The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My WebLink AboutCOM 0295.007 2006-2008 STATUS REPORT COUNTY OF HAWAH FERAL PIG CONTROL PILOT PROJECT JULY 1 TO DECEMBER 31, 2007 1.0 PROJECT DESCRH'TION This project was implemented by the United States Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Wildlife Services (APHIS-WS) under cooperative service agreement number 07-73-15-6072-RA with the County of Hawaii, Department of Research and Development (R&D). APHIS-WS entered into this agreement to assist the R&D in providing wildlife damage management (WDM) services to residents, agricultural farms and public institutions within the County of Hawaii that are posed with human health and safety threats, nuisance, property damage and agricultural damage associated with feral pigs. This 12-month pilot project was implemented per Council Resolution 134-07 to assess the feasibility and effectiveness of a government sanctioned, island wide feral pig control program. This report covers APHIS-WS activities from July 1 to December 31, 2007. 2.0 PERSONNEL HOURS APHIS-WS personnel spent 2,983 hours constructing cage traps, doing site visits and conducting control activities to remove nuisance pigs which posed problems within communities and small, noncommercial agricultural farms. This project provided funding for four Wildlife Specialist positions based out ofAPHIS-WS facility in Hilo. The initial intent of APHIS-WS was to employ two personnel to service the eastern side of the island, and two for the west, to better assist communities in need and reduce the travel time needed for servicing properties. However, due to staffing complications and budget shortfalls with another County of Hawaii project (Coqui frog spray teams and loan sprayer program) that ended on September 30, 2007, APHIS-WS decided to retain the existing staff to service the feral pig project. All of the existing staff was stationed at the Hilo APHIS-WS facility. 3.0 FINANCIAL EXPENDITURES The total authorized budget for this pilot project was $250,000. A projected $157,354 was budgeted for salaries/benefits, $4,984 for official travel, $20,800 for vehicle maintenance/repair, $14,227 for consumable supplies, $36,900 for equipment, and $15,735 for APHIS-WS administrative overhead. As of December 31, 2007, a total of $139,906, or 56% of the total budget, have been spent on the various budgetary line items. Table 1 outlines expenditures by category for the first and second County fiscal quarters, as well as projected expenditures for the third and forth quarters. 4.0 COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION From July 1 to December 31, 2007, APHIS-WS received a total of 401 calls regarding feral pig damage. Of these calls, 290 of them were in need of trapping assistance and 111 calls were for general information on feral pigs. In most cases, information that was disseminated to the general public included suggested fencing specifications to promote Comm: NI[ eu~aq S 7 Ref. To: IC ~G Ref. Date JAN8 9~RR long-term solutions, wildlife disease risks as it relates to the butchering of possibly contaminated meat, the state-level regulations as it pertains to the control of feral pigs on private property, and specifications for trap building for individuals interested and competent in trapping problematic pigs themselves. 4.1 Carcass Disposition As owners or lessees of the properties that were serviced, residents and noncommercial agricultural farmers were given the opportunity to assume responsibility of the pig carcasses for human consumption or give it to an interested second party. Every effort was made by APHIS-WS personnel to influence the people being serviced to utilize the meat for human consumption, although the final decision was left to the land owner or lessee. APHIS-WS documented that 104, or 47%, of the 221 pigs captured were consumed. The remaining carcasses were disposed of at the Hilo Landfill. 5.0 METHODS AND RESULTS Three primary control methods (cage traps, leg snares and shooting with suppressed rimfire rifles) were used to remove 221 injurious feral pigs from 64 trapping locations, most of which were residential properties (Table 3). Despite the assumption that cage traps would be the primary control method when the project was initiated, leg snares were deemed more useful in areas where feral pigs could not be baited into a cage trap, or where there were no suitable aeeas to place a cage trap. A description of each method and associated results are provided below. 5.1 Cage Traps Cage traps were deployed and baited with papayas, Fermented corn, macadamia nuts and/or bananas to control feral pigs. Over this report period, a total of 88 pigs were captured using cage traps representing 40% of the total catch. 5.2 Leg Snares Non-lethal leg mazes were deployed on trails leading into properties and agriculture fields that have been encountering feral pig damages. Over this report period, a total of 128 pigs were captured using leg snares representing 58% of the total catch. 5.3 Shooting Pigs were occasionally observed outside of a cage trap or alongside of a pig caught in a leg snare. In these instances, selective opportunistic shooting provided a means to remove problematic individuals that could have potentially been leery, or "trap-shy", of trapping devices. This method was very seldom used, and only when safe shots were observed. Suppressed rimfire rifles were used to humanely shoot free-ranging pigs at close range. Over this report period, a total of five feral pigs were shot outside of a cage trap representing 2% of the total catch. 6.0 ZOONOTIC DISEASE SURVEILLANCE Blood samples were taken from pigs caught in cage traps, leg snares and those that were shot to assist in updating the State of Hawaii, Department of Agriculture, Division of Animal Industry's (HDOA-AI) established wildlife disease surveillance program. Blood was extracted from the neck area after proper euthanasia techniques were administered. A viable sample consisted of 30 ml. of whole blood (three 10 ml. test tubes) extracted from a pig with minimal coagulation. The whole blood was then spun down in a centrifuge, and blood serum samples were shipped to the Veterinary Laboratory Branch of the HDOA-AI located in Halawa Valley on Oahu with the assistance of an APHIS-WS Wildlife Disease Biologist. Test results were normally provided by the Laboratory within 2 weeks of submission. Of the 221 pigs captured, 11 pigs were captured before the blood sampling equipment was purchased and received, 29 pigs did not have enough blood to fill the required vials, and 27 pigs were killed and removed by landowners or neighbors before APHIS-WS could take samples (this is despite the instructions given to landowners by APHIS-WS personnel that trapped pigs are dangerous and should only be handled by trained APHIS- WSpersonnel). Over this report period, a total of 154 blood serum samples were submitted for disease surveillance. 6.1 Blood Serum Results for Swine Brucellosis and Pseudorabies Current results show that 18 pigs tested positive for swine brucellosis and 29 pigs tested positive for pseudorabies. Areas where brucellosis infected pigs were captured include Holualoa, Hawi, Pepe'ekeo, Kalopa, Paradise Park, Pauka'a and Kaumana in Hilo. Areas where pigs infected with pseudorabies were removed include Kaloko Mauka, Kalopa Mauka, Kohala, Kaumana, Ho'okena, Captain Cook, Mountain View, Hakalau and Holualoa. Refer to Table 2 and 3 for a detailed summary of disease surveillance results. 7.0 NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY ACT COMPLIANCE All federal actions (funding, operational, etc.) are subject the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). NEPA is a public planning and review process put in place by congress that allows the general public to comment on proposed and existing federal actions. APHIS-WS has recently completed an Environmental Assessment (EA) on the feral pig control pilot project with input from cooperative agencies. It will be available for public review and comment soon on the APHIS website, with public notifications published in the local newspapers. Hard copies of the EA will be sent to special interest groups and interested parties that contact APHIS-WS directly. Prepared by: Shayne Veriato, Supervisory Wildlife Specialist - Island of Hawaii Reviewed and submitted by: Mark Ono, District Supervisor -Hawaii Table 1: Actual and projected expenditures by County Tiscal quarters. AUTHORIZED FIRST SECOND THIRD FORTH CATEGORY ANNUAL QUARTER QUARTER QUARTER QUARTER BUDGET Pctusq (acmd) (projceted) (prolectM) JUL ro SEP 2007 OCT to DEC 2007 JAN ro MAR 2008 APR ro JUN 2008 SalaziesBenefits $157,354 $22,321 $42,254 $42,255 $42,253 Travel $4,984 $7,439 $0 $0 $0 Vehicle Maint. $20,800 $5,600 $5,066 $5,067 $5,067 Su lies $14,227 $14,737 $2,170 $1,586 $1,550 E ui ment $36,900 $0 $32,295 $4,605 $0 WS Admin. OH $15,735 $4,168 $3,856 $3,856 $3,855 TOTAL $250,000 $54,265 $85,641 $57,369 $52,725 Table 2: Zoonotic disease surveillance test results. JUVENILE ADULT BLOOD EST. REMARKS: BLOOD RESULTS PROPERTY DATE <50 LBS >50 LBS SAMPLE PIG WEIGHT HEALTHYI oslUve/ne alive LOCATION CAUGHT M F M F ID # COLOR (1bs) SKINNNY 8/2012007 X 1 BLACK 80 HEALTHY 8/21/2007 X 2 BLACK 25 HEALTHY 8/29/2007 X 11 BLACK 110 HEALTHY 6/31/2007 X 1010 BLACK 180 HEALTHY 8/31/2007 X 12 BLACK 180 HEALTHY 9/5/2007 X 13 BLACK 80 SKINNY 9/612007 X 1011 BLACK 150 HEALTHY R 9/6/2007 X 14 BLACK 60 HEALTHY ~r 9/13/2007 X 19 BLACK 40 SKINNY 9/18/2007 X 24 BLACK 110 HEALTHY 9/1 812 0 0 7 X 25 BLACK 110 HEALTHY 9/1 812 0 0 7 X 26 BLACK 115 HEALTHY 9/20/2007 X 29 BLACK 80 HEALTHY 9/2 012 0 0 7 X 30 BLACK 150 HEALTHY 9/2 512 0 0 7 X "32 BLACK 100 HEALTHY 9/2 512 0 0 7 X '1036 BLACK 130 HEALTHY f: 9/2812007 X 2001. BLACK 120 HEALTHY atiE. 10/2/2007 X 36 BLACK 60 HEALTHY 1015/2007 X 1045 BLACK 80 HEALTHY - 10I5/2007 X 1044 BLACK 140 HEALTHY 10/10/2007 X 2010 BLACK 30 HEALTHY ~ ~ wa 1 0/1 612 0 0 7 X 9004 BLACK 80 HEALTHY - 10/162007 X :9003 BLACK 40 HEALTHY 10/18@007 X 9006 BLACK 120 HEALTHY 10/18/2007 X '2003 BLACK 60 HEALTHY 10/222007 X 9008 BLACK 120 HEALTHY ~ ~x 10222007 X9009 BLACK 100 HEALTHY 10/23/2007 X .9011 BLACK 120 HEALTHY 10/23/2007 X 9012 BLACK 150 HEALTHY 10/242007 X 9013 BLACK 130 HEALTHY 102512007 X "2005 BLACK 130 HEALTHY 1 02 612 0 07 X 2006 BLACK 130 HEALTHY 1026/2007 X 2007 BLACK 240 HEALTHY 10/302007 X 9015 BLACK 30 HEALTHY ;~*1. r 10!302007 X 9016 BLACK 20 HEALTHY 1 0/3 012 0 0 7 X 1047 BLACK 180 HEALTHY 10/312007 X 9017 BLACK 40 HEALTHY 10131/2007 X 9018 BLACK 100 HEALTHY 11112007 X 1048 BLACK 200 HEALTHY 11212007 X 9020 BLACK 20 HEALTHY BLACK/ "'~±il 11/162007 X 9021 WHITE 80 HEALTHY . 112112007 X 1062 BLACK 120 HEALTHY 12/5/2007 X 1069 BLACK 120 HEALTHY %rNE .fir Table 3: Results presented by judicial district. NORTH SOUTH HAMAKUA NORTH SOUTH NORTH SOUTH pUNA KAU TOTALS HILO HILO KOHALA KOHALA KONA KONA CALLS IN NEED ]0 71 20 22 11 57 21 77 1 290 OF ASSISTANCE NUMBER OF 1 22 6 8 0 7 5 15 0 64 SITES TRAPPED NUMBER OF PIGS 7 98 21 26 0 19 11 39 0 221 REMOVED BRUCELLOSIS+ 0 3 6 5 0 3 0 1 0 18 PSEUDORABIES+ 0 6 7 8 0 4 3 1 0 29