NEIL ABERCROMBIE
Governor

June 27, 2011

BRIAN SCHATZ
Lieutenant Governor

Chairpersons and Members
Hawai‘i Invasive Species Council (HISC)
State of Hawai‘i
Co-Chairs and Council Members:

Hawai‘i
Invasive
SpeciesCouncil
MEMBERS
Co-Chairs:
WILLIAM AILA, JR.
RUSSELL KOKUBUN
Loretta J. Fuddy
M.R.C. Greenwood, Ph.D.
Richard Lim
Glenn Okimoto
PARTICIPANTS
Keali`i Lopez
Alapaki Nahale-aMaj. General Darryll Wong
SENATORS:
J. Kalani English
Carol Fukunaga
Mike Gabbard
Ronald Kouchi
REPRESENTATIVES:
Mele Carroll
Mark Hashem
Derek KawakamiClift Tsuji
COUNTIES:
Mayor Alan Arakawa
Mayor Peter Carlisle
Mayor Bernard Carvalho
Mayor William Kenoi
FEDERAL:
U.S. Department of Agriculture
U.S. Department of the Interior
U.S. Department of Defense

SUBJECT: Briefing on the role of HISC to address current invasive species issues
to prevent the introduction and spread of invasive species, with recommendations forfollow-up actions.

The HISC was established for the special purpose of providing policy level
direction, coordination, and planning among state departments, federal agencies, andinternational and local initiatives for the control and eradication of harmful invasive
species infestations throughout the State of Hawai‘i and for preventing theintroduction of other invasive species that may be potentially harmful (HRS 194-2).
The HISC Strategic Plan outlines the HISC priorities in the Working Group areas ofprevention, response and control, public outreach, and research and technology for
FY2008-2013.
The measures of effectiveness for the HISC outlined in the strategic plan include
advice and recommendations given to the Governor or legislature, member agency
adoption of rules and policies against invasive species, and Working Group goals
achieved. Each Working Group has its own tasks and measures of effectiveness laidout in the strategic plan. One of the key objectives of the Prevention Working Group
is to prevent the movement of known invasive species between islands. A key
objective for the Response and Control of Established Pests Working Group is todetermine what species are invasive to trigger access provisions onto private lands.
Several current and pressing issues have emerged that highlight the need for theHISC to provide additional authorities to agencies by officially designating keyspecies as invasive for the purposes of control, and to support efforts to prevent theintroduction and interisland transport of pests by identifying and pursuing rulechanges that will address gaps in the biosecurity system and the ability to effectively
manage pests.

Albizia
Albizia is native to Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and the Solomon Islands. It is afast growing species capable of reaching 40 m in height and is difficult and costly toremove once established. Albizia associates with nitrogen-fixing bacteria in the soil,altering local soil composition and impacting the growth of native species. The tree
often grows along roadways and produces brittle branches that easily break and fall,causing a threat to cars and other property below.
1151 Punchbowl St. #325, Honolulu, HI 96813 Phone: (808) 587-4154 Fax: (808) 587-0160

The County of Hawai‘i has requested that albizia (Falcataria moluccana) be designated by theHISC as an invasive species. Like many other places in state, the County of Hawai‘i has foundalbizia to be a nuisance. Agencies statewide need additional authorities to remove these trees
where they are identified as being a threat to human safety and the environment.
Recommendation: We recommend that the Council support listing albizia as a HISC-designatedinvasive species through an administrative rule process.

Mosquitoes
Mosquitoes were introduced to Hawai‘i in the mid-1800s and may transmit diseases such as
yellow fever, dengue fever, or malaria. There are 6 known species of mosquito present inHawai‘i. However, we do not have the mosquitoes known to transmit malaria or the species thatbest transmits dengue fever. The Hawaii Department of Agriculture is responsible to prevent theentry of mosquitoes in cargo, through inspection, and the diseases they carry into the State. The
Department of Health is responsible for monitoring for mosquitoes around ports, identifying andmonitoring mosquito populations, and addressing outbreaks of mosquito-borne diseases.
Due to reductions in budget, these programs have been severely reduced or eliminated throughout
the state.
Recommendation: We recommend that the Council support the Departments of Agriculture andHealth programs in preventing and monitoring for new mosquito species in Hawai‘i, and that theCouncil support, as a high priority, restoring the capacity of the Department of Health’s Vector
Control Branch to prevent and control disease outbreaks.

‘Ōhi‘a rust‘Ōhi‘a rust (Puccinia psidii), also known as guava rust, is a disease that can kill ‘ōhi‘atrees and other plants in the myrtle family. ‘Ōhi‘a rust can enter Hawai‘i by hitchhiking onimported plants and plant parts in the myrtle family. Agriculture inspectors haveintercepted ‘ōhi‘a rust on common myrtle in imported flower bouquets, although any plantmaterial in the myrtle family, including eucalyptus foliage and wax flowers, could also
bring in the rust.
Like the flu virus, there are different strains of ‘ōhi‘a rust. One strain of the rust has
already arrived in Hawai‘i and it quickly killed rose apple trees across the state, while‘ōhi‘a and other local Myrtaceae showed lesser susceptibility. However, additional arrivalsof any strains of this rust could pose a very real threat to the survival of ‘ōhi‘a trees, which
comprise 80% of Hawai‘i’s native forest (nearly 1,000,000 acres). To protect ‘ōhi‘a and thewater that is provided by a healthy ecosystem, the Hawai‘i Department of Agriculture will
be proposing new rules restricting the importation of myrtle family plants, produce, and cut
flowers via the rulemaking process.
Recommendation: We recommend that the Council support the establishment of a rule to restrict
importation of plants in the Myrtle family into Hawai‘i. We also recommend that the Council
support a program promoting locally grown alternatives to high-risk imports, including membersof the Myrtaceae family.
HISC, 6/27/11

2Axis Deer
Axis deer (Axis axis) were introduced to Moloka‘i, Lāna‘i, and Maui, where they are hunted forrecreation and food. The Maui axis deer population started with ten animals in 1959 and has
grown to an estimated 12,000 animals today due to a lack of natural predators and naturalenvironmental controls such as extreme weather or population-culling diseases, as well as thelimited capacity to control population size through hunting. Axis deer have had devastating
impacts on local agriculture, costing more than $1 million in losses to vegetable crops, cattle,grapes, and sugarcane on Maui last year. Axis deer also threaten watershed forests and nativespecies. Axis deer can jump or circumvent most existing ungulate fences that were built toexclude feral pigs. The presence of axis deer requires farmers, ranchers, and conservation
agencies to retrofit or install taller fences (8’) to protect food crops, endangered and threatened
species, sensitive natural areas, and watershed forests from deer impacts.
The recent discovery of axis deer on Hawai‘i island has highlighted significant gaps in existing
Administrative Rules regarding the interisland and intraisland movement of restricted species, therelease of game species, and access to controlling or eradicating HISC-designated invasivespecies.
Recommendation: We recommend that the Council and member agencies pursue statutory andadministrative rule changes and administrative actions to effectively control and regulate theintroduction and movement of introduced wildlife species.

General Recommendation: That the Council issue a statement of support for the control ofinvasive species and the prevention of their importation and interisland transport with thecommitment to pursue the necessary rule changes that are critical in effective biosecurity andmanagement.

HISC, 6/27/11

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