Biosecurity

[SoCal_to_Hawaii]

I recently attended an albezia workshop where I provided the organizers my email. I received the below, I know it is a bit late to attend the meetings, but there is an email address you can provide comments to. Thought I'd share:

Your voice is needed!

The state will be holding important meetings in Hilo and Kona this week to take comments on the proposed plan for biosecurity in Hawaii, and we need your support. Over the last few years, the Big Island has been hit by wave after wave of invasive species: coqui frog, little fire ant, semi-slug, varroa mite, coffee berry borer, nettle caterpillar, new fruit fly species...and that's not even getting into the marine invasions! As the most remote landmass in the world, we should be able to protect ourselves from unwanted pests, but as global movement of goods continues to increase, Hawaii is put more and more into the path of unpleasant hitchhikers that arrive from distant places and find an easy living in paradise.

To protect ourselves, we need strong biosecurity. Biosecurity is short for "biological security," meaning we try to make our borders secure - and our responses fast - when faced with a potential pest. Those who've traveled to places with strong biosecurity, like New Zealand, are probably familiar with some of what it looks like (blowers and shoe scrubbing stations at the airport!). As islands, we are the most vulnerable state in the US to the devastating effects of biological invasions, yet even states like California have stronger protections (think about how you have to have your luggage screened on the way out of Hawaii - but not on the way in!)

Hawai'i has finally begun to take steps to improve our biosecurity. A draft plan is released and is available for review. Don't worry if you're not an expert - I promise, the experts are weighing in on key parts of the plan for changes and improvements. However, we do need you to let the state know that biosecurity is IMPORTANT to you and that you take it seriously, and that you will be paying attention as this plan develops over the next months. We need you to show your support NOW for our future.

If you can, come to the meetings in Hilo or Kona and submit a short statement offering your support. Even just a few sentences sharing your experience with invasive species, and communicating how important biosecurity is to you, will be helpful. If you cannot attend in person, please send comments to jdebruyn@harveyecology.com. We deeply appreciate any support you can give!


Public Meeting Schedule

Hilo: Wednesday, 10/12/16, 6–8p.m. @ Hilo High School Cafeteria, 556 Waianuenue Ave
Kona: Thursday, 10/13/16, 6–8p.m. @ Kealakehe High School Cafeteria, 74-5000 Puohulihuli St
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[Guest]

That horse has already left the barn.
Hawaii is now a certified tropical pesthole.
The way things are going here politically, it will soon be a Third-World tropical pesthole.
The little fire ant alone makes any ag export from Hawaii a total no-go without expensive fumigation.
Too little, too late.
At least the politicians finally showed up to the fire. Too bad the house has already burned down.

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You can't fix Samsara.

[Chunkster]

The state boys are now trying to appear concerned and ready to do something about invasive pests, but it is probably all window dressing. Where were they when the first coqui frogs appeared? Where were they when the even nastier little fire ants appeared? They were nowhere to be seen because it was just the Puna district of the Big Island, that backwater that they don't feel any need to worry about. I guarantee you that if those pests had appeared on Oahu, Maui, or Kauai, no expense would have been spared to eradicate them. The state did nothing and now they shake their heads and say it is too late to do anything about them here. So excuse me if I declare the meetings to be more B.S. When they enact and execute a believable program to eradicate the pests we already have, I might believe that they are looking out for us. Until then, it is just more bull crap.

[HereOnThePrimalEdge]

blowers and shoe scrubbing stations at the airport!

USDA allowed coqui, fire ants, etc into the state through their lax inspections of ornamental plant imports by commercial growers. Individual visitors have almost nothing to do with our pest problems.

No fathers or mothers think their own children ugly; and this self-deceit is yet stronger with respect to the offspring of the mind. -Miguel de Cervantes, novelist (1547-1616)

[kalakoa]

it will soon be a Third-World tropical pesthole

Yes. For negative values of "soon". If the folks in Honolulu (aka "the main island") can't be bothered to address outer-island problems, they should really go the rest of the way and relieve us of their stupid obligations too.

Oahu should be the 50th state, outer islands the 51st.

[HereOnThePrimalEdge]

Oahu should be the 50th state, outer islands the 51st.

Or maybe re-catagorize us as they perceive and oversee us. Turn Hawaii Island loose, back into an unincorporated territory.

No fathers or mothers think their own children ugly; and this self-deceit is yet stronger with respect to the offspring of the mind. -Miguel de Cervantes, novelist (1547-1616)