HB2207 amends Hawaii law governing fine mesh nets used to protect plants from invasive species. The bill specifically authorizes the use of fine mesh nets, including monofilament netting of an appropriate mesh size, when the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity determines they are suitable for protecting plants, so long as they are used in a way that avoids harming birds, entering waterways, or entangling native and beneficial animals such as pollinators and lady beetles.
The bill also directs the department to adopt rules under chapter 91 to implement these standards. Those rules must address technical requirements such as filament diameter, color, and visual cues to reduce non-target entanglement, prohibit mist net material designed for bird work, and allow the sale and distribution of fine mesh nets and certain monofilament netting for the limited purpose of protecting plants from the coconut rhinoceros beetle.
Impact
HB2207 expands and clarifies the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity’s authority under section 141-17, Hawaii Revised Statutes, by expressly allowing certain monofilament netting for invasive species control and by requiring rulemaking to permit its sale and distribution for coconut rhinoceros beetle interdiction. It modifies existing statutory language on fine mesh nets, adds specific safeguards for wildlife and aquatic environments, and creates a clearer legal pathway for agricultural and biosecurity use of these materials in plant protection.
Sentiment
The bill appears to have been broadly supported throughout the legislative process. It passed Senate Agriculture and Environment, Senate Ways and Means, and both conference votes unanimously, and it was ultimately enacted as Act 103. The lack of recorded opposition in the available votes suggests general agreement that the measure addresses a practical biosecurity need while preserving environmental protections.
Contention
The main issue reflected in the bill text is not broad policy opposition but a technical regulatory concern: existing authority for monofilament netting rules had been tied to bird keeping, which could have limited the department’s ability to authorize netting for coconut rhinoceros beetle control. The bill resolves that concern by explicitly extending authority to plant protection, while still requiring safeguards to prevent harm to birds, pollinators, and other non-target species. Any tension in the measure is therefore between invasive species control and wildlife/environmental protection, with the bill attempting to balance both.