The South Pacific Regional Initiative on Forest Genetic Resources (SPRIG) is a new 3-year project involving Fiji, Tonga, Vanuatu and Western Samoa, and funded by the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID). The project is to be implemented by a consortium of CSIRO Forestry & Forest Products, Queensland Department of Primary Industry - Forestry and FORTECH (Forestry Technical Services Pty Ltd) in collaboration with the Forestry Departments of the four Pacific Island states (PICs). The project will also work closely with the relevant regional organizations (including the South Pacific Regional Environmental Program/SPREP, South Pacific Commission and the University of the South Pacific) and international organizations (especially FAO Forestry Department and the International Plant Genetic Resources Institute).

SPRIG has its genesis in 1993 with consultations between the Australia/South Pacific Representative on the FAO Panel of Experts on Forest Gene Resources (Mr S. Midgley) and the Forestry Departments of the South Pacific Island countries, which indicated common concerns in a number of areas of forest genetic resources. Unchecked erosion of forest genetic resources, mainly due to logging and agricultural development, was considered to have the potential to jeopardise prospects for sustainable development in the South Pacific. Accordingly the SPRIG project was formulated with the broad objectives of better conserving and sustainably developing the region's forest genetic resources.

The project has three main components as follows:

Conservation - the objective is to develop in situ and ex situ conservation strategies for conserving the genetic resources of selected priority indigenous tree species.

Tree Improvement - the objective is to assist the four PIC's to collect, distribute, exchange, propagate and evaluate priority tree species (both indigenous and exotic) germplasm. The main activities are development of a South Pacific Regional Database on Forest Genetic Resources, tree seed collections, provenance and other field trials and development of clonal propagation techniques.

Institutional Development - the objective of this component is to improve the capability of existing institutions in the four target PICs in the delivery of appropriate services for forest genetic resources. Activities include skills upgrading through in-service training, work programs, technical and post-graduate training, participation in workshops, establishment of a regional forest genetic resources expert group and production of a bi-annual newsletter.