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Mission Unclear: A $1 Million Contract In Hawaii Involving Invasive Species
Experts question the firm’s qualifications and say the pest risk work may duplicate past assessments.
- In June, Hawaiʻi awarded a $1 million biosecurity contract to Shizen Consulting Management, a five-year-old engineering firm selected as the sole applicant despite concerns about the proposal's vague objectives.
- Critics cite Shizen's close ties to sister firm EKNA Services and a 20-year history between Shizen Vice President Brian Ishii and Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity officials. Past contracts involving EKNA and former official Carol Okada have drawn scrutiny.
- Sierra Club's Wayne Tanaka called the contract "sketchy" and, at best, "gratuitous." Mark Burgman, a University of Hawaiʻi ecologist, said the proposal lacks "simply no detail about what was intended, what they're going to look at, what they're going to measure."
- Christy Martin of the Coordination Group on Invasive Pest Species warned that without released reports, "we can't improve and learn from them." Meanwhile, the Department has failed to apply for a roughly $90 million bucket of funding for invasive species initiatives.
- Invasive species including coqui frogs and coconut rhinoceros beetles threaten billions in damage and lost ecosystem services across Hawaiʻi. Experts argue these threats underscore an urgent need for the state to improve its pest risk assessment strategies.
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14 Articles
Mission Unclear: A $1 Million Contract In Hawaii Involving Invasive Sp
Invasive species experts are alarmed by the state’s signing of a vague $1 million contract with engineers who will be tasked with figuring out what imports are most prone to hosting new invasive species. The contract, signed
·Baltimore, United States
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Winnipeg Free Press+10 Reposted by 10 other sources
Mission Unclear: A $1 Million Contract In Hawaii Involving Invasive Species
Invasive species experts are alarmed by the state’s signing of a vague $1 million contract with engineers who will be tasked with figuring out what imports are most prone to hosting new invasive species.
·Winnipeg, Canada
Read Full Article
Mission Unclear: A $1 Million Contract Involving Invasive Species Hawaiʻi has ponied up tens of millions of dollars to fight the plague of invasive species across the islands. But the state’s choice of contractors is raising serious concerns.
Mission Unclear: A $1 Million Contract Involving Invasive Species
Coverage Details
Total News Sources14
Leaning Left5Leaning Right2Center6Last UpdatedBias Distribution46% Center
Bias Distribution
- 46% of the sources are Center
46% Center
L 39%
C 46%
15%
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