The Hawaiʻi County Council has adopted a measure asking the state Agriculture and Health departments to work with farmers as they respond to the contagious avian flu.
Farmers have been worried about the state potentially forcing farmers to cull poultry if the avian flu is detected in a flock. It’s the most used method to stop the disease in other states, though opponents say culling is inhumane and can be harmful to local farmers.
Councilmember Heather Kimball hopes the measure she introduced will encourage the state departments to consult with local poultry farmers before deciding on the best method to stop the spread of disease in Hawaiʻi.
Councilmember Matt Kanealiʻi-Kleinfelder said the measure will promote collaboration and reaffirm the need to support the DOA.
“There's been a very consistent push towards removing funding from (Agriculture Department) in different circumstances,” he said, adding, “And I do hope that this not only sends a message to work with our local poultry farmers, but also that the state needs to invest heavily in our Department of Agriculture and Department of Health to make sure we don't have any of the invasive pest diseases coming in, and that they're actually able to do their job.”
This current avian flu is caused by the H5N1 strain. It’s widespread in wild birds and was first found in U.S. poultry in 2022, but has since spread to poultry flocks in all 50 states.
Hawaiʻi was the only state to not have any avian flu detections until November, when it was found at a bird sanctuary in Wahiawā.
