The state Board of Agriculture has approved a long-awaited set of permanent rules to stop the spread of invasive species in Hawaiʻi.
On Tuesday, the board voted to approve a set of administrative rules that would, in part, designate quarantine areas infested with invasive pests. Material for sale or made available to the public would not be allowed to move from those infested areas and would be subject to inspections.
Advocates for environmental conservation, public safety and consumer protection have asked the board to move along with the rules for over a year.
The board initially approved the rules in February 2023 and held a public hearing on the rules in January, but hadn't made any moves until recently.
“It's perplexing why it's taken so long, especially with seeing the community's biosecurity concerns exploding, especially over the last year. But just glad that we finally got these rules in place,” said Wayne Tanaka, the director of Sierra Club of Hawaiʻi.
Over the last year or so, the spread of key invasive species drew concerns from the public, community leaders and lawmakers.
Aggressive little fire ants (LFA), which can harm humans and pets, have been a problem on Hawaiʻi Island for years. Lately, they have gained more public attention after their recent spread to and around Oʻahu.
One way LFA moves around is by infesting plants that are moved from nurseries to other areas.
Coconut rhinoceros beetles (CRB) have taken over nearly all of Oʻahu, where they feed, injure and even kill palm trees. While palms are their primary target, the pest has also been known to destroy taro, pineapple, bananas, papaya and sugarcane plants.
CRB can fly short distances, which is one reason why they are difficult to eradicate. The beetle lives and breeds in decaying plant material, like mulch and compost, and can be spread when humans move that material around.
The administrative rules approved by the BOR would attempt to reduce the movement of material that could be harboring CRB, LFA and other invasive species, from spreading between and within islands.
Since the rules were initially approved early last year, the agriculture department has recommended various interim and specific ways of stopping the spread of certain invasive species. Officials have developed action plans to deal with those species and signed a memorandum of understanding to come up with a cohesive strategy with other local agencies also trying to manage pests.
However, the permanent administrative rules are seen as a more cohesive set of policies for controlling invasive species.
“This really is about an all-hands-on-deck approach to managing and controlling — and in some cases, hopefully eradicating — the ongoing arrival of invasive species,” said board member Diane Ley.
While the approval of the new administrative rules is a big step for the department, it’s seen as just the beginning of invasive species management in Hawaiʻi.
“I think it's important to keep in mind that it's taken a year-and-a-half, but it’s really just step one. There's gonna need to be a follow-up in terms of implementation, in terms of integrating this with the broader biosecurity strategy that the department is hopefully developing,” Tanaka said.
The agriculture board also wants the department to provide monthly updates on invasive species management to track the progress of the new rules and create a guidance document to educate businesses that could be affected.
There are still several steps before the administrative rules are approved and enforced. Board Chair Sharon Hurd showed interest in providing the guidance document before implementing the rules. During Tuesday’s meeting, she said she wants to follow an “educate before you regulate” approach to the administrative rules.
Before implementation, the rules will go to the state’s Small Business Regulatory Review Board for comment, then they have to be approved by the governor.
