Battle Begins To Head Off Coqui Invasion
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Del.icio.usThe nighttime chirping of resident amphibians often lulls Oahu dwellers to sleep at night, but in Waimanalo, even Kermit should watch his back.
That’s because state Sen. Clayton Hee (Kahuku, Kaneohe), who chairs the Water, Land, Agriculture and Hawaiian Affairs Committee, has announced the presence of coqui frogs near businesses that depend on potted plant sales in Waimanalo. The discovery of these frogs in Waimanalo is an ominous sign for nurseries islandwide, and Hee hopes to put a stop to their spread here.
“Anytime you have invasive pests, the best thing to do is get aggressive with it immediately,” Hee said. “In Waimanalo the frogs have been discovered near the base of the mountain in the forest and therefore they’re much harder to eradicate due to accessibility. We’ve got to catch them before they get in too far.”
The coqui frog is infamous for the mating chirps they produce during the night - a common dissonance comparable to a small house party or even a full-on heavy metal concert. Beyond the noise, however, Hilo’s already-infested nurseries are faced with quarantine restrictions on both inter-island and California sales by the state Department of Agriculture in an effort to prevent the spread of the frog. Prevention efforts are being thwarted, unfortunately, by recent reductions in the state ag budget. The number of inspectors has been reduced by 26 percent, from 112 to 82 statewide.
Without working to take proper measures now, Oahu could face the same quarantines, Hee predicted. “Yesterday (Feb. 17) we passed two bills that at least at this point in the Legislature intend to use existing funds from the Legacy Lands Commission, and we’re going to put in a budget proviso of $1 million to hire more inspectors. The overall objective is to find at least $3 million-$4 million for it. We’re looking at two other funds in DLNR and the DOA, and we hope to build the number of agricultural inspectors to around 115 or more.”
Hee estimates that several hundred of the pests are breeding in Waimanalo, and they’ve already been heard on the south side of Oahu and at one location in Haleiwa. They’re now making their way to the east side, he said, having been spotted in Enchanted Lake, Hawaii Kai and as far north as Sunset Beach. Waimanalo farmers in particular have grown leery, fearing that having fewer agricultural inspectors has left their farms vulnerable to these Caribbean intruders.
“There are no health concerns, but there are economic ones,” Hee said. “Where these frogs are, the property values decrease. Jobs are lost when areas are quarantined, profits decrease at businesses and so on. The frogs are affecting not only agricultural shipments, but now other shipments like building materials, fencing and other things, and when they go interisland there’s a concern for their spread.”
The frog was introduced to Hawaii by mistake around 1988 from its native Puerto Rico, according to the University of Hawaii. The tiny frogs - the size of a quarter - pose a threat to native insects and spiders, and compete for food with native birds. The latest mapping of the Oahu infestation shows it in strategic positions around the island.
“One thing we’re doing is obviously inspecting things that come from out of state, and when a container is found to have invasive pests, it is closed and sent directly back where it came from,” Hee said. “Ultimately we want to get to a stage though where the nurseries and other willing participants will be able to police their own lands and agriculture and report these sightings immediately.”
To report a coqui sighting or noise, call the DOA toll-free hot line at 643-7378.
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