Wallis and Futuna drone-based rat removal

Abstract

Four (4) years ago, Wallis and Futuna's Territorial Environment Service embarked on an ambitious journey to remove rats from the islets within the Uvea Lagoon. After completing the required training, community consultations and planning requirements, 4 islets were baited by hand and 9 islets were baited by drone. These islets are now safer for native biodiversity, allowing nature to restore itself and ultimately enhancing resilience against climate change. The healthy islets will be more productive, with more fruit, more crabs, less mosquitoes and more sea birds. This will have positive impacts on the surrounding coastal ecosystem such as reefs and fisheries, which communities rely on. These operations were part of the European Union funded PROTEGE project.