The state Department of Agriculture’s plan to combat recent pest outbreaks in Hawaiʻi includes speedy rule making and an increase in funding.
The state Senate Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection, along with the Committee on Agriculture and Environment, held an informational briefing last week on invasive species and how to stop them.
Two pest species in Hawaiʻi that are concerning officials include the coconut rhinoceros beetle and the little fire ant.
Much of the discussion revolved around rule making within the agriculture department to stop the movement of the pests and the resources, or lack thereof, to respond to them.
DOA leadership was in attendance at the informational briefing, and Chair Sharon Hurd said that the department simply needs more funding and staffing to respond to outbreaks and inspect plant material that could harbor the pests.
“If I had a magic wand, committees, I would say, we can solve this problem with staffing. Just give us a resource, give us the people, we can be everywhere, everywhere all at once,” Hurd said.
Plant nurseries have been a focus for the department to stop the spread of little fire ants, while bags of compost and mulch are thought to carry coconut rhinoceros beetles.
Hurd said that there are about 100 inspectors in the DOA to check packages moving into and around Hawaiʻi, but she believes the department should quadruple that number.
“Without question, we need more staff. We definitely do. But it's not necessarily only for the movement of plants. I think the … amount of packages coming into Hawaiʻi has quadrupled, and our staffing has not,” she said.
The DOA and its supporters have lamented the department’s chronically low operating budget, which usually falls below half of 1% of the state’s overall operating budget.
Meanwhile, the department is working on changes to its administrative rules to combat the invasive pests. Hurd said an interim rule to stop potentially infected plant material, such as mulch or compost, could begin in January.
The rules could give the DOA the ability to stop the movement of material at a business where a known infection is occurring.
Some of the lawmakers on Wednesday wondered if faster rule making processes could be implemented, including a suggestion that the department considered an emergency proclamation.
Scot Matayoshi, who chairs the House Committee on Labor and Government Operations, was at the informational briefing and said a rule in place for the holiday season would be helpful.
“A lot of plants are sold for the holiday season. I would love for these interim rules to make a push to get them in place before all the poinsettias and all of that gets spread all over the place, possibly with little fire ants,” he said.
“We are looking at a point where a lot of little fire ants could be spread all over the island. And we have a chance to stop it if you folks can push these interim rules and stop the bad actors," he added.
Hurd noted — but did not disclose — five nurseries she called “bad actors” who have knowingly distributed plant material that could be infected. She said the department is trying to work with them and could soon take action against them.
The coconut rhinoceros beetle feeds on palm trees and can have high rates of mortality on trees. The dead plants can then become safety hazards to humans.
After a decade of being contained to Oʻahu, the coconut rhinoceros beetle was first found on Hawaiʻi Island, Kauaʻi and on Maui just over the last few months.
The agriculture department on Wednesday said it found 17 larvae in a single palm tree at a Kihei golf course.
Little fire ant infestations can take place in homes and yards and can result in high ant densities. They have a painful bite and have been shown to drive out other species in areas they infest.
As a mainstay pest on Hawaiʻi Island for years, they are now a problem on Oʻahu, with more than 30 active sites on the island, many on the windward side.
