[ OUR OPINION ]
End quarantine for
vaccinated petsQUARANTINE requirements for cats and dogs arriving in Britain from the U.S. mainland and Canada are about to be lifted. Now it should be Hawaii's turn to drop its quarantine and instead rely on vaccinations, blood tests and identifying microchips to prevent a rabies outbreak in the islands.
THE ISSUE The British have announced an end to their quarantine of dogs and cats arriving from Canada and the U.S. mainland.
The state Board of Agriculture announced in September that it had approved a measure to reduce Hawaii's quarantine from 30 days to five days for incoming pets that have been vaccinated at least 120 days before leaving the mainland and are identifiable by a microchip imbedded under the skin. The board has yet to schedule public hearings on the proposal, so it is not likely to be implemented until well into next year.
For decades until 1997, Hawaii required incoming pets to be quarantined for four months, while the British required six months. Britain relaxed its requirement for pets arriving from Europe nearly three years ago, and 75,000 dogs and cats have entered the country since then without having to be quarantined.
The British embassy in Washington said the new rules would take effect Dec. 11. Initially, it added, vaccinated, blood-tested and microchipped pets will have to spend two or three days in quarantine while their papers are checked. After that, they will be allowed to be free upon arrival.
The Hawaii board has not explained why it feels the need for the state to keep the animals for five days; relatively brief as it is, the five-day quarantine will discourage some families from bringing their pets with them on trips to Hawaii and decide to vacation elsewhere. President Bush likes to travel with his Scottish terrier, Barney, and springer spaniel, Spot, so is likely to take them with him when he travels to Britain. He probably will not subject the dogs to a quarantine in Hawaii, even for a short time.
If approved, the reduced quarantine will be a relief for many families moving to Hawaii, including those in the armed forces, just as Americans are celebrating in Britain.
"I know several people who declined posts in the U.K. because they do not want to be separated from their pets," Air Force Col. Joseph Dye, stationed at a Royal Air Force base in England, told the London Independent. The same may be said about military and civilian families considering Hawaii assignments.
State Department of Agriculture
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Warn isle visitors
about sea hazardsWHENEVER a shark attacks someone, discussions about warnings are renewed, as with the recent incident in which a visitor on Maui was injured. Although state officials usually take up the matter, it may be time for officials in the tourism industry to consider what they can do.
THE ISSUE A shark attack on a visitor to Maui revives discussion about warnings.
The industry has a big stake in assuring that visitors can enjoy the natural attractions of the islands without putting themselves at risk. While residents are generally aware of ocean hazards, tourists unfamiliar with Hawaii often fall victim to dangers big and small -- from coral cuts and jellyfish to rip currents and sharks. The head of the Maui Visitors Bureau said the group provides information about ocean safety through an 800 number and a Web site, but doesn't warn specifically about shark attacks because there are too many factors to list and because few tourists have been injured by sharks. To their credit, officials at the resort where the Maui visitor was staying say they are reviewing what information they will present to guests.
It is impossible to predict when a shark might attack. Although conditions that attract sharks and the areas they inhabit can be generally defined, the predators can strike anywhere and at any time. The visitor, a woman from California, was swimming off Kaanapali in an area where there had been few problems with sharks.
Even if warned, people have a tendency to think it can't happen to them or they don't pay attention. In August, the state posted the first permanent shark warning signs at Olowalu in West Maui after two tourists were bitten in a two-year period. Many people stayed out of the water there, but others didn't see the signs or ignored them. One tourist said that she didn't notice any of the eight 12-by-18-inch placards and that she'd read tourism publications that promoted the area as ideal for snorkeling without mentioning the shark attacks.
Tourism officials may be reluctant to spoil the image of Hawaii as paradise, but they would be wise to alert visitors about risks. That way, tourists can make informed choices about their activities here.
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Published by Oahu Publications Inc., a subsidiary of Black Press.Don Kendall, Publisher
Frank Bridgewater, Editor 529-4791; fbridgewater@starbulletin.com
Michael Rovner, Assistant Editor 529-4768; mrovner@starbulletin.com
Lucy Young-Oda, Assistant Editor 529-4762; lyoungoda@starbulletin.comMary Poole, Editorial Page Editor, 529-4748; mpoole@starbulletin.com
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