International Year of Biodiversity Projects
In 2010, for the International Year of Biodiversity, the UK
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), has
funded a series of invasive species projects across the UK Overseas
Territories. This has been coordinated by the Joint Nature
Conservation Committee. Project activities on Pitcairn
Island will be:
A Contribution to a large, RSPB co-ordinated rat eradication
project on Henderson Island.
Location
Situated in the South Pacific Ocean, Pitcairn is roughly
1,570km West of Easter Island; 5,350km east north-east of its
administrative headquarters in Auckland, New Zealand.
Size
The Pitcairn Island group is comprised of four small islands.
The total land area of the Pitcairn Islands is 4,516ha. The largest
island is Henderson 3,720ha, while Pitcairn Island is 660ha.
Climate and Climate Change
The temperature ranges from 13˚C to 28˚C with a mean annual
rainfall of approximately 1,716mm with considerable annual
variation.JNCC has prepared a series of outreach materials
which give a general background to climate change and includes
territory specific information on climate
change impacts.
Topography
Pitcairn is volcanic; Henderson, Oeno, and Ducie are coral
atolls.
Biodiversity
Henderson and Pitcairn support richer floras with a high number
of endemic and endangered species. There are nine species of birds
of global concern. In addition, more than 90% cent of the world’s
population of Murphy’s Petrels nest on Ducie, and Henderson is
probably the principal breeding site for the endangered Henderson
Petrel.
Main economic activities
The economy of Pitcairn is largely based on subsistence fishing,
horticulture, and the sale of handicrafts and postage stamps.
The Pitcairn Government is trying to boost revenue through the sale
of .pn domain names, honey production and increasing tourist
arrivals.
Other information
Population – 47. Henderson is a World Heritage Site.