New Pest Quarantine Rules Are a Step Forward—But More Is Needed
By Kirsten Kagimoto, Chapter Deputy Director | Reading time: 5 minutes
Photo: Melody Euaparadorn, Hawaii Ant Lab
Thanks to unwavering community pressure and engagement, the Hawaiʻi Department of Agriculture is finally set to adopt new rules to curb the further spread of invasive pests like little fire ants and coconut rhinoceros beetles.
Mahalo nui to everyone who submitted testimony, attended public meetings, and contacted the Agriculture Department and the Governor over the past two years. Without your tireless efforts, these critical protections may never have made it to the Governor’s desk.
While this progress is welcome, the delay has come at a cost. During the prolonged two-year rulemaking process, coconut rhinoceros beetles became established on Kauaʻi, and little fire ants continued to spread across Oʻahu and Maui, threatening new communities and remote areas.
What These Rules Mean
Last week, with the governor’s signature, the proposed amendments of Hawaiʻi Administrative Rules Chapter 4-72 were finally set to take effect, ten days after filing with the lieutenant governor’s office. These rules finally give the Department the ability to prohibit the transport or sale of pest-infested plants and materials. The department now has the authority it needs to stop the movement of products it knows to be infested.
While communities have tirelessly fought to protect their homes, gardens, keiki, and kūpuna from the fiery bites of little fire ants, and invasive species committees and others have worked daily to safeguard our forests and open spaces from the impacts of coconut rhinoceros beetles, hala scale, and other pests, the Hawaiʻi Agriculture Department refused to take critical action to prevent their spread. It claimed it lacked the reglatory authority to stop the commercial sale or transport of pest-infested plants and materials—a major driver of the spread of little fire ants, coconut rhinoceros beetles, and coqui frogs, yet refused to advance rules that would provide it with this authority, citing objections from the “industry.”
For example, after the Punahou Carnival incident, the public informed that the Agriculture Department was aware of at least “five bad actor” nurseries and landscaping businesses that were suspected selling little fire ant-infested plants on Oʻahu, but had already taken nearly a year to schedule a Board of Agriculture-approved public hearing for these rules, which would allow it to legally prohibit these businesses from selling infested products. The rules would not be brought for Board of Agriculture final approval until the end of last year, and have only now been signed by the Governor.
Without meaningful biosecurity measures and invasive species controls at the state and county government levels—like these recently adopted common sense rules—we risk fighting a losing battle.
Inter- and intra-island quarantines are just one step towards a future where our keiki and moʻopuna can play outside without fear of painful bites; nourish themselves with thriving niu, ʻulu, and kalo; and practice traditions like lauhala weaving, with hala trees untouched by coconut rhinoceros beetles or hala scale. Protecting our ʻāina is essential to preserving the life, culture, and heritage that make Hawaiʻi home.
What’s Next
There is still much work to be done. First and foremost, we must hold the Hawaiʻi Department of Agriculture accountable, ensuring they enforce the new rules and have the resources and personnel needed to do their job effectively. For years, across multiple administrations, the department has delayed action on invasive species control and biosecurity. This cannot remain the status quo.
We are racing against time as invasive pests already here continue to spread, while hundreds more loom on the horizon. Hawaiʻi, the extinction and endangered species capital of the world, must do better—not just to protect our precious native species and ecosystems but to safeguard life as we know it. Combined with the challenges of the climate crisis, invasive species threaten nearly every aspect of our lives, from food and water security to cultural practices and even our economy.
We need an Agriculture Department that recognizes these threats and prioritizes the health and future of Hawaiʻi’s communities and native resources over the interests of the nursery and landscaping industries.
Second, we must continue to advocate for stronger biosecurity and invasive species controls. Last session, we saw significant progress as key measures moved further than ever before. This year, we anticipate similar proposals that would provide critical tools and processes for controlling and eradicating invasive species, while also strengthening biosecurity at ports and other points of entry.
As we learned from last session and the recent rule-making process, firsthand stories of invasive pest impacts, along with community voices and public pressure, are essential to driving meaningful change. Please stay engaged with us this session—share your stories and make your voice heard with decision-makers. Sign up for CapitolWatch email alerts for legislative updates and invasive species email alerts for updates beyond the legislature.
Third, we must continue to do what we can in our communities. Monitor your area for little fire ants, coconut rhinoceros beetles, and coqui frogs, and other pests, report any findings or concerns to (808) 643-pest or 643pest.org, talk to your neighbors about pests that threaten your area and our collective future, and continue pressure the powers at be to implement meaningful, systemic controls to stop the further introduction and spread of invasive pests, to proactively research and implement biosecurity measures, and to support the organizations that do the hard work day in and day out. You can also sign up to join our invasive species action team here.
Below you will find resources on invasive pests and actions to take at the community level:
If you suspect little fire ants in your neighborhood, or have purchased plants and/or organic materials from a bad actor business, use this simple peanut butter trick to survey for the ants, and report any detections to (808)643-PEST. You can also request a testing kit here.
It is a good idea to test regularly and to encourage your neighbors to do so as well.
Check out Hawaiʻi Ant Lab for its monthly webinar on little fire ant management and other great resources on management and eradication.
Learn more about little fire ants across the islands with Stop the Ant.
Do not transport mulch and check your mulch and compost piles regularly for little fire ants and coconut rhinoceros beetles, including their grubs.
If you find coconut rhinoceros beetles or their larvae anywhere but Oʻahu, contact (808) 643-PEST immediately.
Oʻahu residents should call 808-679-5244 or email info@crbhawaii.org if beetles or larvae are found
Following along with your Invasive Species Committee and support their work when possible: Big Island Invasive Species Committee, Maui Invasive Species Committee, Oʻahu Invasive Species Committee, Kauaʻi Invasive Species Committee
Learn more about Hawaiʻi’s biosecurity and invasive species control efforts from our friends at the Coordinating Group on Alien Pest Species.