Maui County Council
Infrastructure and Transportation Committee
Yuki Lei K. Sugimura, Chair
Tasha Kama, Vice Chair
Members of the Committee
Comments on IT-52
Aloha Committee Chair Sugimura, Committee Vice Chair Kama and members of the Committee,
The Maui Chamber of Commerce would like to offer comments on committee item IT-52 regarding Feral Animal Management on Maui.
Axis deer and feral pig populations on Maui County out of control and are causing damage to our agriculture and ecosystems. Population reduction is needed and you have had a few bills that provide funding for assistance in mitigating the damage from feral animals.
We would like to encourage that the committee come up with a larger comprehensive management plan.
We support and believe that a comprehensive feral animal management plan with proactive long-term and short-term measures is needed to fully address the issues and that they should begin the plan implementation measures to manage the feral animal populations
Thank you for the opportunity to comment on this very important issue.
IT-52 CC 19-248 FERAL ANIMAL MANAGEMENT ON MAUI (IT-52)
Cats provide a valuable service to our environment and ecosystem:
Cats perform a valuable service to our environment and ecosystem. Namely rodent control.
Domestic and feral cats are one of the few things keeping our rodent populations under control. Without them, we would be overrun with rodents like parts of Lanai. Removing Cats will create a rodent problem. Each animal has a role in the ecosystem and ther impacts need to be studied in conjunction will all of the other environmental factors. You cannot remove one component of the system without a chain reaction of unintended consequences. Cats are being unfairly vilified, but the real problem is human activity and its negative impacts on the environment.
All mammals are vectors for toxoplasmisis
All mammals are vectors for toxoplasmisis and 20-30% of humans carry the toxoplasmosis paracite in their gut. Human waste, is released into the environment in far vaster quantities than any other mammal. Other carriers of TP, are feral pigs, cattle, cats, dog, mongoose, and of course rats.
Cats are beneficial to humans: Cats were originally brought here for a purpose, they kept them on ships and farms to kill rats and mice. Cats have lived alongside humans for thousands of years, for a mutually beneficial relationship.
Cats are well managed: The real problem with cat populations in the wild is people dumping unwanted pets. But that is what MHS is for. Wild cats on Maui are usually managed and cared for in colonies, and in this way, many displaced and "lost" pets are identified and reunited with their human families. Feral cats in colonies are spayed and neutered to help manage populations.
Feral Animals:
Domestic animals have always escaped captivity or have been deliberately released into the wild, For example, Attempts to introduced Deer across various islands by hunters.
Ranchers do not fence their ranchlands, and escaped cattle destroy forests, and eat mnatine plants, trample soils and cause habitat destruction. Feral pigs destroy upland forests and create damaged envorinments that produce mosquito breeding grounds that are particularly harmful to native birds.
Human waste and Toxoplasmosis:
It should be noted that vast amounts of sewerage is released daily into the ocean, either untreated or partially treated sewerage into the ocean. Sewerage Wastewater enters the ocean at wastewater treatment sites through injection wells, into groundwater, as well as through surface sources such as sewer line breakages. Rains and stormwater flowing in drains streams and overland picks up human sewerage leaking from cesspools.
Millions of Gallons of Sewerage Daily: The county injects about three to five million gallons of waste every day at their wastewater facilities. This sewerage ends up in the ocean at sites like Kalama Park, Kanaha Park, and Lahaina. Also there are countless other private injection wells around the island that contribute to ocean pollution from sewerage.
Contaminated stormwater runoff:
Contaminated stormwater runoff is the primary mechanism from, pathogens enter the ocean and harming aquatic species. This is reported in the South West Maui Watershed Plan, and other studies of our watersheds. Our degraded watersheds have tens-of-thousands of acres of dusty, trampled, ranchlands that contain huge quantities of cattle and deer (domestic and feral ungulate) excrement, that is washed downhill with every storm. Rafts of this toxic excrement piled up on south shore beaches after the December 2021 storms in Kihei.
Cats, Rats, Mongoose, and Cane Toads:
Cats, Rats, Mongoose, and Cane Toads are some examples of biological controls that were introduced to control a problem.
The native ecosystem before humans:
All animals in Hawaii were alien species at one time. Some were naturalized over hundreds and thousands of years and eventually found their niche in the enfvorinment and a naitive ecosystem was established long before humans arrived.
Human arrival: Rats came here with the polynesians, pigs and dogs also. These were some of the first alien species in Hawaii that had a harmful impact on the environment.
Western Contact: With western contact from the time of Cook and La Perouse, Hawaii had more alien species introduced. All seen as beneficial species at the time. Goats, Cattle, Sheep, Deer, and Cats. Eventually Mongoose, and Cane Toads.
Re-Balancing the ecosystem:
All these animals, both alien and endemic are part of the interdependent ecosystem that exists today. Biological controls, such as mongoose and cane toads, and cats were introduced as an attempt to mitigate the effects of human changes on the environment, primarily agriculture and the accidental introductions of pest species. Cats and mongoose were introduced to control rats. Mongoose and Cats do control rats, however rodents (rats and mice) are nocturnal. And mongoose are diurnal. Cats hunt at night and are better at controlling rodents.
Human outdoor defecation: Human outdoor defecation presents a health risk that has not beed addressed. Especially problematic in County beach parks and all shoreline areas where humans live and toilet facilities are not provided.
Please leave the feral cats in the colonies, and look for better ways to manage contaminants entering the ocean, especially stormwater and human sewerage.
Maui County Council
Infrastructure and Transportation Committee
Yuki Lei K. Sugimura, Chair
Tasha Kama, Vice Chair
Members of the Committee
Comments on IT-52
Aloha Committee Chair Sugimura, Committee Vice Chair Kama and members of the Committee,
The Maui Chamber of Commerce would like to offer comments on committee item IT-52 regarding Feral Animal Management on Maui.
Axis deer and feral pig populations on Maui County out of control and are causing damage to our agriculture and ecosystems. Population reduction is needed and you have had a few bills that provide funding for assistance in mitigating the damage from feral animals.
We would like to encourage that the committee come up with a larger comprehensive management plan.
We support and believe that a comprehensive feral animal management plan with proactive long-term and short-term measures is needed to fully address the issues and that they should begin the plan implementation measures to manage the feral animal populations
Thank you for the opportunity to comment on this very important issue.
Sincerely,
Pamela Tumpap
President
IT-52 CC 19-248 FERAL ANIMAL MANAGEMENT ON MAUI (IT-52)
Cats provide a valuable service to our environment and ecosystem:
Cats perform a valuable service to our environment and ecosystem. Namely rodent control.
Domestic and feral cats are one of the few things keeping our rodent populations under control. Without them, we would be overrun with rodents like parts of Lanai. Removing Cats will create a rodent problem. Each animal has a role in the ecosystem and ther impacts need to be studied in conjunction will all of the other environmental factors. You cannot remove one component of the system without a chain reaction of unintended consequences. Cats are being unfairly vilified, but the real problem is human activity and its negative impacts on the environment.
All mammals are vectors for toxoplasmisis
All mammals are vectors for toxoplasmisis and 20-30% of humans carry the toxoplasmosis paracite in their gut. Human waste, is released into the environment in far vaster quantities than any other mammal. Other carriers of TP, are feral pigs, cattle, cats, dog, mongoose, and of course rats.
Cats are beneficial to humans: Cats were originally brought here for a purpose, they kept them on ships and farms to kill rats and mice. Cats have lived alongside humans for thousands of years, for a mutually beneficial relationship.
Cats are well managed: The real problem with cat populations in the wild is people dumping unwanted pets. But that is what MHS is for. Wild cats on Maui are usually managed and cared for in colonies, and in this way, many displaced and "lost" pets are identified and reunited with their human families. Feral cats in colonies are spayed and neutered to help manage populations.
Feral Animals:
Domestic animals have always escaped captivity or have been deliberately released into the wild, For example, Attempts to introduced Deer across various islands by hunters.
Ranchers do not fence their ranchlands, and escaped cattle destroy forests, and eat mnatine plants, trample soils and cause habitat destruction. Feral pigs destroy upland forests and create damaged envorinments that produce mosquito breeding grounds that are particularly harmful to native birds.
Human waste and Toxoplasmosis:
It should be noted that vast amounts of sewerage is released daily into the ocean, either untreated or partially treated sewerage into the ocean. Sewerage Wastewater enters the ocean at wastewater treatment sites through injection wells, into groundwater, as well as through surface sources such as sewer line breakages. Rains and stormwater flowing in drains streams and overland picks up human sewerage leaking from cesspools.
Millions of Gallons of Sewerage Daily: The county injects about three to five million gallons of waste every day at their wastewater facilities. This sewerage ends up in the ocean at sites like Kalama Park, Kanaha Park, and Lahaina. Also there are countless other private injection wells around the island that contribute to ocean pollution from sewerage.
Contaminated stormwater runoff:
Contaminated stormwater runoff is the primary mechanism from, pathogens enter the ocean and harming aquatic species. This is reported in the South West Maui Watershed Plan, and other studies of our watersheds. Our degraded watersheds have tens-of-thousands of acres of dusty, trampled, ranchlands that contain huge quantities of cattle and deer (domestic and feral ungulate) excrement, that is washed downhill with every storm. Rafts of this toxic excrement piled up on south shore beaches after the December 2021 storms in Kihei.
Cats, Rats, Mongoose, and Cane Toads:
Cats, Rats, Mongoose, and Cane Toads are some examples of biological controls that were introduced to control a problem.
The native ecosystem before humans:
All animals in Hawaii were alien species at one time. Some were naturalized over hundreds and thousands of years and eventually found their niche in the enfvorinment and a naitive ecosystem was established long before humans arrived.
Human arrival: Rats came here with the polynesians, pigs and dogs also. These were some of the first alien species in Hawaii that had a harmful impact on the environment.
Western Contact: With western contact from the time of Cook and La Perouse, Hawaii had more alien species introduced. All seen as beneficial species at the time. Goats, Cattle, Sheep, Deer, and Cats. Eventually Mongoose, and Cane Toads.
Re-Balancing the ecosystem:
All these animals, both alien and endemic are part of the interdependent ecosystem that exists today. Biological controls, such as mongoose and cane toads, and cats were introduced as an attempt to mitigate the effects of human changes on the environment, primarily agriculture and the accidental introductions of pest species. Cats and mongoose were introduced to control rats. Mongoose and Cats do control rats, however rodents (rats and mice) are nocturnal. And mongoose are diurnal. Cats hunt at night and are better at controlling rodents.
Human outdoor defecation: Human outdoor defecation presents a health risk that has not beed addressed. Especially problematic in County beach parks and all shoreline areas where humans live and toilet facilities are not provided.
Please leave the feral cats in the colonies, and look for better ways to manage contaminants entering the ocean, especially stormwater and human sewerage.
Regards,
David Dorn