HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

655

TWENTY-NINTH LEGISLATURE, 2017

H.D. 1

STATE OF HAWAII

S.D. 1

 

C.D. 1

 

 

 

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

 

RELATING TO THE ROSE-RINGED PARAKEET.

 

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

 


     SECTION 1.  The rose-ringed parakeet, Psittacula krameri, is one of the most widespread invasive birds on the planet.  In the United States, established populations occur in Florida, Hawaii, and southern California.  In its native range of Africa and India, this bird is considered to be one of the most significant agricultural pests of important food crops.  In Hawaii, the rose-ringed parakeet has been particularly damaging on Kauai, where its population has been growing exponentially.  Although the first pair of rose-ringed parakeets was introduced in Kauai in the 1960s, the population was estimated at one hundred fifty to two hundred birds by 1994, five hundred to one thousand birds by the late 2000s, and over two thousand birds by 2011.  The current number of rose-ringed parakeets on Kauai is unknown, but observations suggest over five thousand birds.

     The legislature further finds that the rose-ringed parakeet has been introduced in over thirty-five countries and five continents.  It is gregarious, is a dietary generalist, has a high reproductive rate, is well-adapted to living in populated areas, and is without predation pressure.  The rose-ringed parakeet is a successful invader and poses a significant threat to local economies by damaging agriculture and the local ecology, thereby causing invasive plant dispersion and competing with native wildlife.

     On Kauai, these birds cause more crop damage than all other birds and mammals.  Kauai residents have complained about the noise from rose-ringed parakeet calls, feces spreading below roosts, damage to local gardens and orchards, and loss of business profits and tourism.  This bird is also a potential vector of various pathogens and diseases (e.g., avian influenza, avian malaria, and salmonella) that could be passed to humans, pets, and native wildlife.

     The legislature further finds that the staff of the National Wildlife Research Center of the United States Department of Agriculture has observed the rose-ringed parakeet on Kauai and has concluded that these birds are:  (1) probably dispersing invasive plant species, including lilikoi and strawberry and yellow guava; (2) possibly destroying native seeds, including koa; and (3) potentially competing with native birds for fruits, seeds, and nesting sites.

     The legislature also finds that the greatest negative effects of the rose-ringed parakeet on Kauai, however, are economic.  These parakeets are known for damaging crops, and reports from fruit farmers suggest that the parakeets are damaging and reducing the yield of many crops, including lychee, longan, and rambutan.  In response to reports of damage to crops and reduced yields, the National Wildlife Research Center conducted a two-month research study in 2011 that documented the movement and foraging patterns of the parakeet, contained additional estimates of their population, and identified roost site locations.  This study is the only formal research study of the rose-ringed parakeet on Kauai.

     Additional research is needed for the development and preliminary implementation of an effective control plan for rose-ringed parakeets on Kauai.  While the National Wildlife Research Center of the United States Department of Agriculture completed some preliminary analysis of rose-ringed parakeet population dynamics in 2011, the population appears to have grown substantially since then, and the current number and distribution of birds are unknown.  There is a strong need for more cost-effective rose-ringed parakeet control to benefit economically important crops on Kauai, as well as a need to reduce the potential for these birds to damage natural resources and adversely affect human health and safety.

     The purpose of this Act is to appropriate funds to the department of land and natural resources to provide assistance and supplemental funding to the National Wildlife Research Center of the United States Department of Agriculture to:

     (1)  Determine an estimate of the current population size of the rose-ringed parakeet on Kauai;

     (2)  Locate and map the roost and rookery locations of rose-ringed parakeets on Kauai;

     (3)  Describe and map rose-ringed parakeet habitat uses, daily dispersal patterns, and overall range on Kauai;

     (4)  Estimate generally the agricultural, commercial, residential, and natural area damages by rose-ringed parakeets on Kauai;

     (5)  Determine the types of human and wildlife diseases carried by rose-ringed parakeets on Kauai;

     (6)  Conduct trials using different devices and methods that will reduce or deter rose-ringed parakeet populations; and

     (7)  Develop and implement the beginning of an effective control plan for reducing the adverse effects of the rose-ringed parakeet on Kauai with an initial reduction target of five hundred birds or an estimated ten per cent of the population.

     SECTION 2.  The department of land and natural resources shall provide assistance to and collaborate with the National Wildlife Research Center of the United States Department of Agriculture, including providing supplemental funding for completion of the Center's research study on the rose-ringed parakeet on the island of Kauai and related research, development, and implementation programs to reduce the adverse effects of the parakeet on the island of Kauai.

     SECTION 3.  There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $75,000 or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2017-2018 for the department of land and natural resources to assist the National Wildlife Research Center of the United States Department of Agriculture to conduct research on and develop and begin implementation of a control plan for the rose-ringed parakeet as set forth in this Act.

     The sum appropriated shall be expended by the department of land and natural resources for the purposes of this Act.

     SECTION 4.  This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2017.



 

Report Title:

Rose-ringed Parakeet; Department of Land and Natural Resources; Appropriation

 

Description:

Appropriates funds to the Department of Land and Natural Resources to assist and provide supplemental funds to the National Wildlife Research Center of the U.S. Department of Agriculture to research the adverse effects of the rose-ringed parakeet on Kauai and develop and begin implementation of a control plan to reduce the negative impacts.  (HB655 CD1)

 

 

 

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