Pacific perspectives on invasive species and their management: a Vātālanoa approach from Samoa, Tonga, and Niue

<p dir="ltr">In the Pacific Islands region, invasive species are a priority issue and a critical environmental concern for both communities and governments. As such, donor funding has been directed towards implementing invasive species management programs in the region. These programs are designed to include a gender equality, disability, and social inclusion (GEDSI) approach. Globally, there are calls for greater gender equality and social inclusion in environmental conservation management, including invasive species management, to promote sustainability and more effective environmental and invasive species management outcomes. But what does this mean for Pacific Island communities? Previous evidence from socio-ecological systems (SES) studies demonstrate gender and inclusion are often lacking in environmental management, and where a GEDSI or similar approaches have been taken, they are often top-down Western-led models, with unsustainable outcomes and unintended consequences for diverse communities from lower gross domestic product (GDP) nations such as Pacific Small Islands Developing States (SIDS).</p><p dir="ltr">This thesis aims to address these shortfalls by doing two things. First, it outlines a culturally appropriate Pacific-led GEDSI approach I term Vātālanoa. Vātālanoa is a flexible and hybrid approach that incorporates two Pan Pacific ideologies of Vā and Tālanoa with Western data collection techniques to undertake inclusive community consultations in Pacific communities. Second, using the Pacific-led Vātālanoa GEDSI approach, the thesis presents the findings from community consultations on invasive species management in three Pacific Island countries: Samoa, Tonga and Niue. My findings provide an in-depth understanding of Pacific Island communities' values, perceptions, and interactions with invasive species and invasive species management. My results highlight a diversity of experiences and values associated with often marginalised groups that face significant impacts yet remain excluded from decision-making. Based on these findings I argue employing culturally appropriate GEDSI methodologies such as Vātālanoa where time, inclusivity, and meaningful participation are prioritised, can strengthen understandings of the diversity in human-environment interactions in Pacific Island communities and help meet the diverse needs of Pacific Island communities in invasive species management. I make a series of recommendations for environmental managers to strengthen GEDSI and invasive species management outcomes in Pacific Island communities.</p>