Proposed changes to the state Department of Agriculture’s internal rules aim to improve the welfare of livestock while they’re being transported between islands, and while the changes are welcome it’s unclear if they go far enough.

Propelled by the 2019 death of 21 cattle that were being transported to Kauai via a Young Brothers barge, the Board of Agriculture during its last meeting agreed to amend administrative rules to ensure that livestock have enough ventilation and room while being shipped between islands.

The board on Oct. 11 voted to make a host of changes ranging from changed definitions to the addition of animals such as bison and water buffalo. Perhaps the most notable and discussed of those changes, however, involved the well-being of transported livestock.

The change would “ensure that cattle, bison, water buffalo, camelids, sheep, and goats are provided with adequate ventilation,” directly addressing the death of 21 cattle that suffocated while being shipped to Kauai from Idaho in 2019.

A DOA investigation found that the cattle died after human error led to a lack of ventilation in their container, which was stowed in a position that did not allow ventilation because it was thought to be empty.

YOUNG BROTHERS’ standard operating procedure ensures that containers with livestock allow for adequate ventilation, the DOA’s investigation found.

“Hawaii’s livestock shippers are successful in keeping animals safe when transporting via ship, but these updates are helpful in ensuring all species are included and ensuring the carriers take steps for safe transport as well,” Nicole Galase, of the Hawaii Cattlemen’s Council, said in an email.

The board initially approved the proposed amendments to the department’s administrative rules in November, but held five public hearings throughout the state in May before taking a final vote on them at its last meeting.

Following testimony from advocacy group Animal Welfare Institute, the board agreed to remove an initial stipulation that would have allowed livestock carriers to deviate from space requirements for the animals by up to 10% while shipped in 20-foot or 40-foot containers.

The increased density in the containers “virtually guarantees” severe heat stress, AWI argued.

But that was the one amendment introduced by the group that the board accommodated during its final vote. Amendments that didn’t make the cut included loading practices that would get livestock on vessels last and unloaded them first, and others that would improve the animals’ welfare by ensuring that they have access to food and water and shade when on land.

AWI’s proposals were among the most discussed by the board, which eventually agreed that more data are needed to show that heat stress is a problem for livestock being shipped.

“I think it’s down the road; it would be ideal if we could keep them even more comfortable,” said Jason Moniz, the DOA’s Animal Disease Control Branch program manager, during the meeting. “But some of the basic research to say, ‘OK, what is the temperature in the container versus outside the container?’ — a lot of that has not been done.”

Moniz had presented the final draft of the amendments to the agricultural board.

BOARD MEMBER James Gomes of Maui noted that cattle on the island don’t have any shade but don’t necessarily appear to be stressed.

“You have cattle out on the fields — ex-sugarcane land — that have no trees … and have no wind,” Gomes said. “They seem to survive. They’re laying down, they’re not panting, they don’t have excessive heat stress.”

Pono Advocacy’s Inga Gibson, who has been one of AWI’s representatives during the rule changes, said the amendments made were necessary, but it was disappointing that so many of the other provisions suggested by AWI and others were left out.

“Disease prevention doesn’t occur in a vacuum,” Gibson said. “Animal welfare is animal health. It’s important for food safety, it’s important for the animal — they’re not mutually exclusive.”

Board member Suzanne Case, who chairs the state Department of Land and Natural Resources, did suggest provisions that would require carriers to make “best efforts” to get livestock shade and load them on ships last and take them off first. She also suggested a provision that would prohibit the shipment of livestock during a heat wave.

“I think there’s a big concern about heat,” Case said. “I’m just trying to translate the concerns that people are wrestling with into a signal that carriers should be paying attention to these.”

Gomes supported Case’s amendments, although they were ultimately voted down after Moniz said they were either already included in his draft, would be difficult to implement, or would require more data.

Gibson said stakeholders had agreed to drop a bill introduced in 2021 that sought to improve shipping conditions for livestock after being told that the agricultural department would draft a list of administrative rules changes.

But she said AWI was not given an opportunity to provide input before the final draft of the rule changes became public, and provisions were left out that she said weren’t “dramatic or unreasonable.”

Gibson said that the burden of those provisions would be placed on carriers like Young Brothers, which might not be in the interest of ranchers.

“The industry is, of course, concerned with their bottom line, and they see any additional regulations placed down on the carriers being passed down to them in costs,” Gibson said.

The BOA’s vote to change the agricultural department’s rules still requires the governor’s approval before it can be implemented.