Protecting Hawaii’s environment against the damaging effects of invasive species is a matter of reducing risk as much as possible, using the available tools to their fullest extent.
This has not happened at the state Department of Agriculture, according to the state auditor’s report on the agency’s Plant Quarantine Branch (PQB). The takeaway conclusion: The branch lacks the data needed to intercept potential sources of pests that can harm the environment.
Combating these pests is a critical mission, given that some of them have done real damage to the agricultural industry. For example, the coffee berry borer, the coconut rhinoceros beetle and little fire ants infest fields and crops, causing significant and expensive losses for farmers.
The agriculture department officials responding to the report disputed some aspects, noting the fiscal constraints under which the department operates. But officials have largely accepted its conclusions and have pledged to make the recommended reforms. Specifically, a contract for a new software platform is in the works, department Director Scott Enright said.
That is the right show of resolve, but some of the changes will require a sustained push not easily achieved in the public sector.
It’s hard to argue with the basic math. Of the roughly 34.2 million tons of domestic cargo imports, only 2.5 percent was checked by branch inspectors, which leaves Hawaii relatively unprotected from pest infestations. Branch inspectors across the state made only 800 insect interceptions in the 2016 fiscal year, down from 1,748 two years earlier, according to the audit.
The department needs better technology to enable more effective screening of cargo. That’s not the only problem, of course; chronic staffing shortages must be corrected, as does a bureaucratic culture lacking in communication and follow-through.
But as many state agencies have realized, bringing information technology up to speed is an essential step for the Department of Agriculture, one in which it has lagged. Despite a $4.2 million investment, the resulting system, called Invicta, cannot perform needed functions, the auditor said. It lacks some important data on organism classification and is unable to communicate with other databases.
The report further found that the agency needs better tools for gathering the data and analyzing the most effective next step — which invasive species represent the greatest threat. For example, Invicta also does not support “e-manifesting,” which would let inspectors pre-clear cargo as low-risk.
The audit also faulted the decisionmaking process as haphazard, particularly as its inspectors are not armed with the best data.
“Other biosecurity agencies, both domestic and foreign, use data-
driven risk analysis to continually guide operations, but PQB is unable to collect consistent, meaningful pest interception data or disseminate up-to-date information to its inspectors,” according to the audit.
The report indicated that what little guidance the department provides is insufficiently updated. It quoted one port supervisor describing guidance as distributed “caveman style” — word-of-mouth.
For its part, the department is working on a multi-agency effort, the Hawaii Invasive Species Authority, to lead the charge against invasive species. This could be helpful, but the most critical problems seem more basic: implementing a working database and maintaining a reliable workforce.
The agency is still recovering from recessionary staff cuts of 30 percent, but it’s taken far too long to rebuild. Officials say that uncompetitive salary levels hinder the hiring process. If that’s so, the help of lawmakers is essential.
Plainly, more must be done to stand guard against invasive species, and agriculture officials must take aggressive steps toward that goal.
