The importation into the State of any of the following articles, viz., . . . reptile, nematode, insect, or any other animal in any stage of development (that is in addition to the so-called domestic animal, the quarantine of which is provided for in chapter 142); box, vehicle, baggage, or any other container in which such articles have been transported or any packing material used in connection therewith shall be made in the manner hereinafter set forth:
(1) Notification of arrival. Any person who receives for transport or brings or causes to be brought to the State as freight, air freight, baggage, or otherwise, for the purpose of debarkation or entry therein, or as ship's stores, any of the foregoing articles, shall, immediately upon the arrival thereof, notify the department, in writing, of the arrival, giving the waybill number, container number, name and address of the consignor, name and address of the consignee or the consignee's agent in the State, marks, number of packages, description of contents of each package, port at which laden, and any other information that may be necessary to locate or identify the same, and shall hold such articles at the pier, airport, or any other place where they are first received or discharged, in such a manner that they will not spread or be likely to spread any infestation or infection of insects or diseases that may be present until inspection and examination can be made by the inspector to determine whether or not any article, or any portion thereof, is infested or infected with or contains any pest. The department may adopt rules to require identification of specific articles on negotiable and non-negotiable warehouse receipts, bills of lading, or other documents of title for inspection of pests. In addition, the department shall adopt rules to designate restricted articles that shall require:
(A) A permit from the department in advance of importation; or
(B) A department letter of authorization or registration in advance of importation.
The restricted articles shall include but not be limited to certain microorganisms or living insects. Failure to obtain the permit, letter of authorization, or registration in advance is a violation of this section;
(2) Individual passengers, officers, and crew.
(A) It shall be the responsibility of the transportation company to distribute, prior to the debarkation of passengers and baggage, the State of Hawaii plant and animal declaration form to each passenger, officer, and crew member of any aircraft or vessel originating in the continental United States or its possessions or from any other area not under the jurisdiction of the appropriate federal agency in order that the passenger, officer, or crew member can comply with the directions and requirements appearing thereon. All passengers, officers, and crew members, whether or not they are bringing or causing to be brought for entry into the State the articles listed on the form, shall complete the declaration, except that one adult member of a family may complete the declaration for other family members. Any person who defaces the declaration form required under this section, gives false information, fails to declare restricted articles in the person's possession or baggage, or fails to declare in cargo manifests is in violation of this section;
(B) Completed forms shall be collected by the transportation company and be delivered, immediately upon arrival, to the inspector at the first airport or seaport of arrival. Failure to distribute or collect declaration forms or to immediately deliver completed forms is a violation of this section; and
(C) It shall be the responsibility of the officers and crew of an aircraft or vessel originating in the continental United States or its possessions or from any other area not under the jurisdiction of the appropriate federal agency to immediately report all sightings of any plants and animals to the plant quarantine branch. Failure to comply with this requirement is a violation of this section;
(3) Plant and animal declaration form. The form shall include directions for declaring domestic and other animals cited in chapter 142, in addition to the articles enumerated in this chapter;
(4) Labels. Each container in which any of the above-mentioned articles are imported into the State shall be plainly and legibly marked, in a conspicuous manner and place, with the name and address of the shipper or owner forwarding or shipping the same, the name or mark of the person to whom the same is forwarded or shipped or the person's agent, the name of the country, state, or territory and locality therein where the product was grown or produced, and a statement of the contents of the container. Upon failure to comply with this paragraph, the importer or carrier is in violation of this section;
(5) Authority to inspect. Whenever the inspector has good cause to believe that the provisions of this chapter are being violated, the inspector may:
(A) Enter and inspect any aircraft, vessel, or other carrier at any time after its arrival within the boundaries of the State, whether offshore, at the pier, or at the airport, for the purpose of determining whether any of the articles or pests enumerated in this chapter or rules adopted thereto, is present;
(B) Enter into or upon any pier, warehouse, airport, or any other place in the State where any of the above-mentioned articles are moved or stored, for the purpose of ascertaining, by inspection and examination, whether or not any of the articles is infested or infected with any pest or disease or contaminated with soil or contains prohibited plants or animals; and
(C) Inspect any baggage or personal effects of disembarking passengers, officers, and crew members on aircraft or vessels arriving in the State to ascertain if they contain any of the articles or pests enumerated in this chapter. No baggage or other personal effects of the passengers or crew members shall be released until the baggage or effects have been passed.
Baggage or cargo inspection shall be made at the discretion of the inspector, on the pier, vessel, or aircraft or in any quarantine or inspection area.
Whenever the inspector has good cause to believe that the provisions of this chapter are being violated, the inspector may require that any box, package, suitcase, or any other container carried as ship's stores, cargo, or otherwise by any vessel or aircraft moving between the continental United States and Hawaii or between the Hawaiian Islands, be opened for inspection to determine whether any article or pest prohibited by this chapter or by rules adopted pursuant thereto is present. It is a violation of this section if any prohibited article or any pest or any plant, fruit, or vegetable infested with plant pests is found;
(6) Request for importation and inspection. In addition to requirements of the United States customs authorities concerning invoices or other formalities incident to importations into the State, the importer shall be required to file a written statement with the department, signed by the importer or the importer's agent, setting forth the importer's desire to import certain of the above-mentioned articles into the State and:
(A) Giving the following additional information:
(i) The kind (scientific name), quantity, and description;
(ii) The locality where same were grown or produced;
(iii) Certification that all animals to be imported are the progeny of captive populations or have been held in captivity for a period of one year immediately prior to importation or have been specifically approved for importation by the board;
(iv) The port from which the same were last shipped;
(v) The name of the shipper; and
(vi) The name of the consignee; and
(B) Containing:
(i) A request that the department, by its duly authorized agent, examine the articles described;
(ii) An agreement by the importer to be responsible for all costs, charges, or expenses; and
(iii) A waiver of all claims for damages incident to the inspection or the fumigation, disinfection, quarantine, or destruction of the articles, or any of them, as hereinafter provided, if any treatment is deemed necessary. Failure or refusal to file a statement, including the agreement and waiver, is a violation of this section and may, in the discretion of the department, be sufficient cause for refusing to permit the entry of the articles into the State;
(7) Place of inspection. If, in the judgment of the inspector, it is deemed necessary or advisable to move any of the above-mentioned articles, or any portion thereof, to a place more suitable for inspection than the pier, airport, or any other place where they are first received or discharged, the inspector is authorized to do so. All costs and expenses incident to the movement and transportation of the articles to such place shall be borne by the importer or the importer's agent. If the importer, importer's agent, or transportation company requests inspection of sealed containers of the above-mentioned articles at locations other than where the articles are first received or discharged and the department determines that inspection at such place is appropriate, the department may require payment of costs necessitated by these inspections, including overtime costs;
(8) Disinfection or quarantine. If, upon inspection, any article received or brought into the State for the purpose of debarkation or entry therein is found to be infested or infected or there is reasonable cause to presume that it is infested or infected and the infestation or infection can, in the judgment of the inspector, be eradicated, a treatment shall be given such article. The treatment shall be at the expense of the owner or the owner's agent, and the treatment shall be as prescribed by the department. The article shall be held in quarantine at the expense of the owner or the owner's agent at a satisfactory place approved by the department for a sufficient length of time to determine that eradication has been accomplished. If the infestation or infection is of such nature or extent that it cannot be effectively and completely eradicated, or if it is a potentially destructive pest or it is not widespread in the State, or after treatment it is determined that the infestation or infection is not completely eradicated, or if the owner or the owner's agent refuses to allow the article to be treated or to be responsible for the cost of treatment and quarantine, the article, or any portion thereof, together with all packing and containers, may, at the discretion of the inspector, be destroyed or sent out of the State at the expense of the owner or the owner's agent. Such destruction or exclusion shall not be made the basis of a claim against the department or the inspector for damage or loss incurred;
(9) Disposition. Upon completion of inspection, either at the time of arrival or at any time thereafter should any article be held for inspection, treatment, or quarantine, the inspector shall affix to the article or the container or to the delivery order in a conspicuous place thereon, a tag, label, or stamp to indicate that the article has been inspected and passed. This action shall constitute a permit to bring the article into the State; and
(10) Ports of entry. None of the articles mentioned in this section shall be allowed entry into the State except through the airports and seaports in the State designated and approved by the board.
Citation: HRS § 150A-5.
(a) Any person who violates any provision of this chapter other than sections 150A-5, 150A-6(3), and 150A-6(4) or who violates any rule adopted under this chapter other than those rules involving an animal that is prohibited or a plant, animal, or microorganism that is restricted, without a permit, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and fined not less than $100. The provisions of section 706-640 notwithstanding, the maximum fine shall be $10,000. For a second offense committed within five years of a prior offense, the person or organization shall be fined not less than $500 and not more than $25,000.
(b) Any person who violates section 150A-5 shall be guilty of a petty misdemeanor and fined not less than $50 and not more than $5,000. For a second offense committed within five years of a prior offense, the person may be fined not less than $250 and not more than $15,000.
(c) Any person who:
(1) Violates section 150A-6(3) or 150A-6(4), or owns or intentionally transports, possesses, harbors, transfers, or causes the importation of any snake or other prohibited animal seized under section 150A-7(b), or whose violation involves an animal that is prohibited or a plant, animal, or microorganism that is restricted, without a permit, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and subject to a fine of not less than $5,000, but not more than $20,000;
(2) Intentionally transports, harbors, or imports with the intent to propagate, sell, or release any animal that is prohibited or any plant, animal, or microorganism that is restricted, without a permit, shall be guilty of a class C felony and subject to a fine of not less than $50,000, but not more than $200,000; or
(3) Intentionally imports, possesses, harbors, transfers, or transports, including through interisland or intraisland movement, with the intent to propagate, sell, or release, any pest designated by statute or rule, unless otherwise allowed by law, shall be guilty of a class C felony and subject to a fine of not less than $50,000, but not more than $200,000.
(d) Whenever a court sentences a person or organization pursuant to subsection (a) or (c) for an offense which has resulted in the escape or establishment of any pest and caused the department to initiate a program to capture, control, or eradicate that pest, the court shall also require that the person or organization pay to the state general fund an amount of money to be determined in the discretion of the court upon advice of the department, based upon the cost of the development and implementation of the program.
(e) The department may, at its discretion, refuse entry, confiscate, or destroy any prohibited articles or restricted articles that are brought into the State without a permit issued by the department, or order the return of any plant, fruit, vegetable, or any other article infested with pests to its place of origin or otherwise dispose of it or such part thereof as may be necessary to comply with this chapter. Any expense or loss in connection therewith shall be borne by the owner or the owner's agent.
(f) Any person or organization that voluntarily surrenders any prohibited animal or any restricted plant, animal, or microorganism without a permit issued by the department, prior to the initiation of any seizure action by the department, shall be exempt from the penalties of this section.
(g) For purposes of this section, “intent to propagate” shall be presumed when the person in question is found to possess, transport, harbor, or import:
(1) Any two or more animal specimens of the opposite sex that are prohibited or restricted, without a permit, or are a pest designated by statute or rule;
(2) Any three or more animal specimens of either sex that are prohibited or restricted, without a permit, or are a pest designated by statute or rule;
(3) Any plant or microorganism having the inherent capability to reproduce and that is restricted, without a permit; or
(4) Any specimen that is in the process of reproduction.
Citation: HRS § 150A-14.
(a) It is a violation of sections 150A-5 and 150A-6 to bring into the State contrary to those sections any plant, plant product, animal, microorganism, or any article infested with pests or contaminated with soil and the same shall be refused admittance and may, in the discretion of the inspector, be seized and treated, destroyed, or excluded at the expense of the owner or the owner's agent.
(b) It is a violation of this part to bring to or possess in the State any living creature that is prohibited or restricted, without a permit issued by the department, except as expressly provided in this part. The creature shall constitute contraband and shall be seized immediately upon discovery, whenever found, and be destroyed, donated to a government zoo, or sent out of the State, at the discretion of the department. Any expense or loss in connection therewith shall be borne by the owner or the owner's agent.
(c) Whenever any living creature introduced or admitted under rules of the department escapes, or is found to be free from confinement, the department may confiscate or capture it and any progeny at the expense of the owner. The department may destroy the creature, donate it to a government zoo, or send it out of the State after five days at the discretion of the department. Any expense or loss in connection therewith shall be borne by the owner or the owner's agent.
Citation: HRS § 150A-7.
...(b) Unless otherwise authorized by federal law including the Marine Mammal Protection Act, 16 United States Code, chapter 31, no person shall sell, offer to sell, purchase, trade, possess with intent to sell, or barter for any part or product from the following marine family, genus, or species: sea turtle (Chelonioidea)...insofar as the species, subspecies, or distinct population segment is listed:
(1) On appendix I or II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species; or
(2) As endangered or threatened under the Endangered Species Act...
...(e) To the extent permitted under federal law, none of the prohibitions set forth in this section shall apply if:
(1) The covered animal species part or product is part of a bona fide antique; provided that:
(A) The antique status of the part or product is established by the owner or seller thereof with historical documentation showing the antique to be not less than one hundred years old;
(B) The covered animal species part or product is less than twenty per cent by volume of the antique; and
(C) The covered animal species part or product is a fixed component or components of a larger manufactured item and is not, in its current form, the primary source of value of the item;
(2) The distribution of the covered animal species part or product is:
(A) For a bona fide educational or scientific purpose; or
(B) To or from a museum;
(3) The distribution of the covered animal species part or product is to a legal beneficiary of an estate, trust, or other inheritance;
(4) The covered animal species part or product is less than twenty per cent by volume of a gun, knife, or musical instrument, including without limitation string instruments and bows, wind and percussion instruments, and pianos, if the owner or seller provides historical documentation showing the item was manufactured no later than 1975 and the covered animal species part or product is a fixed component or components of a larger manufactured item and is not, in its current form, the primary source of value of the item;
(5) The sale, offer for sale, purchase, trade, possession with intent to sell, or barter of the covered animal species part or product is expressly authorized by federal law or permit; or
(6) The activity is authorized under section 183D-6.
(f) There is established a rebuttable presumption of possession with intent to sell a covered animal species part or product when the part or product is possessed by a retail or wholesale establishment or other forum engaged in the business of buying or selling similar items. This rebuttable presumption shall not preclude a finding of intent to sell based on any other evidence that may serve to independently establish such intent.
(g) None of the prohibitions set forth in this section shall apply to traditional cultural practices expressly protected under article XII, section 7, of the state constitution.
(h) For the purposes of this section, “covered animal species part or product” means any item that contains, or is wholly or partially made from, any covered animal species.
(i) The department of land and natural resources may adopt rules pursuant to chapter 91, as needed, to further implement or enforce this section.
Citation: HRS § 183D-66.