1.4.1 Species status in Oceania

Of the species breeding within the region, three are Critically Endangered (Fiji Petrel (Pseudobulweria macgillivrayi), Beck’s Petrel (Pseudobulweria becki), and Rapa Shearwater (Puffinus myrtae), three are Endangered (Phoenix Petrel (Pterodroma alba), Henderson Petrel (P. atrata), and Polynesian Storm Petrel (Nesofregetta fuliginosa), five are Vulnerable (Vanuatu Petrel (Pterodroma occulta), Collared Petrel (P. brevipes), Gould’s or White-winged Petrel (P. leucoptera), Heinroth’s Shearwater (Puffinus heinrothi), Fairy Tern (Sternula nereis)) and one is Near Threatened (Tahiti Petrel).

There is also taxonomic uncertainty over several taxa (Tropical Shearwater (= Melanesian, Micronesian and Polynesian (Tropical) Shearwaters) (Puffinus ssp.), Collared Petrel (= Magnificent Petrel (Pterodroma magnificens) and Collared Petrel), White-winged (Gould’s) Petrel (= New Caledonian and Gould’s Petrel) (Pterodroma leucoptera ssp), White-bellied Storm Petrel (= White-bellied Storm-petrel and Titan Storm-petrel) (Fregetta grallaria ssp), Fairy Tern).

In addition, there are at least two or even three potentially undescribed taxa (‘Samoan Storm-petrel’, ‘Coral Sea’ or ‘New Caledonian’ Storm-petrel and ‘Marquesas’ Storm-petrel), recently regarded as one taxon, Fregetta lineata.11

Figure 15. Fiji Petrel and New Caledonian Storm-petrel (Hadoram Shirihai), Heinroth’s Shearwater (Peter Harrison), Phoenix Petrel and Polynesian Storm-petrel (Hiroyuki Tanoi)

At national levels species status is something that is rarely considered. New Zealand, Australia and the USA have national threat status systems in place, but Pacific countries do not. It could be that a species’ status is not threatened on a global scale yet may be highly threatened in individual countries. The loss of a species from a country represents a contraction in range and a loss of biodiversity from that country with all the associated ecosystem benefits.