Big Isle lawmakers aim to rein in biocontrols

By Bret Yager
Hawaii Tribune-Herald

Big Island lawmakers have introduced resolutions calling for a ban on biological control agents such as the Brazilian scale insect that would attack strawberry guava.
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Hamakua's Sen. Dwight Takamine and Rep. Mark Nakashima introduced the Senate and House versions of the resolution March 18, calling on the state Department of Agriculture and the Department of Land and Natural Resources to implement a five-year moratorium on release of biocontrol agents targeting plants that serve as food sources — including strawberry guava, avocado, mango, passion fruit and other plants that some gather wild as a source of food.

"The concern in the community is that we seem to be rushing ahead on this issue," Nakashima said. "The matter has not been studied and the concern about the scale insect jumping to other species has not been adequately addressed."

The Hawaii County Council postponed a vote last fall on a similar resolution, this one asking state and federal agriculture departments not to release the Brazilian scale insect Tectococcus ovatus. The county is still waiting for a reworked draft environmental assessment of the Forest Service plan to release the insect. Public meetings will be held before the county votes on the resolution.

A draft assessment finished last March proposed the release of the scale insect by the Forest Service Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry. M. Tracy Johnson, a Forest Service research entomologist, has been reworking the draft since then.

He said he expects to have another draft ready for public meetings and input by late May.

Johnson originally expected to have revisions ready late last summer but had trouble finding a contractor to help with the EA process.

"It's really important for people to understand the insect is not going to kill off strawberry guava," Johnson said. "It just doesn't have that level of impact. We do expect it to slow down the spread of strawberry guava into native forests."

The proposal to release the biocontrol insect ignited a storm of debate last year. Some use strawberry guava for food and as wood, and fear the insect will attack other plants. Scientists and others say the guava is invasive and is wiping out native forests.

"With regard to food security, my view is that the guava is actually a critical threat," Johnson said. "It's host to fruit flies, so we have huge numbers of flies coming out, and invading agriculture and hindering our ability to develop truly diversified ag."

Scientists rank Hawaii as one of the worst places on Earth for invasive species and say the strawberry guava chokes out native koa and ohia seedlings.

But with the current economic downturn, more families are turning to wild food sources for sustenance, and biological controls should not be allowed to impact those food sources, the resolution states.

"While there are concerns the waiawi (strawberry guava) is invading native forests, I think eradicating it by hand is a viable option," Nakashima said.

"I think the motivation is a lot of grant money involved, but that's not a good enough reason to release this insect," he added.

The House version of the resolution, HR 218, has been referred to agriculture, water and land and health committees.

The Agriculture Committee has not yet scheduled a hearing. Big Island Rep. Clift Tsuji, who is the committee chairman, said he'll watch what happens with the Senate version, which he says may be crossing over to the House soon. Tsuji said he shares community concerns about biocontrol of strawberry guava.

The Senate version, SR 108, has been referred to water and land, and energy and environment committees.

Hamakua Councilmember Dominic Yagong is opposed to the release of the scale insect to control strawberry guava.

"I'm personally very concerned about how it may affect native plant species as well as the food supply," Yagong said. "That was also the feeling I got from my constituents."