One-year import restrictions to slow the spread of invasive coconut rhinoceros beetles have passed for Maui and Lānaʻi, but frustrations remain as similar rules for Molokaʻi expire.
The state Board of Agriculture and Biosecurity passed the interim rules on Tuesday, restricting the movement of live plants, decomposing material like mulch, coconut fruit and other “CRB host material” to Maui and Lānaʻi from other parts of the state.
The rules include exemptions for some orchids, bromeliads and anthuriums grown in certain conditions — after local orchid sellers and growers argued to the board that they don’t have a history of carrying the invasive beetle.
CRB isn’t established on the islands, and the rules are meant to keep the pest away.
However, community and environmental leaders who advocated for the strict import rules weren’t in a particularly celebratory mood after the board meeting.
That’s because, they believe, the board allowed similar rules for Molokaʻi lapse. Those rules were passed one year ago and expire Wednesday.
Board Chair Sharon Hurd said BAB’s Advisory Committee on Plants and Animals will meet Monday to discuss whether another interim rule should be in place — and in the meantime, Molokaʻi will be without any import restrictions.
“That little gap that we're talking about is a window that may be very devastating unless real extreme measures are taken to prevent anything from coming, and that's what we were here to prohibit,” said Molokaʻi resident Kunani Nihipali. He and his wife, Ipo, spearheaded a petition last year that resulted in the now-expired interim rules.
Nihipali later said that businesses are “chomping at the bit” to ship previously banned material to the island once they’re allowed to again.
Community members said they had reached out to the board in advance so new interim rules could pass without a gap, but those calls were not answered.
“[The state Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity] did let the Molokaʻi interim rules lapse, despite months of warning from the Molokaʻi community and fully knowing the expiration date upon implementation,” said Megan Lamson Leatherman, president of the Hawaiʻi Wildlife Fund.
Part of the frustration from advocates of import restrictions comes from DAB’s response to calls for new rules. Department officials reportedly told them that interim rules cannot be renewed past a year unless they are “substantively different,” which Hurd repeated during Tuesday’s board meeting.
Testifiers pushed back, arguing that no such state requirement exists and that previous CRB rules were extended without issue.
The struggle underscores a long conflict DAB has had between preventing the spread of invasive species and hurting local agriculture businesses, which can be hurt by import restrictions.
It’s resisted similar rules and other efforts to stop pests.
At the end of Tuesday’s meeting, Hurd even noted that invasive species have “ been dominating the submittals and dominating the discussion and testimony” since state legislators have handed the department the reigns and resources as the state’s leading biosecurity agency over the last few years.
“It doesn't have to be a zero-sum game. … Biosecurity is also for production of food, the protection of farmers and ranchers,” she said. “ I just don't want us to lose sight of the fact that biosecurity is for the purpose of food production. Production agriculture seems to be losing its moment in the biosecurity realm.”
Some testifiers called for permanent import rules, which Hurd said are in the works.
“The solution is a permanent rule. That is the goal … so we are not called back to extend a rule which may or may not involve some sort of change,” Hurd said. An interim rule is an emergency action, but the permanent rule is the fix. We have been moving towards a permanent rule for quite some time.”
