The Hawaii Department of Agriculture (HDOA) is under pressure, properly, to strengthen rules preventing damaging pests and invasive species infesting nursery products from spreading, whether within or between islands. HDOA must immediately improve and accelerate its efforts to get this urgent problem under control.
Frustration is high over foot-dragging at the agency on this serious problem, and HDOA director Sharon Hurd should expect an earful at a public hearing today on proposed rule changes. Answering earlier questions over delays in stricter rulemaking, Hurd has said that industry representatives objected to tighter restrictions. But given the harm done by turning a blind eye to invasive species, this is no reason to drop the ball.
Over the past year, extensive damage to both agricultural and ornamental palms has been discovered across widespread areas of Oahu by the tree-killing coconut rhinoceros beetle; small children have literally been bitten in their beds by the dangerous little fire ant; and the noisy, ecosystem- and neighborhood-disrupting coqui frog continues to spread on Hawaii island and Oahu.
The stronger rules would give the department power to halt the sale of pest-infested plants or products, such as mulch or potting soil, whether on or between islands. Currently, and outrageously, nurseries are on an honor system for intraisland sales and transfers, with no legal requirement to monitor for the pests or to take action if detected.
The rule changes give HDOA authority to monitor and quarantine potentially infested materials. The list of pests targeted for control or eradication has been expanded. The HDOA could also require treatment of areas where infested items have been stored — a clearly sensible requirement that must be implemented.
Loopholes, however, remain, in that the HDOA “may” prohibit moving infested materials, and “may” require treatment. Further, the suggested new rules specify that HDOA can opt to authorize moving infested materials, if the destination is known to have already established populations of destructive pests. These vagaries give HDOA too much room to continue its lackadaisical approach. Rather, any non-native pest populations that can be eradicated, should be eradicated. Dangers outweigh any benefits from slack measures.
With the legislative session underway, lawmakers should expect HDOA requests to fund eradication and prevention, and HDOA must be prepared to make informed presentations on its strategy, and to bulldog requests for aid until delivered. That would be a notable shift from last year’s approach of downplaying needs and allowing a funding request to die at session’s end.
The Hawaii Board of Agriculture first approved amended rules about a year ago, but failed, until now, to schedule a public hearing that would allow the rules to be implemented. This unwillingness to grasp the urgency of the issue is unjustifiable.
Observers know that nurseries and garden centers are one of the main pathways for invasive pests. “Stopping pests early and at critical control points protects other nurseries, garden shops, the entire agricultural industry, the environment and the public,” points out Christy Martin, a member of the University of Hawaii’s Coordinating Group on Alien Pest Species. “If we don’t have the authority, and the businesses, as we’ve seen, aren’t willing to do the right thing and voluntarily stop the sale, we all lose.”
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Have your say today:
Written testimony on the proposed “Plant and Non-Domestic Animal Quarantine Plant Intrastate Rules” can be submitted to hdoa.pq.testimony@hawaii.gov through 6 p.m. today. (Put “testimony” in the subject line.)
