A conservation expert says Pacific countries need to be more vigilant against invasive species.
Experts from the Pacific region are gathering in Auckland this week to discuss strategies for preventing and dealing with invasive species.
Bill Nagle, who is the project co-ordinator for the Pacific Invasives Initiative, says there are so many variables to be aware of, but unfortunately many communities still lack awareness.
"Because there's so many things. I mean [with] Pacific communities now, there's so much to be concerned with. There's waste management, there's climate change, there's a lot of things. And invasive species are insidious in that they can be present for a long time and then all of a sudden they become a serious problem. But when they present as a serious problem it can be quite damaging."
Bill Nagle.
The Pacific Invasives initiative is a partnership made up of eight organisations throughout the Pacific, including BirdLife International, Conservation International, and the new IUCN World Conservation Union Oceania office in Fiji.
