RareHawaii

PROBLEM OVERVIEW:
**The need for emergency reform of game management* in Hawai‘i***
	Hunter’s delight, forest scourge. The picture at right shows how pigs kill the Hawaiian forest from the ground up. Little pools of “pig-enriched” water are deadly to the native Hawaiian birds--they provide a perfect breeding ground for the mosquitoes that carry avian malaria. Another mosquito-borne disease of humans, dengue fever, is aided by the same nutrient-rich puddles. In addition, Hawai‘i’s fresh water is being contaminated with diseases such as leptospirosis, a serious threat to human health that is spread by feral pigs and rodents.


The beautiful plant at right, a species of Cyanea, or haha, was once thought to be extinct. It was very exciting when healthy plants were found still surviving in a remote area. Unfortunately, in Hawai‘i, endangered species are food for introduced goats and pigs, which found the plants (above).

	Hawai‘i lags behind the rest of the world in planning and implementing game management and animal control to protect its land, water, native species, economy, and human health. Until residents insist on limiting game mammals to appropriate areas, these invasive species will continue to degrade our resources.
Above: Feeding pigs dug up these hapu‘u ferns. This shows why the forest dies "from the ground up." First the groundcover plants such as ferns and seedlings go, then the larger shrubs and trees. The puddles of water in the dug-out trunks harbor the most mosquito larvae of anyplace in the forest. This picture was taken on Maui.
Feral pigs encroach on homes and crops, digging up yards, golf courses, and parks. Grazing and browsing animals destroy native forests, prevent recovery of rare and endangered species, cause erosion that damages coral reefs and homes, and pollute the watersheds with diseases.	Game mammals are a major factor in the spread of alien plant species throughout the islands. The alien invasion is changing the character of the islands and the island lifestyle. Immediate, effective action is needed to reverse this trend.
Another look . . . before and after feral pigs
	It's hard to believe, but owners of domestic pigs sometimes release their animals in healthy native forests when they no longer wish to take care of them. Some hunters also introduce animals to new areas. This picture was taken in the Upper Hana rainforest, when it was pig-free.
	When the photographer came back three years later, pigs had moved in.
Summary
Hawai‘i’s island ecosystems evolved without the presence of hoofed mammals. The grazing, trampling, and rooting of these introduced animals is destroying the last populations of many rare species and permanently altering the unique character of irreplaceable ecosystems. Feral pigs and goats are counted among the world's worst invasive species. Hawai‘i is fighting an expensive and difficult war against invasive plants and animals, but there has been no strategy to truly control pigs or goats since bag limits were implemented in 1959. Introduced game animals spread invasive weeds by opening up the forest floor and carrying weed seeds into new areas, on their feet and in their stomachs. These new populations of fruit-bearing pest species such as strawberry guava may increase the carrying capacity for rats, further endangering native birds and plants. Countries such as Australia and New Zealand have laid the groundwork in research, planning and management of introduced hoofed animals. Mainland states where feral pigs are spreading rapidly are taking action to reverse the trend. Hawai‘i lags behind, but can rapidly progress by following these other models. The longer we wait to implement a serious, effective control program, the greater the costs. Extinction and forest modification are happening now. DOFAW will not be performing its stated mission to protect native ecosystems and watersheds until it follows the rest of the world and implements true game management and control. Although the agency deserves credit for a number of important fencing projects, fencing in small areas to keep game animals out is a limited, stopgap solution that does nothing for agricultural concerns or residents facing encroaching animals. Furthermore, most of Hawai‘i's State-managed natural areas continue to decline, used as feeding grounds for pigs, goats, deer, and sheep. Meaningful restoration of native forests and rare species is not possible under these conditions. State funding and public support for DOFAW to hire planners and game management and control experts is urgently needed.




Rare Hawai‘i: It wasn’t meant to be a barnyard 70 million years of evolution. Thousands of plant and animal species found nowhere else in the world. Introduced pigs, goats, deer and sheep roaming freely over public lands. More than 265 extinctions and counting. (Note: If the format of this page looks strange, try another browser, like Firefox.)