Thanks to the work of teams at HDOA, DLNR, DOH, UH, and other partners, implementation on 65% of the 147 action items identified in the Hawaiʻi Interagency Biosecurity Plan has begun as of January 2022. This year marks the halfway point for implementation of the plan and we can reflect on our achievements made to improve biosecurity over the last 5 years, but to remember that there is still a lot of work ahead. You can view the full progress report or the snapshot with the links below.
The scope of the Hawai‘i Interagency Biosecurity Plan addresses three biosecurity areas including pre-border (for example, agreements on handling and treatment of products before they enter the state), border (for example, inspection authorities and technologies), and post-border (for example, tools and capacity for response after invasive species have become established). The benefit of a comprehensive interagency plan is that it facilitates actions and policies across a wide range of agencies and partners. The plan includes roughly 150 action items assigned to various agencies and stakeholders, with specific details on how and when to best implement each action.
The plan is a strategic systems analysis, rather than an operational plan that analyzes response protocols for individual species. It identifies critical gaps in our biosecurity system and suggests policies, processes, and resources to address those gaps.
Past reports are available at https://dlnr.hawaii.gov/hisc/plans/hibp/.