Tag: Invasive Species

March 5, 2010 General Ag News and Notes Post a Comment

Hawaii County to sell off coqui-control equipment as invasive species mutates | honoluluadvertiser.com | The Honolulu Advertiser

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HILO — As it dismantles the last vestiges of its coqui-control program, Hawaii County plans to sell off the equipment some community groups say is essential to their voluntary eradication efforts.

The move comes just as scientists say the county’s coqui population is maturing into much larger frogs. Where once they were described as the size of quarters, a coqui was recently reported the size of a tennis ball, said Mark Munekata of the Hawaii Island Economic Development Board.

"The coquis don’t have any budget cuts," Munekata said, adding that the frogs seem to rapidly adapt to Hawaii conditions. "Once you think you understand them, they do something else and throw you for a loop."

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February 14, 2010 Agricultural Equipment, General Ag News and Notes Post a Comment

KIA‘I MOKU: New technology pivotal amid fight against invasive weeds – Mauinews.com | News, Sports, Jobs, Visitor’s Information – The Maui News

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Invasive-weed infestations within Maui County are literally a growing problem. Despite the tough economic recession, invasive species prevention and mitigation programs remain a necessity for conserving our natural and agricultural resources. We need to look back only a few months ago to remember the show of local support for our Hawaii Department of Agriculture inspectors. While some positions were retained, Maui still must deal with the losses of important HDOA positions. Despite these setbacks, our local ranchers and natural area managers remain steadfast to continue the fight against these detrimental weed infestations, simply out of necessity.

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October 14, 2009 General Ag News and Notes Post a Comment

Opinion: Plan “Bee”: Hawaii Government Stings Honey Bees | Hawaii 24/7

Posted on October 13, 2009.
Sydney Ross Singer

In case you haven’t heard the buzz, the honey bee in Hawaii is gravely threatened by a newly introduced parasite, the varroa mite, which can wipe out our bee population within a few years, and is spreading across the state.

The question is, should we save the honey bees, or is the mite doing us a favor?

If you ask residents, farmers, and beekeepers, the honey bee is a blessing in Hawaii. They provide delicious honey, they help pollinate all sorts of fruit trees and crops, and they are interesting creatures to raise as a hobby. For most people, our islands would surely be less sweet without honey bees.

On the other hand, if you ask some conservationists who only value “native” species and wish to eradicate introduced ones, the honey bee is an invasive species curse in Hawaii. They compete with native pollinators, and they pollinate alien plant species that are encroaching on native forests. For these people, conservation would best be served by the eradication of the honey bee.

Unfortunately, the Hawaii government holds both of these opinions. And this spells doom for the honey bee.

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September 30, 2009 General Ag News and Notes Post a Comment

Maui Meeting to Address Shortage of Agricultural Inspectors

In light of concerns about potential layoffs and/or furloughs facing the Hawaii Department of Agriculture, Mayor Tavares has organized a group of individuals to bring the most up-to-date information to various Maui communities. The Mayor feels this is an important investment of our time because the decisions that are ultimately made will impact all of us to varying degrees. A shortage of agricultural inspectors could pose a host of threats to our environment, agriculture industry, tourism, and public health and safety.

The group of presenters include Anna Mae Shishido – Maui County Supervisor of the Department of Agriculture’s Plant Quarantine Branch, Warren Watanabe – Executive Director of the Maui County Farm Bureau, Teya Penniman – Manager of the Maui Invasive Species Committee, and myself.

The Kula Community Association has graciously agreed to host our group at its next meeting, which will be open to its entire membership and the community-at-large. It will be held at the Kula Elementary School cafeteria on Tuesday, October 6th, starting at 6:00 p.m.

Please join us if you can and feel free to invite your family, friends, neighbors, and co-workers to this very important meeting. We will provide you with the most current information and let you know how to stay informed about this issue and what you can do to help out.

Mahalo,

Kuhea

Kuhea Paracuelles
Environmental Coordinator
Office of the Mayor
County of Maui
200 South High Street, 9th Floor
Wailuku, Hawai`i 96793
Telephone (808) 270-8299
Fax (808) 270-7870
E-mail: kuhea.paracuelles@co.maui.hi.us