Report Title:

Study of Alien Aquatic and Terrestrial Species

THE SENATE

S.C.R. NO.

126

TWENTY-FIRST LEGISLATURE, 2001

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 
   


SENATE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

 

REQUESTING THE DETERMINATION OF A state lead agency on alien species to deal with the problem of alien species invasions and their impact on hawaii's native ecosystems.

 

WHEREAS, the introduction of alien aquatic and terrestrial species are potentially harmful both to the environment and to the economy of the State; and

WHEREAS, alien species enter the State through a variety of means, including aquarium and pet shop imports, mariculture, aquaculture, horticulture, agriculture, and nursery imports, research samples, private packages, baggage, bait wells, ballast water, encrusting hull organisms, and other means; and

WHEREAS, more than one hundred fifty alien marine, brackish, and fresh water species, intentionally and unintentionally introduced into Hawaii's aquatic ecosystems, have already become established, smothering coral reefs and brackish and fresh water bodies, displacing native species, altering ecosystems and habitat, and causing economic damage; and

WHEREAS, more than four thousand five hundred alien terrestrial species, intentionally and unintentionally introduced into Hawaii's terrestrial ecosystems, have become established, smothering native forests, killing and displacing native birds and insects, altering ecosystems and habitat, and causing economic damage; and

WHEREAS, once alien invasive species escape into Hawaii's aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, control is difficult and expensive and complete eradication is probably impossible; and

WHEREAS, the best solution to this problem is to prevent the introduction of alien species into Hawaii's aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems; and

WHEREAS, Act 134, Session Laws of Hawaii 2000, designated the Department of Land and Natural Resources as the lead agency to prevent the introduction of alien aquatic organisms into Hawaii's environment, and specifically directed the Department to adopt rules in accordance with chapter 91, Hawaii Revised Statutes, including penalties, to prevent the introduction of and to carry out the destruction of alien aquatic organisms through the regulation of ballast water discharges and hull fouling organisms; and

WHEREAS, Act 256, Session Laws of Hawaii 1993, amended by Act 195, Session Laws of Hawaii 1999, prohibited the release of any live non-aquatic life being held in an aquarium or other confinement for any purpose into the waters of the State, except as provided in section 187A-2(4), Hawaii Revised Statutes, and authorized the Department of Land and Natural Resources to seize, confiscate, or destroy as a public nuisance prohibited or restricted aquatic life found in any waters of the State; and

WHEREAS, the Department of Land and Natural Resources has primary responsibility for eradicating invasive alien species from natural aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, but little, if any, control over their intentional introduction into the State; and

WHEREAS, the Department of Agriculture has primary control over intentional introductions of alien species into the State, but little, if any, responsibility for eradicating these species from Hawaii's natural aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems once they have escaped into the environment; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Twenty-First Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2001, the House of Representatives concurring, that the Department of Land and Natural Resources and the Department of Agriculture are requested to discuss the feasibility of designating the Department of Land and Natural Resources as the State's lead agency on alien species to deal with the problem of alien species invasions and their impact on Hawaii's native ecosystems; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Chairperson of the Board of Land and Natural Resources and the Chairperson of the Board of Agriculture are requested to report their findings and recommendations to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to convening of the Regular Session of 2002; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Governor of the State of Hawaii, the Chairperson of the Board of Land and Natural Resources, and the Chairperson of the Board of Agriculture.

 

 

 

OFFERED BY:

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