Niau, the koteuteu’s last sanctuary! in EVERy iSSuE oF ouR MAgAZinE, wE SPoTLigHT SPECiES oF EndAngEREd biRdS FRoM ouR iSLAndS, in PARTnERSHiP wiTH THE FREnCH PoLynESiAn biRd PRoTECTion SoCiETy, MAnu, To HELP you diSCoVER And APPRECiATE THE iMPoRTAnCE oF ouR EXCEPTionAL nATuRAL HERiTAgE. niau is what’s called an “uplifted” atoll, situated in the northwest Tuamotus. Due to different geological events, it has been lifted a considerable way above sea-level. it has a “closed” lagoon, that is the water is not in direct contact with the ocean, so the water is brackish (a mix of freshwater and saltwater, that has entered by filtration). The atoll has an above water surface area of 22 km², which is very large, for an atoll of its size. For these reasons, niau has an exceptional flora and fauna, earning its classification by UnesCo as part of the Fakarava Biosphere Reserve. its 250 inhabitants live from coprah (collecting and drying coconut meat), hunting kaveu (coconut crabs), fishing patï (fish found in the brackish lagoon) and shell-based handicrafts. niau’s kingfishers, or koteuteu (pronounced koté-ou-té-ou), are the last surviving population of the Tuamotu kingfisher, a species once widespread across the Tuamotu-gambier archipelagos, but today almost gone. it’s a species in critical danger of extinction, with just 135 surviving individuals estimated in 2014, despite an encouraging reproduction rate and some resistance to rats. The latter are a menace because they feed on the eggs. however, it is the “feral” cat, abundant on the island, living in the numerous caves and holes in the islands fossilized reef or feo, that is responsible for the stagnation in population numbers: only 12% of koteuteu chicks survive their NATURE l’aToll De niau / NiAu AToll first year! a local association called Vaitamae was created in 2009 to promote the development of the biosphere reserve. The members are inhabitants from niau concerned with preserving the environment. Their main objective is to save the koteuteu, which is unusual in being an endemic species that prefers human managed environments. its favorite habitat is a well-maintained coconut grove, the absence of understory making it easier to catch the lizards and insects which it feeds on, but also exposing it to the dangers of burning or felling the coconut palms where it nests. an 18-month project, funded by the european union (besT 2.0) is currently underway, managed by Manu and the Vaitamae associations, in order to improve the kingfisher’s prospects: ringing nesting trees with metal collars; placing signs on the nesting trees, to protect them from being felled; feral cat control and sterilization of the village’s domestic cats. The rat population is also being monitored, to make sure that it does not increase rapidly, in the absence of predation by feral cats, a commonly held belief in the islands of Polynesia. however, in nature, the size of rodent populations, which includes rats, are not usually regulated by predators, but more often by the presence of adequate food resources. another important component of the project involves the local community and seeks to establish sustainable agricultural practices that respect the koteuteu. The use of controlled fires as a tool for clearing the understory of coconut groves, where niau’s kingfisher also live, needs to be modified. The purchase of a branch chipper for removing understory brush is an alternative solution. This new practice will also help restore the atoll’s soils by providing a layer of mulch, which will create a layer of humus that also increases the availability of soildwelling prey for the kingfisher. limiting the use of fire and restoring the soils will also help increase the productivity of the coconut plantations, which shows that preserving biodiversity can also promote agriculture! ■ For more information see : Association Manu : contact@manu.pf fb : Manu-SOP - www.manu.pf © ThoMas gesTheMMe - Manu © P. baccheT 93