Kamaka Island, French Polynesia
Host to some of the world's rarest birds
THE PROJECT: Kamaka Island Restoration Project
LOCATION: Kamaka Island, French Polynesia
THE WORK: Together with local partners Société d'Ornithologie de Polynésie (also known as “Manu”), the Reasin family, and the Mangareva Community, IOCC partners removed invasive rats from Kamaka. With these predators removed, the partners implemented social attraction methods, such as decoys and audio recordings, to encourage the recolonization of seabirds.
The efforts were quickly apparent — within three months Polynesian Storm-petrels began visiting the island and are now nesting there. The return of Storm-petrels to Kamaka restores essential nutrient flow from land and sea to benefit nearby corals, seagrasses and wildlife.
SPECIES: Polynesian Storm-Petrel, Tahiti Petrel, and Murphy’s Petrel
COMMUNITY: Locals rely on subsistence farming, including fishing. This means that the health of their islands and the surrounding marine life is directly linked to food security and wellbeing.
About Kamaka Island
Kamaka is a small territory in the Gambier Islands of French Polynesia in the Southern Pacific Ocean. Despite its modest size – the island stretches across just one kilometer (0.6 miles) – Kamaka has historically been known for its abundance of seabirds, such as the Polynesian Storm-petrel, Tahiti Petrel and Murphy’s Petrel.
However, invasive rats inadvertently introduced by early settlers devastated the island’s seabird populations and destroyed the natural habitat. The negative impacts also affected the surrounding reef, not to mention the other islands that make up the rest of this spectacular archipelago.
Kamaka is visited regularly by the Reasin family who own and manage the island, which has a dedicated caretaker. Polynesians settled on the archipelago over a thousand years ago. Today, locals rely on subsistence farming, including fishing. This means that the health of their islands and the surrounding marine life is directly linked to food security and wellbeing.
Voices from the community
“Through the Island-Ocean Connection Challenge, we hope Kamaka will become a stronghold for seabirds, including the threatened Polynesian Storm-petrel. These birds thrive on nearby rat-free islands, which benefits the surrounding reefs and ocean.”
– Thomas Ghestemme, Director, Société d’Ornithologie de Polynésie (Manu)
Project Partners & Funders
• Birdlife International
• CA Foundation on behalf of Jack and Carolyn Long
• Envico Technologies
• European Union (through the BEST2.0 program
• Island Conservation
• Société d’Ornithologie de Polynésie (Manu)
• The David and Lucile Packard Foundation
• The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation
• The Reasin Family
• Wanderlust Fund
• Other anonymous donors.