A biosecurity plan consists of inspections, facilities, and protocols for pre-border (before a shipment or a group of passengers departs), at the border (upon arrival to the new location), and post-border (after cargo and passengers have reached their destination). The RBP for Micronesia and Hawaiʻi also contains detailed risk assessments for marine, terrestrial, and freshwater ecosystems, which are critical to regional economies and sustainable livelihoods.

Left: Adult coconut rhinoceros beetle. Right: Coconut rhinoceros beetle damage to palm trees. Images courtesy of the Hawaiʻi Department of Agriculture.

The members of each jurisdiction covered in the RBP agreed that the plan should be updated every 3 years, and the RISC initiated the first update process this November in Guam. Pacific RISA PI Laura Brewington facilitated the week-long update meeting, during which time the original recommendations and action items were identified, accomplishments and progress to-date were documented, and new concerns were raised. One of the key recommendations for the update is to develop an action plan for invasive species under climate change. As regions of the Pacific warm, precipitation patterns shift, and sea levels rise, invasive species ranges are expected to change as well. For example, outbreaks of the invasive coconut rhinoceros beetle (pictured above) have been reported on Guam and Palau after extreme storm events.  High winds damage the palm trees the beetles use as a food source and breeding grounds, and sea level rise weakens palm trees along the coast, making them more vulnerable to predation by the beetle. Dr. Brewington will be working with the RISC members and others to prepare the climate change language for the RBP update, which will be finalized and released in mid-2018.