HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.R. NO.	47
THIRTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE, 2023		H.D. 1
STATE OF HAWAII

HOUSE RESOLUTION

URGING THE HAWAII INVASIVE SPECIES COUNCIL, IN CONSULTATION WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, TO DEVELOP A COMPREHENSIVE STRATEGY FOR MANAGING THE ROSE-RINGED PARAKEET POPULATION.

WHEREAS, the rose-ringed parakeet is one of the most widespread and detrimental invasive avian species in the world; and

WHEREAS, the popularity of rose-ringed parakeets in the pet trade has led to its introduction worldwide, including in Florida, Southern California, and across several of the major islands in the State; and

WHEREAS, the first rose-ringed parakeets in the State were introduced on Kauai in the 1960s and have spread to several of the other major islands, with estimated populations ballooning to as many as twenty thousand on Kauai, ten thousand on Oahu, several hundred on Hawaii, and a few on Maui; and

WHEREAS, a study estimated that the global rose-ringed parakeet breeding range increased over four hundred forty-fold from the late 1960s to the mid-2010s, which makes the species one of the most rapidly spreading avian species worldwide; and

WHEREAS, the introduced populations of rose-ringed parakeets have led to negative impacts on native natural resources, economies, and human health and safety; and

WHEREAS, invasive rose-ringed parakeet populations have been documented stripping tree bark, which leads to tree death; consuming yellow guava, which leads to the seed dispersal of the invasive plant; and injuring and killing native wildlife to claim cavities for roosting; and

WHEREAS, invasive rose-ringed parakeet populations have negatively impacted agricultural operations by frequently depredating corn, lychee, mango, papaya, longan, and other citrus crops, with some farmers reporting crop losses of ten to twenty-five percent and over $1,000,000 in losses; and

WHEREAS, invasive rose-ringed parakeet populations pose a serious hazard to human health and safety through their excessive droppings at roost sites, which potentially expose humans to zoonotic pathogens, and inordinate noise; and

WHEREAS, in 2017 and 2018, the Legislature provided funding through Act 31, Session Laws of Hawaii 2017, and Act 180, Session Laws of Hawaii 2018, to support research on damage mitigation and population reduction strategies that was carried out by the United States Department of Agriculture's National Wildlife Research Center; and

WHEREAS, published in January 2023, the research found that roost culling is a viable option to incorporate into integrated pest management programs to address invasive rose-ringed parakeets; and

WHEREAS, further efforts must be made to design a strategy for reducing the invasive rose-ringed parakeet population, with aspirations of eradicating the population when feasible; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Thirty-second Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2023, that the Hawaii Invasive Species Council, in consultation with the Department of Agriculture, is urged to develop a comprehensive strategy for managing the invasive rose-ringed parakeet population; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Hawaii Invasive Species Council is requested to submit the comprehensive strategy, including any proposed legislation, to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2024; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Co-Chairpersons of the Hawaii Invasive Species Council and Chairperson of the Board of Agriculture.

Report Title:

Rose-Ringed Parakeet; Invasive Species Council; DOA; Strategy