Invasive rats were successfully eradicated from the uninhabited islets of Kelefesia and Tonumea in the Ha'apai group, over five weeks of eradication processes.

A group of 10 invasive battlers comprised of two people from the Island Conservation in America, one of the lead technical partners of the project, with four from the Department of Environment (under MEIDECC), and four locals from Nomuka.

The team set up camp on the islets for three weeks to carry out the first part of the eradication task - removing all the pigs from the islets, belonging to local residents from nearby islands. This was to avoid pigs from consuming rat poison, and to minimise their impact on the island biodiversity, the Environment Department said.

After two weeks of follow up the team carried the team prepared the island for rat poison distribution. They cleared pathways and set up trails for the location of distribution points, with over 400 kgs of poison needed to eliminate the rat population on the island.

The invasive species team will be visiting Fonoi to conduct a consultation on biosecurity measures and rat eradication over the next couple of days, and a visit to Mango community in 'Eua, in December to discuss the same there.

There have been eradication activities conducted on the island groups of Tongatapu and Vava’u.