Hilo, Hawai’i – As the highly anticipated Merrie Monarch Festival approaches, the Hawaiʻi Department of Agriculture (HDOA) is reminding travelers of the ongoing quarantine restrictions regarding the transport of ʻōhiʻa plants and plant parts from Hawaiʻi Island. The annual hula competition, taking place in Hilo from April 20th to 26th, draws large crowds and raises concerns about the potential spread of rapid ʻōhiʻa death (ROD), a devastating fungal disease threatening native forests.
The quarantine, in effect since 2015, strictly prohibits the movement of ʻōhiʻa plants and any of their parts, including flowers, leaves, seeds, stems, twigs, cuttings, untreated wood, logs, mulch, green waste, frass (sawdust from boring insects), and any soil originating from Hawaiʻi Island. This restriction applies even to ʻōhiʻa that may have originated on other islands; they cannot be transported off of Hawaiʻi Island without a permit issued by the HDOA Plant Quarantine Branch (PQB).
PQB inspectors will be stationed at both Hilo and Kona airports on Sunday and Monday, April 27th and 28th, to collect any prohibited ʻōhiʻa material. These items will be respectfully returned to native forests on Hawai‘i Island. Last year, during the Merrie Monarch travel period, Hilo PQB inspectors intercepted 27 lei poʻo (head lei) made with ʻōhiʻa.
To assist in the proper disposal of ʻōhiʻa, the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resilience, will provide hoʻihoʻi baskets at the event for collection. Additional baskets will also be available at the Hilo and Kona airport PQB offices.
A travel alert flyer with more information has been posted on the HDOA website: https://hdoa.hawaii.gov/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/ROD-Travel-Alert-Sign-12x18_09_FINAL.pdf
The Hawaiʻi Board of Agriculture established the emergency quarantine in August 2015, followed by a permanent quarantine rule in 2016. Violators of the quarantine face misdemeanor charges and fines ranging from $100 to $10,000. Repeat offenders within a five-year period may be fined between $500 and $25,000.
The HDOA emphasizes that even the act of harvesting ʻōhiʻa can contribute to the spread of ROD. Spores can be inadvertently carried in soil and on harvesting tools, vehicles, shoes, and clothing, potentially infecting previously untouched areas.
Rapid ʻōhiʻa death was first detected in Puna in 2010. The disease is caused by two species of fungi, Ceratocystis lukuohia and Ceratocystis huliohia, that were recently reclassified. Experts estimate that at least one million ʻōhiʻa trees have already been killed by ROD on Hawaiʻi Island alone. The disease has since spread to Kauaʻi (2018) and O‘ahu (2019). While one infected tree was discovered and destroyed on Maui in 2019, ROD has not re-emerged on the island. The exact origin of the disease in the state remains unknown.
Travelers seeking further inspection information are encouraged to contact the HDOA’s Plant Quarantine offices:
- Hilo – 808-961-9393
- Kona – 808-326-1077
- Kauaʻi – 808-241-7135
- Honolulu – 808-837-8413
- Maui – 808-872-3848
For more information on ROD, visit:
- HDOA website: http://hdoa.hawaii.gov/blog/main/reportingohiawilt/
- UH College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources website: https://cms.ctahr.hawaii.edu/rod/