Biocontrol Containment and Research Facility ($500,000)
The requested funding would be used to plan and design a new biocontrol containment and research facility to address the urgent problem of harmful alien species in Hawaii.
Hawaii’s isolated location led to the evolution of a wide variety of endemic species that are found nowhere else on earth. Hawaii’s still remarkable biodiversity is under tremendous pressure due to the great number of invasive species that are becoming established in Hawaii each year (some 15 to 20 new harmful species annually). These species are very difficult to eradicate because of the absence of natural enemies and Hawaii’s hospitable climate. These alien plants, animals, insects, and pathogens threaten Hawaii’s agricultural viability, its unique native species (one-quarter of the species listed under the Endangered Species Act are from Hawaii), and its quality of life.
The Hawaii Department of Agriculture has been struggling to try to address the challenge of controlling invasive species once they arrive. The most promising strategy has been biocontrol: introduction of organisms, including insects and pathogens that will attack the harmful alien pest. The state’s ability to use this important tool has been greatly hampered by inadequate facilities and the increasing number of harmful alien species that make it through quarantine.
Hawaii’s unique species and very fragile ecosystems mean that potential biocontrol organisms must be carefully tested before release to ensure that unanticipated negative impacts are avoided. Potential biocontrol agents must undergo rigorous host specificity testing. For instance, weeds targeted for biocontrol belong to large families containing large numbers of native Hawaiian species. The testing of all of the native species requires the acquisition and propagation of many plants not commonly available. The testing of native insects greatly compounds the difficulties because colonies of native insects must be maintained in adequate numbers on their native host plants. The state’s current facilities are wholly inadequate for this task. Federal assistance is appropriate because federal preemption laws have hampered the ability of the State of Hawaii to institute more restrictive quarantine protocols to prevent the entry of pests that are present on the U.S. mainland but not in Hawaii.
Recipient: Hawaii Department of Agriculture
1428 South King Street
Honolulu, HI 96814
Why this is a good use of taxpayer dollars: This project will help prevent alien plants, animals, insects, and pathogens from threatening Hawaii's agricultural viability, its unique native species, and its quality of life.
