at this stage but
threaten to be devastating, especially to low lying islands and atolls which could be submerged
completely. While many of the threats to native Pacific biodiversity are similar to those in othertropical regions of the world, Pacific Island biotas are particularly vulnerable because the biota
evolved in the absence of mammalian predators, grazing herbivores, and many of the diseases
that evolved on larger land masses. Furthermore, the small size and isolated nature of the Pacific1Islands result in increased vulnerability to disturbances that may be relatively minor on a larger
land mass.
Niche for CEPF investment
Overview
The Ecosystem Profile for Polynesia Micronesia was developed in 2003 to 2004 through a
consultative process lead by Conservation International’s Pacific Islands Program but engaged
many of the key stakeholders in the hotspot. Species outcomes in the Polynesia-Micronesia
Hotspot include all those species that are globally threatened according to the 2003 IUCN Red
List, the most recent Red List at the time the outcomes were defined in the profiling process forthe 14 eligible countries and territories. These comprised 244 threatened species that were used
to define the universe of species outcomes for this hotspot. A further prioritization identified 67
species to become the focus of CEPF’s investment.
Site outcomes were determined by identifying the sites in CEPF eligible countries that containpopulations of at least one globally threatened species. This analysis identified 161 sites within
the hotspot, each containing at least one globally threatened species, and however, this was toovast for one fund to handle alone. Consequently, sites were prioritized based on irreplaceability,
which resulted in a total of 60 top priority sites identified for CEPF support.
The appropriate niche for CEPF investment has been developed based on an analysis of threemajor themes: species and site outcomes; major threats to endangered species; and current
environmental investments together with national and regional conservation strategies.
Major findings of this analysis include the following: our knowledge of the hotspot's biodiversity
is patchy, incomplete and poorly managed; terrestrial species and site conservation is currently
weakly supported; conventional forms of protected area management have been largely
ineffective; and invasive species are the major threat to native biotas, but tackling invasive
species is relatively poorly supported. Finally, while there are many existing regional and national
conservation strategies, these strategies need much stronger support for implementation.
The niche of CEPF in the Polynesia-Micronesia Hotspot is to catalyze civil society action tocounteract threats to biodiversity, especially from invasive species, in key biodiversity areas in
the hotspot. The geographic focus for CEPF intervention in the hotspot will be on CEPF eligible
countries only. The three primary strategic directions are:1. prevent, control and eradicate invasive species in key biodiversity areas;
2. strengthen the conservation status and management of 60 key biodiversity areas; and3. build awareness and participation of local leaders and community members in theimplementation of protection and recovery plans for threatened species.
Portfolio Status
The issue of whether overseas territories in Polynesia Micronesia would be eligible to receive
funds from CEPF was resolved by the World Bank on 5th January 2010. This allowed a separate
grant portfolio of up to US $ 1 million for projects in overseas territories to be managed
separately in parallel to the grant portfolio for the Pacific Island Countries and based upon thisdecision CEPF was able to request the grantees to develop these projects which had beensuspended since August 2009.

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Based upon this restriction, CEPF’s funds available for both Pacific Island Countries (PICS) andOverseas Territories (OTS) were redistributed by the four strategic directions as follows(Table 1).
Table 1: Reallocation of CEPF’s funds for Polynesia Micronesia hotspot between PacificIsland Countries (PICS) and Overseas Territories (OTS) for large and small grant
portfolios.
Strategic Direction
1. Invasive species
prevention
2. Improve
management of key
biodiversity areas
3. Safeguard andrestore threatened
species
4. Strategic leadership
through a regional
implementation team
Total

Allocation
Large Grants
PICS

Allocation
Large Grants
OTS

Allocation
Small Grants
PICS

Allocation
Small Grants
OTS

2,421,073

422,927

106,000

50,0003,000,000

1,311,704

246,707

158,589

33,0001,750,000

949,759

197,366

202,875

50,0001,400,000

850,000
5,532,536

867,000

467,464

133,000

850,000
7,000,000

TotalsThe Secretariat and RIT have developed systems to track projects awarded to projects in the five
Overseas Territories or in the remaining nine Pacific Island Countries for both the large and small
grant portfolios.
Between 1st October 2009 and 31st December 2010, an additional 13 grants were approved assummarized in Table 2. These included six grants that addressed invasive species under strategic
direction 1, two grants under strategic direction 2 to improve management of key biodiversity
areas and another five grants strategic direction 3. Safeguard and restore threatened species.
As well as developing these projects, the Regional Implementation Team in conjunction with the
CEPF Secretariat issued a third call for proposals on 1 March 2010 for all 14 Pacific Islands
Countries and Territories as we had received all GEF Operational Focal Point Endorsements.
However, this call for proposals focused more on Overseas Territories, especially the islands ofFrench Polynesia, Wallis and Futuna, Pitcairn, Tokelau and Easter Island.
What is clear from the applications received (Graphs 2 and 3) is that comparatively, there has
been a greater demand for large grants (100) opposed to small grants (63). This is partly an
artifact of the costs of projects proposing activities to tackle invasive species, but also reflects thefollow up work on feasibility studies prepared in 2005 under the Australian Government’s
Regional Natural Heritage Programme.
There was also significant increase in the number of small grants awarded by the RIT under all
three strategic directions. These are detailed under each strategic direction below. The grant
totals in Table 2 below vary slightly from the figures in the 2009 annual portfolio overview assome projects have been amended to address budget shortfalls or make up for fluctuations in
exchange rates. In addition, occasionally, grantees do not spend the full grant amount and thesefunds are deobligated from project as part of the process to close out these grants.

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Table 2: Break down of the CEPF Polynesia Micronesia portfolio by Strategic Directions
for Pacific Island Countries (PICS) and Overseas Territories (OTS) from 1 May 2008 until
31 December 2010
Strategic Direction

PICS
Large
GrantsOTS Large
GrantsPICS
Small
GrantsOTS Small
GrantsTotals

1. Invasive species prevention
2. Improve management of key
biodiversity areas
3. Safeguard and restore
threatened species
4. Regional Implementation
Team

1,324,557

186,925

197,244-

1,708,726

636,497-

64,79635,540736,833

671,169

168,187

136,295-

975,651

Totals3,539,653

849,930

849,930
297,612398,335

35,5404,271,140

Table 3: Number of large and small grants awarded by CEPF and the RIT for PacificIsland Countries (PICS) and Overseas Territories (OTS) from 1 May 2008 until 31
December 2010.
PICS Large
GrantsOTS Large
GrantsPICS Small
GrantsOTS Small
Grants

1. Invasive species prevention
2. Improve management of key
biodiversity areas
3. Safeguard and restore
threatened species
4. Regional Implementation
Team

7

2

12

-

21

5

-

4

2

11

6

2

7

-

15

1

-

-

-

1

Total

19

4

23

2

48

Strategic Direction

TotalsTable 3: Percentage of available funds for large and small grants awarded by CEPF and the
RIT for Pacific Island Countries (PICS) and Overseas Territories (OTS) from 1 May 2008
until 31 December 2010

Strategic Direction

PICS
Large
Grantspercent
allocated

OTS Large
Grantspercent
allocated

PICS
Small
Grantspercent
allocated

OTS Small
Grantspercent
allocated

Overall
percent
allocated

55

44

186

0

57

49

0

41

108

42

71

85

67

0

70

1. Invasive species prevention
2. Improve management of key
biodiversity areas
3. Safeguard and restore
threatened species
4. Regional Implementation
Team

100

Total

63

100
41

85

27

61

Coordinating CEPF Grantmaking
There are two entities that support CEPF’s investment. The Regional Implementation Team isbased at Conservation International’s Pacific Islands Program, Apia, Samoa. This team isadvised by the Technical Advisory Group (TAG) which provides the RIT with detailed reviewsof applications and guide the development of the grant portfolio as a whole.
The RIT team comprises:

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





James Atherton, Conservation
Outcomes Manager
Leilani Duffy, Grant Manager

Siniva Tuuau-Enosa, Grant Coordinator
Pauline Johnston, Finance Manager

The previous Grant Coordinator Joanna Matthes-Tuisila departed the RIT in early 2010 and
replaced by Siniva Tuuau-Enosa who has been liaising with the grant coordinators at the CEPF
Secretariat. The importance of this relationship between the RIT and Secretariat cannot be overrestated as the coordinators provide frequent, detailed communication between the RIT and
grantees.
By the end of 2010, the CEPF Secretariat has undertaken three separate RIT Supervision
Missions to the CI PIP Offices in Samoa. These occurred between:

20-25 May 200922-26 February 201017-21 August 2010

These trips provide an important opportunity to work jointly with the RIT in reviewing the statusof the portfolio, resolve any issues that have arisen and as necessary meet with grantees either inperson or a conference call. The physical distance and time difference between CI’s
Headquarters and the Pacific Islands Program, these meetings are an important part of gauging
the performance of the RIT, the development of the portfolio as a whole and to maintain thecollaboration between the RIT and the Secretariat.
Technical advisory group
As well as the regional implementation team members, this advisory body comprises
representatives of the following institutions:
Greg Sherley (Chairperson)
Francois Martel
Easter Galuvao
Souad Boudjelas
Jean Yves-Meyer
Mark O’Brien
Marika Tuiwawa
Willy Kostka
John Watkin

UNEP, Samoa
Conservation International Pacific Islands Program(departed end 2010)
SPREP, Samoa
Pacific Invasive Initiative, Auckland
Department of Research, Ministry of Culture,
High Education and Research, French Polynesia
Birdlife Pacific Partnership, Fiji
Institute of Applied Sciences, USP, Fiji
Micronesia Conservation Trust, Pohnpei, FSM
CEPF – Washington DC

This entity provides the necessary technical advice and geographic coverage that is required toensure that CEPF’s investment has the greatest incremental value but also ensures that there is no
duplication of activities with other on-going projects.
To date the TAG has held three meetings on the following dates:

6 - 7 November 2008
21 - 22 May 2009524 - 26 May 2010

Each meeting represents an opportunity for the TAG to jointly review the letters of inquiry
received from the calls for proposals and collectively decide whether the applications fit with
CEPF’s Strategic Directions and investment priorities. The RIT tracks the decisions and records
the final response that is sent to the applicants. The minutes of these meetings represent acomprehensive record of these discussions.
The TAG has met annually during these three meetings, although members who could not attend
would attend the meetings via skype conference or teleconference. In reviewing the LOIs the
TAG do their own individual reviews one month prior to the actual meeting then they send intheir reviews to the RIT to compile all comments for the actual TAG meeting. Most members of
the TAG have said that this sometime is challenging work which requires more time for them to
do a thorough review, since its voluntary they are doing this off their own time. On the third TAG
meeting a review period of six weeks was given to all members of the TAG to do their own
review prior to the actual TAG meeting. The TAG and the RIT should be complimented on thepatience and diligence with this they have undertake the huge task of coordinating the reviews
and providing relevant and profession feedback to the applicants. This has been an enormous
task given the 164 letters of inquiry received to date.
Performance Assessment
The portfolio of grants has increased from 2009 with 23 large grants and 25 small grants
contracted as detailed in Table 2 and split between eligible Pacific Island Countries and Overseas
Territories.
These grants range from addressing conservation priorities for Critically Endangered species andundertaking IUCN assessments of little known taxa to improving the management of priority key
biodiversity areas. In addition one grant provided additional support to further develop networks
and improve data and information access across the Pacific.
Finally CEPF was able to contract two large projects in French Polynesia as a result of resolving
the issue of the eligibility of Overseas Territories favorably.
Portfolio Investment Highlights by Strategic Direction
Strategic Direction 1: Prevent, control, and eradicate invasive species in key biodiversity areas
The projects under this strategic direction have achieved a varying amount of success dependingon whether the preliminary feasibility studies had already been undertaken and which taxa theproject was addressing.
In Micronesia the project “Conserving the Biodiversity of the Pohnpei Watershed Forest Reserveby Managing Invasive Weeds” implemented by Conservation Society of Pohnpei (CSP) has
initiated project activities in partnership with the Pohnpei State Forestry and the Invasive Species
Taskforce of Pohnpei (iSTOP) and have completed their initial assessment to all known sites
known to hold stands of invasive plants to confirm the status of all locations for the five known
target species.
CSP has also launched an awareness campaign using highly interactive, ongoing education andawareness program as part of the CSP Youth to Youth (Y2Y) and Green Road Show (GRS). Thishas been undertaken in all 27 public schools throughout the Island reaching over 1,000 people.

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The grantees supported under this strategic direction have started preparing to execute therestoration campaigns, however, it has been clear to CEPF that there are significant upfront costs
for many of these projects. For instance these projects often need to pay the full amount tocharter a boat to reach the remote locations up front. Also the cost of the bait used in these
restoration campaigns is extremely expensive and the quantities required mean that this has to be
special ordered. These situations are difficult to justify within CEPF’s grant procedures as theseoften represent additional financial risk to the organization. Typically, these projects also requirea long lead in period for all the pieces to fall into place as well as requiring prolonged monitoringof the sites after the restoration has been completed to ensure that these sites are pest free.
One project in particular “Holding the Lines” has been cause for concern over the significant lackof progress or associated expenditure. Both the RIT and Secretariat have broached this issue with
SPREP who have reassured CEPF that there are legitimate reasons for the lack of progress.
It is hoped that 2011 will be a year where many of these projects complete the activities and thatthe sites targeted can then be monitored for the prerequisite two years to verify that these islands
are pest free.
There were 12 invasive species projects supported through the small grants, which looked at a
range of activities from awareness programmes on invasive species such as the crab-eating
macaque in Palau to the development of a Biosecurity Plan for Phoenix Islands. Other activities
included support to regional workshop like the Biocontrol Strategy for the Pacific and emergency
response to the management of the mongoose incursion in Samoa as well as the green iguana inFiji.
One of the biggest achievements for the small grants support to invasive species is doing the
ground work in addressing the biggest threat to the livelihoods of some of the islands in Palau andthat is the spread of the crab-eating macaque. We approved 2 small grants one to conduct anationwide census survey to locate the areas where the monkey is most concentrated and anawareness programme on the problems created by the monkey, and the second grant was to start aneutering programme to sterilize all monkeys that were identified in order to contain them andprevent the spread of the monkey to other islands of Palau. This was a successful programme
because it made people aware of the environmental, social, economic and cultural impact that thisinvasive species had on some places especially Auguar Island. When people saw theadvertisement on TV as well as continuous radio programmes most families who had monkeys aspets brought their monkey’s in to be sterilized as well as people calling the Palau Animal Welfare
and Department of Agriculture Invasive Species Coordinator (Dr. Joel Miles) reporting on people
who were illegally smuggling the monkeys from Auguar Island to the main Island Koror andother places.
Strategic Direction 2: Strengthen the conservation status and management of 60 key
biodiversity areas
The BirdLife project titled Fijians for Fijian Forests - Supporting Community-Driven Protected
Area Establishment in Fiji made impressive advances in 2010 through successfully negotiatingnine traditional clans or mataqalis to protect their forests and declaring Mt Nabukelevu as acommunity-managed Protected Area for a period of 20 years, reviewed after every 5 years. Thiswas despite the lack of legislation and enforcement to have this community-based protected area
through the national forum called the Protected Area Committee following the overturning of the
Fijian Government in 2009.

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BirdLife have developed the community protected work in tandem with promoting alternative
livelihood activities such as improved honey production, handicrafts and poultry raising as wellas improved agricultural practices and tree planting. The project has also benefitted from therecent restructuring within Government Departments, in particular the Provincial Administration
which has lead to the Provincial Officers lending their full support to the project and forging close
links with the mataqalis to promote community development through sustainable livelihood andnational environmental strategies and plans.
There have been setbacks in implementing this project both as a result of tropical cyclones,
especially in March 2010 when a devastating tropical cyclone that hit Fiji which completely
ruined the village nursery in Navetau and caused significant loss in agricultural production. In
addition there were other considerations to be taken into account when dealing with communities.
These include working around village functions such as deaths, weddings, chiefly rituals.
In the Cook Islands Conservation International’s Grant Management and Policy completed afinancial site visit in June 2010 of the Te Ipukarea Society (TIS) in relation to the grant, “TheSustainable Management of the Rarotonga Flycatcher and its Habitat” which started on 1
September 2009. This site visit focused on TIS’s financial management for the period until 31
March 2010.
The results of this site visit indicated that there were several areas that TIS would have toimprove to comply with CEPF’s policies and procedures as stated in the agreement. In addition,
as a result of confusion over the start date, costs had been booked against this project before theofficial start of the project. TIS were required to repay these costs.
Putting aside the huge conservation imperative of maintaining the activities to safeguard thisendemic bird species that had increased from 27 individual in 1987 to over 250 in 2008. Afterconsiderable negotiation, and through the diligence of the TIS project manager, this grant wassignificantly restructured and the costs incurred refunded.
However, this situation did highlight the potential problems of working with local civil society
organizations which have been created by volunteers interested in promoting environmental
conservation and sustainable development. These organizations frequently do not have in place
adequate legal and financial controls that meet generally accepted accounting practices,
organizational operational manual as well as putting in place appropriate human resources
practices. Often this is because of the small scale of these organizations which often rely on trustand operate an almost “familial attitude”.
In a bid to further bolster the capacity of TIS, in 2010 an addition grant titled, “Conservation in
the Cooks; Setting Priorities, Building Capacities” was awarded to BirdLife Pacific to raise theprofile of TIS as their national partner and develop a fundraising plan to ensure that this important
local organization can promote the importance of sound environmental stewardship to all aspectsof society.
The grant to the New England Aquarium to support the creation of a trust fund has only madelimited progress, much of which has been hampered by the protracted search for Executive
Director of the trust fund as well as securing charitable status of the fund in the United States.
There have been some positive strides to publicize creation of the protected areas through thedevelopment of a Facebook page however, there is some concern as to whether Facebook is thebest way to promote the project in the Pacific, especially for people with poor internet access.

8This grant was approved based on the CEPF global target that in each of the 10 regions a grant
has to be given to support a trust fund endowment, although this particular project did not address
any of the three strategic directions which are the core criteria in assessing applications for theregion. The New England Aquarium application fitted well with this expectation.
After two calls for proposals (2008/2009), SD-2 received the least number of applications
dealing with priority KBA sites identified in the CEPF Investment Strategy for the PolynesiaMicronesia Hotspot. This became a concern and when the 3rd call for proposal was launched ittargeted SD-2, with emphasizes on the countries with most KBA sites such as French Polynesia,
Fiji and FSM. From 2008 – 2010 about 33 percent of the priority KBA sites have been supported
as well as other sites which were identified as habitats to some of the endangered species in the
CEPF priority list.
There were 6 proposals approved in the small grants two for the French Polynesia and the rest
was for Fiji, Palau and Samoa. Most of these projects targeted species that were located in KBA
sites from plants to birds and watershed areas. One particular project which had a significant
finding is the project on Evaluating Conservation Outcomes for Samoa, whereby she concluded
that “One of the lessons learned was the reality of implementing academic into practicalapplication. While conservation evaluation has received substantial attention in the academic
literature, there remains a disconnect between what is optimal or desirable and what is achievablein evaluation application on the ground.
http://www.conservation.org/publications/Pages/biodiversity_conservation_lessons_learned.aspx
This statement is so true of many past conservation projects that have been written with highachievements in the Pacific yet a few years later after the funds had been used, when you revisit
the project it would be a totally different scenario than what is written about. Therefore, the needto have a sustainability plan or transition whereby the local communities or NGOs orgovernments who will be the custodian of these projects can continue working in the area even
without donor support.
Strategic Direction 3: Build awareness and participation of local leaders and community
members in the implementation of protection and recovery plans for threatened species
All the projects that had been supported to date continued with the implementation of theiractivities. The project to study the ecology of the Tooth-billed Pigeon (manumea) and the Mao(ma’oma’o) benefitted from the recruitment of Rebecca Stirnemann as a field assistant as well as
amending the grant to allow the purchase a vehicle.
In a bid to improve the capacity of the local communities to act as stewards of turtles nesting
CEPF supported three community representatives from three villages to undertake a study tour ofthe Marine Turtle Project implemented by the Tasiriki Village, Moso Island, Vanuatu on 20-27
February 2010.
The study tour provided “hands-on” experience for the new Fiji turtle monitors on the work
involved as turtle monitors and provided the opportunity to discuss community participation,
activities undertaken, awareness, protecting nesting turtles and turtle nesting areas, challenges. It
also provided an opportunity train the Fiji turtle monitors on turtle tagging, conducting beachsurveys for turtle nests and record keeping.

9As a result of the exchange the turtle nesting monitoring form used by communities in Vanuatu torecord information was modified to suit local conditions in Fiji and used by the community turtle
monitors. The form was also translated into Fijian for use of monitors.
There were 7 projects approved for the small grants and most targeted community awareness,study of new endangered species not on the priority list such as the endemic Samoan Swallowtail
Butterfly and rare plants of Samoa and Tonga. It was very important to note that the small grants
provided an opportunity to study rare plants of specific Polynesia countries which has been
identified as a gap in from other funding sources. Hence, under this strategic direction two
projects targeted the study of rare plants for Samoa and Tonga which also updated the list ofplants for these countries as well as contributing to the IUCN Red List on plants.
Collaboration with CEPF donors
CEPF together with other donors such as the Global Environment Facility and New Zealand
Government Aid (NZAid) had supported the PIPA (Phoenix Island Protected Area). In 2010 the
PIPA was added to the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. It is the largest and deepest World
Heritage site on Earth (website www.phoenixislands.org). CEPF’s support to the PIPA
contributes to a universal site with global significance in valuing environmental conservation of
Kiribati’s Pacific Ocean Arc focusing on the terrestrial component.
Overall, the work of CEPF in partnership with the CI-Pacific in the Pacific Region through the
RIT and TAG has fostered great working collaboration and partnerships with many regional,
international and government ministries such as ; SPREP, IUCN Oceania, TNC, University ofSouth Pacific, Secretariat Pacific Community, PII, government of Samoa, NZ Department ofConservation, UN Agencies like UNEP, UNDP and the Packard Foundation.
Conclusion
Now that the eligibility of the Overseas Territories has been clarified the portfolio of grants in
Polynesia Micronesia has started to gain momentum during 2010 with projects distributed fromMicronesia to French Polynesia. In the upcoming year, CEPF and the RIT will be able to develop
and even more robust portfolio that will help engage civil society in biodiversity conservation.
Decentralizing the small grant mechanism to the RIT as part of CEFP’s second phase has
increased the relevance of this source of funds both in providing a rapid response to emerging
threats, but also providing a locally relevant amount for community based organizations as wellas supporting planning grants or pilot approaches to test whether there is any validity inamplifying these activities.
Some of the grantees have found aspects of the CEPF application process, financial risk
assessments and antiterrorism screening and the templates that CEPF uses to be a challenge.
Both the Secretariat and RIT have spent a considerable amount of time working closely with theapplicants to demystify the requests and ensure that these exercises are regarded as a means tobuild the capacity of these grantees in applying for additional funding, not just CEPF.

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Charts – CEPF Investment in the Polynesia Micronesia Hotspot from 1 May 2008 – 31 December 2010

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Charts – CEPF Investment in the Polynesia Micronesia Hotspot from 1 May 2008 – 31 December 201013

Polynesia-Micronesia Ecosystem Profile Logical Framework
Objective

Targeted Outcome Indicators

Counteract threats to biodiversity,
especially from invasive species,
throughout the PolynesiaMicronesia hotspot focusing on
key biodiversity areas.

NGOs and civil society actors,
including the private sector,
actively participate in conservation
programs guided by the CEPF
ecosystem profile for Polynesia
Micronesia Hotspot.

There have been three first two calls for proposals distributed to over 300
contacts within the hotspot and beyond. The first was on 1 September 2008
and the second on 1 March 2009 and 1 March 2010. By 31 December
2010, 100 applications for large grants had been received and 63 small
grant applications.
Following the TAG review the portfolio is as follows:

Alliances and networks among
civil society groups formed to
avoid duplication of effort andmaximize impact in support of the
CEPF ecosystem profile for
Polynesia-Micronesia Hotspot.
60 priority key biodiversity areas
with strengthened protection andmanagement.
Intermediate Outcomes
Outcome 1:
Invasive species have been
prevented, controlled or
eradicated from priority key
biodiversity areas- Approved grants = large 23 and 25 small grants- Rejected grants = 77 large grants and 38 small grants.
GEF Focal Point Endorsement has been secured for eligible countries andterritories.
On a hotspot wide scale a grant to support to Pacific Invasive Initiative will
provide hotspot wide technical advice and training as well as preventing
duplication of activities support by other funding sources.

Intermediate Outcome
Indicators

Progress

Number of sites containing key
biodiversity areas that are free ofinvasive species increased

The key Habitat restoration of Nu’utele and Nu’ulua islands through the
management of Pacific rats and yellow crazy ants has been accomplished(KBA 156).
The invasive crab-eating macaques around Babeldaob Island in Palau havebeen sterilized to prevent further population increase (KBA 146).
Implementation of the Species Recovery Plan for the Fijian Crested Iguana
on two sites Monuriki Island (KBA 65) and Yadua Taba Island (KBA 95) inFiji to prevent invasive species occurrence in areas inhabited by the crested
iguana endemic to Fiji.

Hotspot-wide strategies to prevent
invasive species from establishing
new areas

A grant was given to Eco-Oceania outside the normal call for proposal period
to prepare a Biosecurity Plan for the Phoenix Islands Protected Area,
Kiribati. This came about because of sightings of illegal fishing boats aroundthe area and the possibility of a ship wrecked that can bring alien invasive
species to the uninhabited islands of the PIPA, after some islands have been
declared pests free and results were shown through re-vegetation growthand increase number of sea birds.

$2,500,000

14Rapid response program to
respond to sightings of invasive
species

A program of control of myna birds Acridotheres tristis has been initiated in abid to boost the breeding success of the reintroduced Kuhl’s lorikeet Vini
kuhlii on Atiu Island, Cook Islands
A grant was also given to SPREP outside of the call for proposal period to
conduct an emergency investigation into the mongoose that was found near
the new wharf in Aleipata District. Mongoose is an invasive species in Fijiand is not present in Samoa and this was the first time that it was found on
the island. So, this emergency grant was given to contained the mongooseand conduct testing on how it reached the island, either through importationof materials from Fiji for the wharf construction or other means. The
investigation was also to make sure that no mongoose population is to beestablished in Samoa

Improved awareness by civilsociety of the threat posed byinvasive species

The small grants mechanism has been established and is effectively a rapid
response mechanism that can provide up to US$ 20,000 to address
emergency issues, as exemplified by the community leaders and traditionallandowners in establishing conservation areas on islets and to implement
recovery plans for the Ratak imperial pigeon (Ducula oceanica
ratakensis) and migratory bristle-thighed curlew (Numiensis tahitiensis)
Nationwide awareness programme was conducted on preventing the spreadof crab-eating macaques throughout the Republic of Palau. This was wellreceived by many stakeholders ranging from schools to communities
throughout Koror State and Babeldoab State learning about the impact of
macaques on neighboring state of Anguar which most of the islands
livelihood had been destroyed by the macaques feeding on village crops andplantations.
The project on the documentation of an existing invasion and preventing
future introductions in the Island like Marine Lakes in Palau has provided
necessary information to Koror State Department of Conservation and Law
Enforcement on the magnitude of the threat to the jellyfish lake ecosystemby the invasive anemone. It also raised media awareness for visitors to theregion of the threats that they may unwittingly carry from too muchapplication of sun-tan lotion which has contributed to the existence of theinvasive anemone. As well as providing further trainings to Palauan marine
scientist to monitor the lake.

Outcome 2:
The conservation status of aprioritized set of key biodiversity

Number of protected areas withstrengthened protection andSite support groups have been developed for Mt. Nabukelevu and Natewa
Pennisula in Fiji.

15

areas is improved

management.
An assessment of the potential for rehabilitating of Orona, Enderbury andBirnie Islands in the Phoenix Island Protected Area has been undertaken.

$1,500,000
Number of hectares of key
biodiversity areas withstrengthened protection andmanagement.

Fund have been provided to the Line and Phoenix Islands Wildlife
Conservation Unit to implement established conservation and management
recommendations in a comprehensive and integrated approach to restore
the ecology of the Northern Line Islands
A grant to the Takitumu Conservation Area (TCA KBA-4) of Cook Islands tostrengthen the sustainable management of the site which is the habitat for
the Rarotonga flycatcher endemic to the island.

Number of newly establishedhectares or expanded protectedareas.

Support to a learning exchange by representatives of community groups toexperience the successful community turtle monitoring program by the
Vanua-Tai Resource Monitors Network. This project will allow the
representatives from two Fijian communities to learn from the Vanua-Tai’slong experience in turtle monitoring.
Support has been provided to assist in the establishment of a long-term
financing mechanism managed by the PIPA Trust Organization

Outcome 3:
A prioritized set of threatened
species are restored and haveeffective conservation safe guards$1,150,000

Effective stewardship of
biodiversity and ecosystemservices by indigenous and local
communities in enabled focal
areas
Number of projects outside
protected areas that integratebiodiversity conservation in
management practices
Number of targeted communities
involved in managing productive
use of natural resources that show
socioeconomic benefits

Hectares in productive landscapeswith improved management forbiodiversity conservation orsustainable use

Research is being undertaken on the nesting sites of the little known Fijipetrel (Pseudobulweria macgillivray the tooth-billed pigeon (Didunculus
strigirostris) and the ma’oma’o (Gymnomyza samoensis)
CEPF is supporting the implementation of the National Trust of Fiji Crested
Iguana Species Recovery Plan
A Species Recovery Plan is being developed and implemented through acommunity-based approach for the Niuafo’ou megapode or Malau(Megapodius pritchardii) in Tonga
Project has been supported for the capacity building of local staff of the
Ministry of Environment and Natural Resource Environment (MNRE) as wellas communities located on the sites identified for potential sightings of theendemic Samoan Swallowtail Butterfly as a model for valuing andconserving butterflies distinctive in the Polynesia-Micronesia hotspot.
Core scientific monitoring and research and being undertaken to ensure theconservation of the endangered kakerori (Pomarea dimidiata) through tosafeguard this flagship species in the Takitimu Conservation Area, Cook
Islands

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ffIntermediate Outcomes

Outcome 4:
An effective regional
implementation team to coordinate
the CEPF investment isestablished.

Intermediate Outcome
Indicators

Number of groups receiving grantsthat achieve a satisfactory scoreon final performance scorecard$850,000

The RIT was selected and contracted on 1 May 2008, and a TechnicalAdvisory Group has been appointed providing broad technical advice andtransparent review of the proposals received. The small grants has closed
13 projects which all have achieved their objectives set-out as shown in theconstructive final performance reports and technical reports received fromeach grantees.
Grantmaking has been initiated with two calls for proposals.

Number of learning exchanges
and participatory assessments ofportfolio-level results hosted anddocumented

Regional Implementation Team Manager (RITM) site visits and monitoring toselected countries in the Polynesia-Micronesia hotspot.
In mid-2009 RITM went on her first mission to Micronesia to promote the
CEPF Polynesia-Micronesia hotspot and conduct awareness on CEPF andthe grant making process. Stakeholder consultations were carried out ineach three countries starting from Palau, FSM and Marshall Islands. The
Palau Conservation Society which is a CI-Pacific partner in the country
assisted the RITM in arranging the stakeholder meetings and individual
meetings with each interested environmental NGO. A similar programme
was conducted for FSM and Marshall Islands.
This was the first RITM visit so it gave the new grantees for CEPF fromMicronesia Region a chance to discuss their projects and for the RITM togive guidance on areas where they were not very cleared with especially thereporting part and duration of application and when they are going to receive
first disbursement once the grant is officially approved.
The RITM (Leilani Duffy) and the Conservation Outcome Manager (James
Atherton) both attended the Island Species Led Action (ISLA) course
coordinated by Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust in Fiji for two weeks ofearly July 2009. This was an excellent training because it provided great
information on island biodiversity and especially invasive species and theircurrent threat in the Pacific Region, as well as looking at species that are
seen as critically endangered and it look at options for species recovery
activities. The course was very practical and it provided an environment forlearning and sharing among Pacific conservationists around the region.
RITM also attended the UNDP-GEF Small Grants Regional Workshop heldin Samoa in August 2009 and presented on the CEPF programme for the
Pacific. As well, CI-PIP had a side event during the SPREP Annual meeting2009 and the Conservation Outcome Manager (James Atherton) presented

17

on the work of CI in the Pacific as well as on CEPF and projects we aresupporting in the region.

In September 2009 just one week before the tsunami the RITM joined theconsultant for the Aleipata Island Restoration Project with MNRE staff toconduct a post monitoring of the island after the helicopter spray rat
eradication programme.
The field monitoring was an excellent opportunity to participate first hand in
the ground work being implemented by grantees. We had checked all thestations marked with baits to look for any signs of rats as well we hiked overthe highest peak on the island and went down to the other side to check on
baits and replace more baits. I did not see any sign of rats except for two
dead wild boar decaying and smelling bad. This was an indicator of how
effective the poison had been in killing off invasive species.
I had followed the MNRE staff who were also doing a bird count of thefriendly ground dove which had just been reintroduced into the island after it
was captured and relocated for 2 weeks while the eradication operation wasunderway. We sighted a number of friendly ground doves up on highelevation.
The Conservation Outcomes Manager also participated in a number ofgrantee projects in the reporting period- including flying fox surveys,
manumea-maomao bird research and trapping and tagging friendly ground
doves on the Aleipata islands.
The RITM went with the CEPF Team (Grant Director and Grant Coordinator)
as well as the COM, staff from MNRE and local community members to
Nuutele Island to conduct a field visit to the site (February 2010) where therat eradication operation had taken place last year in early August 2009. The
field visit included setting out baits for the rats and checking whether there
were any rats eating the baits. From all the bait stations checked there wasno sign of rats except for coconut crabs responsible for eating some of thebaits. This was a good indicator of rats being phased out from the island, aswell, there were friendly ground dove spotted near the coastal area. This is
another indicator of the non presence of rats, because according to the
MNRE Staff (Moe) who took us to the island, the friendly ground dove was
not seen flying near the coast prior to the eradication programme because of
the existence of rats.

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The COM attended selected sites to look for the Gymnomyza samoaensis(Ma'oma'o bird) with Dr. Dave Butler the grantee for this project"Implementing the recovery plan for the tooth-billed pigeon and Ma'oma'othreatened birds in Samoa'. There were a couple of sites and the main
selected site now is Vaisigano (Magiagi Forest).
The COM did site visits to a number of small grant projects in Samoa
including the mongoose eradication project, the Samoa butterfly project, therare plants of Samoa project and the Samoa flying fox project. He did nothave any issues to report on any of these projects.
The RIT had also attended a PII training workshop for the Aleipata
community on Biosecurity. This was an interesting training because it
brought community stakeholders from Aleipata who were involved in theprotection of the island from any pest invasion. The training had boost
interest from the community to practice Biosecurity measures and enforcing
checking of any bags and items that are taken to the island to ensure that nopest are reintroduced again.
RIT Coordinator went on supervision mission in Fiji and conducted a site visit
to the National Trust Fiji project site on Monuriki Island with the iguanatranslocation to the Eco-Kula Park. This was a very interesting site visit as it
shows the local community commitment into the re-establishment of theiguana population on the island as they threaten by the presents of goats.
The Eco-Kula Park provided a safe haven for the regeneration of iguana
until they reach a certain number then they will be returned to their originalsite. Apart from the project site visit, the RIT Coordinator also conducted
meetings with grantees in Fiji to get an insight in the progress of their workand from what the grantees were saying their project were quite successful
with local community.
The METT tools still remains a problem for grantees in providing accurate
information on data regarding hectares of land covered by project etc. This
could be due to the complicated list on the METT tools and questions.

Strategic Funding Summary
Total Budget AmountAmountUS $6,000,000

19

20

Approved Grants in Polynesia-Micronesia Hotspot in 2010
Polynesia-Micronesia
Strategic Direction 1. Prevent, control, and eradicate invasive species in key biodiversity areas
Holding the Lines — Restoration of the Northern Line Islands, Kiribati
Assist the Government of Kiribati's Line and Phoenix Islands Wildlife Conservation Unit to implement
established conservation and management recommendations in a comprehensive and integrated approachto restore the ecology of Northern Line Islands; a key biodiversity area with globally significant sea birdcolonies. This project will help improve quarantine controls and address urgent threats from invasive
species.
Funding:$165,000

Grant Term:

10/1/2009 - 9/30/2011

Grantee:

Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme

Habitat Restoration of Priority Islands in the Phoenix Islands Protected Area
Improve the breeding success of indigenous seabirds on Orona, Enderbury and Birnie Islands in the
Phoenix Island Protected Area by eliminating invasive species. Also enact measures that keep theseimportant seabird breeding sites pest-free in perpetuity. The lessons learned from these activities will be
published and assist in improving pest management techniques on other tropical islands.
Funding:$292,000

Grant Term:

11/1/2009 - 12/31/2010

Grantee:

Pacific Expeditions, Limited

Pacific Invasives Learning Network: Expanding and Consolidating the Network to Build Capacity
for Invasive Species Management Across the Pacific Islands
Expand and consolidate the Pacific Invasive Learning Network in the Polynesia-Micronesia Hotspot andinitiate the inclusion of the remaining CEPF eligible countries of the Cook Islands, Niue and Tonga. The
project will also provide training and learning opportunities for other CEPF-funded projects in the hotspot
and contribute to the effective management of the biggest threat to native Pacific biodiversity, namely
invasive species.
Funding:$81,950

Grant Term:

2/1/2010 - 7/31/2011

Grantee:

Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme

Conserving the Biodiversity of the Pohnpei Watershed Forest Reserve by Managing Invasive
Weeds
On the island of Pohnpei, support the removal of five invasive plant species from the Pohnpei Watershed
Forest Reserve and improve the management of the Pohnpei Central Forest, a key biodiversity area that is21home to nine globally threatened species. Promote awareness and education of these threats throughcommunity conservation officers to prevent the reintroduction of invasive species of plants and animals
onto the island.
Funding:$184,329

Grant Term:

4/1/2010 - 3/31/2013

Grantee:

Conservation Society of Pohnpei

Safeguarding the Endemic Henderson Crake (Porzana atra) During the Restoration of Henderson
Island World Heritage Site
Gather and protect ex-situ a viable number of Henderson crakes that are endemic to Henderson Island in
the Pitcairn Group during a sustained campaign to remove Pacific rats. This project will make significant
strides to prevent the global extinction of this species as well as several other threatened marine birds
achieving a milestone in maintaining and protecting the natural heritage uniqueness of Henderson Island
World Heritage site.

Funding:$129,425

Grant Term:

10/1/2010 - 12/31/2011

Grantee:Royal Society for the Protection of Birds

Survey of Indigenous Biota and Pests in the Tokelau Islands
Survey the fauna and flora of the Tokelau Atolls to assess the priorities and feasibility for ecologicalrestoration and biosecurity for the island group. This work will integrate with the local government andcommunities in looking at a strategic approach of the values, threats, and opportunities for site and area
management in the country.
Funding:$57,500

Grant Term:

10/1/2010 - 1/31/2012

Grantee:Eco Oceania Pty Limited

Strategic Direction 2. Strengthen the conservation status and management of 60 key biodiversity
areas
Conservation in the Cooks: Setting Priorities, Building Capacities
Establish conservation priorities through the identification of important bird areas and refinement of key
biodiversity areas throughout the Cook Islands group. Build the capacity of local partner organization toundertake these processes, and develop a fundraising strategy for Te Ipukarea Society to address key
conservation gaps in the overall knowledge of sites and threatened species.
Funding:$151,949

Grant Term:

4/1/2010 - 3/31/2012

22

Grantee:

BirdLife International

Building Conservation Capacity in Micronesia: Toward Sustainable Watershed Management in
Key Terrestrial Biodiversity Sites
Establish the first Regional Alliance of Watershed Partnerships in Micronesia by bringing together themain nongovernmental organizations and government partners from Palau, Pohnpei and Kosrae.
Combined, these partners will develop and implement a framework for sustainable terrestrial conservationof upland watershed areas, contributing to the goals of the Micronesia Challenge to conserve 20 percent
of terrestrial forest resources in the Micronesia region.

Funding:$157,070

Grant Term:

7/1/2010 - 6/30/2012

Grantee:

The Nature Conservancy

Strategic Direction 3. Build awareness and participation of local leaders and community membersin the implementation of protection and recovery plans for threatened species
Community Turtle Conservation and Monitoring Network
Support a learning exchange by representatives of community groups to experience the successfulcommunity turtle monitoring program by the Vanua-Tai Resource Monitors Network. This project willallow the representatives from two Fijian communities to learn from the Vanua-Tai's long experience inturtle monitoring. The two groups will share experiences and approaches, as well as resolve questions onsustainable use of marine resources.
Funding:$29,892

Grant Term:

11/1/2009 - 12/31/2010

Grantee:

Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme

Threatened Endemic Plants of Palau
Undertake a comprehensive Red List assessment of the endemic plant species of Palau. This process willbuild awareness among the leaders of the local communities about the island nations' rare and endemic
plant species, and will provide training in field surveys for local botanists and valuable information forprotected area identification and management.
Funding:$36,050

Grant Term:

5/1/2010 - 4/30/2012

Grantee:

University of Adelaide

Dual Research Program on Sea Turtles of the Society Archipelago – French Polynesia
Develop innovative approaches for the scientific monitoring and conservation of the critically endangered
hawksbill and green turtles throughout French Polynesia through a nationwide awareness program, which
will result from a stakeholder workshop to improve the turtle status through coordinated conservation and23

sustainable management efforts.

Funding:$80,000

Grant Term:

7/1/2010 - 12/31/2011

Grantee:

Te mana o te moana

Strengthening Information for Regional Assessments of the Conservation Status and Distributionof Biodiversity in the Pacific Islands
Support IUCN Oceania and partners to undertake biodiversity assessments targeting reptiles, freshwater
fish and partulidae land snails. These data will be compared with information on local livelihoods andrural economies enabling conservation programs to be developed that include sustainable management of
the resources to safeguard human livelihoods and improve well-being.

Funding:$151,169

Grant Term:

7/1/2010 - 12/31/2011

Grantee:International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources

Improving the Status of the Gallicolumba erythroptera, Critically Endangered Species
Restore the last four strongholds of the Critically Endangered Polynesia ground dove Gallicolumba
erythroptera including the atolls of Tenararo, Vahanga, Rangiroa and Morane. Raise awareness of the
precarious state of this species and establish a Site Support Group within the local communities tomonitor the bird population.
Funding:$88,187

Grant Term:

8/1/2010 - 7/31/2012

Grantee:Société d’Ornithologie de Polynésie Manu

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