French Polynesia: Protecting Ua Huka by preventing the arrival of the black rat through maritime connections

Ua Huka, one of the last three islands in French Polynesia still free of black rats, is strengthening its protection thanks to the PROTECT UA HUKA project.Funded by the Kiwa Initiative, the project installed raticide stations on the Kaoha Tini, the shuttle linking the Marquesas Islands. As the main inter-islandtransport link, the ferry represents a potential entry point for invasive species. The aim is to prevent the introduction of the black rat, which poses serious threats to biodiversity: predation on endemic birds, loss of copra, disruption of forest regeneration, and health risks.

This action perfectly illustrates Nature-based Solutions (NbS), placing ecosystem preservation at the heart of climate change adaptation. Thanks tocollective mobilization, Ua Huka can aspire to keep its unique natural heritage safe and pass it on to future.