The county-based Invasive Species Committees and a representative from the state Department of Agriculture biological control program were honored this week in a special presentation on the floor of the State Senate in Honolulu.
Sen. Mike Gabbard of Oahu praised program participants for their service on the front lines in combating threats to Hawaii’s ecosystems now in crisis because of invasive species.
“Mahalo to the dedicated men and women of the Invasive Species Committees for their diligence in preventing, controlling and eliminating the most threatening invasive plant and animal species to preserve our native biodiversity,” Gabbard said.
The Invasive Species Committees are projects of the Pacific Cooperative Studies Unit and the Research Corporation of the University of Hawaii.
Each committee has a staff that includes a field crew that works across thousands of acres every year to rapidly respond to and control new invasive pests. They target species that have high potential to severely impact the economy, environment, agriculture, human health and quality of life — such as fast-spreading miconia, noisy coqui frogs and stinging fire ants.
Gabbard also honored Mohsen Ramadan of the Department of Agriculture as an important member of the statewide network committed to addressing invasive species issues.
Biological control is an important tool to manage widespread pests that are beyond the capacity of field crews, said Gabbard, noting that Ramadan was responsible for finding the natural predator of the Erythrina gall wasp in its native range in Tanzania. The wasp arrived undetected on cargo in 2005, devastating Hawaii’s native wiliwili trees as well as ornamental species of Erythrina used in landscaping and as agricultural windbreaks.
Since the biocontrol agent was successfully released in 2008, native wiliwili trees are making a comeback.
“We are extremely grateful for all the hard work and dedication of our island Invasive Species Committees,” said William J. Aila Jr., DLNR chair.
“Their on-the-ground quick action has prevented introduction or spread of many dangerous pests to our islands. Governor Abercrombie demonstrated his commitment to keeping invasive species out of Hawaii by making the restoration of inspection positions at Honolulu International Airport a priority in his first year as governor. This is a battle that we must fight and win to protect our native ecosystems and the health and economic wellbeing of our islands,” Aila said.
The Hawaii Invasive Species Council (HISC) offers partial funding to the ISCs and HDOA biological control program’s foreign explorations as part of the HISC’s mission as an interagency collaboration to support the prevention, response and control, research, and public outreach efforts of invasive species programs across the state.
The Big Island Invasive Species Committee works to guard the Big Island from coqui frogs, mangrove, axis deer and miconia. BIISC originally started at the Melastome Action Committee in 1996 with a focus on miconia. Since then, BIISC has transitioned to respond to more species of concern and more recently pulled their partners together to form a coalition to address the new threat of axis deer to Hawaii Island’s environment and agriculture.
BIISC has also completed a 3,000-mile islandwide roadside weed survey that spanned almost four years. This information helps BIISC to prioritize target weeds for rapid response, which ensures resources are directed most effectively with an approach that prevents weeds from spreading beyond control.
In response to the recognition, Jan Schipper, project manager for BIISC, said, “We are honored by this recognition. They say it takes a community to raise a child. But it also takes every individual in the community to work together to stop the introduction and spread of weeds and pests to ensure that every child will have fresh food, clean water, and a livelihood when he or she grows up.”
The Hawaii Invasive Species Council (HISC) is a cabinet-level interagency collaboration mandated by Chapter 194, Hawaii Revised Statutes. It is co-chaired by the Department of Land and Natural Resources and the Department of Agriculture with additional voting members from the Departments of Health, Transportation, and Business, Economic Development and Tourism, and the University of Hawaii. The HISC approves an annual budget to support invasive species prevention, control, and public outreach projects across the state. For more information: http://www.hawaiiinvasivespecies.org/hisc.
