Hawaii Invasive Species Council

The Aquatic Biosecurity Working Group is working to implement Strategy 3 from the HISC/CGAPS 2025 Strategy  that was released in 2020. This strategy focuses on building knowledge, capacity, and tools to improve aquatic biosecurity in the state. The Prevention/EDRR Working Group is co-chaired by representatives from DLNR’s Division of Aquatic Resources.

Strategy 3: Prevent the introduction and spread of aquatic non-native species (ANS) into, between, and around the Hawaiian Islands.

How does this relate to the Hawaiʻi Interagency Biosecurity Plan (HIBP)?

Gaps in action or progress on HIBP actions guided the priorities in this five-year plan. This Strategy addresses over 20 HIBP tasks for Pre-Border, Border & Post-Border Policy (Pol), Process (Pro), and Technology, Infrastructure, and Funding (Tifs).

Highlights include adding high-risk ANS to prohibited/restricted lists, creating procedures to managed ballast water and hull fouling, standardizing state and federal language regarding ballast water, increasing DAR’s capacity, testing and implementing new technologies for in-water cleaning for hulls of ships, and conducting risk assessments. Each strategy addresses numerous HIBP tasks, often across multiple HIBP categories. For a more detailed list HIBP linkages for each strategy look to Appendix F of the HISC/CGAPS 2025 Strategy.