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The Coqui Tree Frog has come to Hawaii --
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Hawaiian Coqui Get you very own plush Hawaiian Coqui stuffed animal, it even sings!. Order one today for just $20.00 (shipping included).
End is near for coqui control efforts In April the County of Hawaii will auction off 26 chemical spray rigs that originally cost up to $10,000 each. That auction will mark the end of the county's efforts to control coqui frogs.  Big Island family offers coqui frogs refuge The invasive frog that has been the subject of local angst and a target for eradication may find refuge at a private residence on the Big Island. The Singer family, who operate the Coqui Hawaiian Integration and Reeducation Project (CHIRP), run a 60 acre sanctuary for the maligned frog. The location in Puna is not unique for its coqui population (the frogs are already found almost everywhere on the islands' east side), but rather its attitude. While most seek to rid their property of the creatures, known for the song of their evening call, the Singers embrace the chorus of the tiny frogs. The Singers believe coqui frogs, which have thrived on the Hawaii islands since their accidental introduction from the Caribbean, are victims of calculated character defamation, and can actually be beneficial to the environment. They believe eradication is cruel, and that it is also nearly impossible. The State Department of Agriculture sees the frog as a threat to the Hawaii environment, and is participating in a multi-agency campaign to stop the spread of the coqui in Hawaii. CLICK HERE to see the video.
"Koqui...Koqui"
by Omayra Hernandez Here is what prompted Omayra to write the poem It started with my search of pictures of the coqui. Among the pictures I saw a poster of an advertisement in Guam, of how they are trying to get rid of the coquis. I clicked on that link, which later led me to another link where I found horrible statements of some residents of Hawaii, saying how they are annoyed by the 'noise' the coqui makes and how they are working towards killing them. It broke my heart, I just can't explain the feeling. I read some more and found how they were told they can just boil them or freeze them. Suddenly, the picture of Hawaii changed for me, I would no longer what to visit it such a place. How anyone would express themselves in such words, or want to kill in that way, just sickened me. I spread the links to friends, and I wrote my poem. I could hardly sleep that night, and woke up still thinking about it. I searched some more on youtube and found a video of a man who lives in Hawaii, but with a positive statement towards the coqui. Then, through a 'Bing' search I found you, my view of Hawaii began to change. I also sent your link to some friends. What can I say? Would Americans like it if 'man's best friend', the dog, were killed just because a certain USA territory did not like their bark? The coqui is our friend. Growing up I guess I didn't realize what the coqui really meant to me, until after having lived in the states for some years. I went back to Puerto Rico on vacation. When night time came, there it was, that familiar melody that brought back memories of feeling peace and having a good night's sleep. With an island, a world, full of so many problems, the people of Puerto Rico atleast have something to serenade them and silence the negative noice around them. The coqui do not survive on other soils, but they made it to Hawaii and survived. What a blessing and a curse. You have taken of your resources and time to try to protect them. On behalf of Puerto Rico and all of us who for some reason or other are living in the United States, we thank you. Please do not give up on this wonderful humane endeavor. Although my faith lies on God's solution to this and all of mankind's problems, what you are doing does help and shows that love, respect and kindness still exist. Gracias. I will follow your advice and forward the poem to the editors at a later time. Con Mucho Aprecio, Omayra I am a Puerto Rican American who has had the privilege of living in Hawaii during my youth. My parents were stationed at Hickham AFB during the early 80's and I remember my time in Hawaii as an endless vacation in a paradise of diversity and culture. I currently live in Caguas, Puerto Rico, about fifteen minutes south of San Juan. In Puerto Rico, due to poor controls on development and pollution, our beloved coqui is on the decline. His song is not as strong as it once was. Our national symbol is in danger. Thank you so much for giving him a refuge and for taking him into your hearts. When I played the video you have posted on your website, I was overjoyed to hear the rich serenade in the background. Nature has a voice. She does. And she sounds very happy on your property. El Coqui de Hawai'i
He is lost, my sweet prince
The sharp glitter of stars
The trees' whisper above
Coqui! He sings sweetly
This forest is foreign
Still he musters his pride
By: Reinaldo Fuentes
A Letter to Govenor Lingle about the Hawaii Department of Agriculture, the Coqui and Property Rights Dear Govenor Lingle: There is a problem that needs your attention relating to property rights, legal procedure, and government integrity. You will soon be asked to sign changes to Administrative Rules allowing the Department of Agriculture to add the coqui frog to the list of "plant pests for control or eradication". At the time of this letter, the HDOA has just closed its public hearing and comment period on this rule change, and the issue is still in review. However, I am certain that the HDOA will conclude it must list the coqui tree frog as a "plant pest", regardless of any public comment to the contrary. In fact, public comment is irrelevant when it comes to the coqui. The reason is because the Hawaii Revised Statutes has made the coqui frog a plant pest by law. According to HRS 141-3, Designation of pests; control or eradication of pests; emergency power: (a) The department of agriculture shall designate the coqui frog as a pest. All other pest designations shall be established by rule, including the criteria and procedures for the designation of pests for control or eradication. This means the normal process for deciding whether or not a species is a plant pest has been subverted by the legislature when it comes to the coqui. This gives the HDOA authority to enter private property for coqui control or eradication, even against owner consent, and without the legally prescribed review process that is supposed to provide the plant pest listing with some scientific and rational validity. This makes the public comment period and public hearings a fraud, since nothing anyone says can make a difference. The coqui has been singled out as an enemy of the state by a group of misled legislators, and truth and public input be damned! The fact is, tree frogs do no harm to plants. Nowhere in the world is any frog labeled by any government as a plant or agricultural pest. The coqui eats insects that do harm plants, making them beneficial to plants. Scientific studies by Dr. Karen Beard of Utah State University have shown there is no environmental harm caused by these frogs. As for the noise nuisance issue, animal noise is not an HDOA issue. In my discussions with the HDOA's Lyle Wong, I was told the coqui is being considered a plant pest because plant marketability is affected by the potential presence of coquis. However, this marketability problem is caused by public attitudes against the coqui, and is not intrinsic to the coqui itself. For those who already have coquis, or who desire them, there is no plant marketability problem. This is a human attitude problem, not a plant pest problem. Changing public perceptions of the frog can eliminate this problem. However, given the HRS mandate that the HDOA list the coqui as a plant pest, can the HDOA conclude otherwise? Can the administrative rule changes procedure be conducted legally and properly when the conclusion is already decided by law? Clearly, the HRS mandate was not enough to list the coqui as a plant pest, or the HDOA would not have to go through the rule changes procedure it is currently doing. There must be some legal conflict. There should be. This plant pest designation is serious, with grave consequences for property owners who don't want the government to intrude on their property to spray acid or some other poison to kill innocent, beneficial, melodious tree frogs. Are we to allow the government to infringe on property rights simply because some people get unhinged at the sound of chirping frogs? What about our freedom to enjoy the sounds of nature? If the coqui were truly a plant pest, there would not have to be a law specifically defining them as such and insulating that definition from procedural review and public comment. This labeling the coqui a plant pest by law, without the benefit of scientific review or the normal listing process, reminds me of how the Nazis labeled the Jews. It shows hatred, prejudice, intolerance, and is a slippery slope towards further government abuses. Clearly, the HRS needs to be changed to delete the mandate to list the coqui as a plant pest, so that the HDOA can approach the coqui issue rationally, scientifically, with proper procedure, and with an open mind. The longer this anti-coqui hysteria persists, the worse it will be for Hawaii, especially if it means the corruption of our laws and procedures, and the loss of our property rights and freedom. Please do what you can to change the relevant HRS section and oppose this corruption of the HDOA plant pest listing process. Hawaii Department of Agriculture 'Chirping' Away at Our Property Hawaii will soon make history as the first government in the world to officially declare a frog to be a "plant pest" by adding coqui tree frogs to a list of plant pests designated for control or eradication. Property owners beware! This designation will give the Hawaii Department of Agriculture (HDOA) the right to enter private property to kill coqui tree frogs as plant pests. If property owners want to keep their frogs, or if they object to having their property sprayed with citric acid, hydrated lime, or other frog and environmental poisons, too bad. Coqui chirping is being declared an agricultural crisis, deserving of property rights infringement, according to the HDOA. Everywhere else in the world frogs are considered beneficial to agriculture, since they eat insect pests. Even in Hawaii, frogs were at one time imported to control insect pests. But intolerance by some residents for the nocturnal chirping of the coqui has led to a multi-million dollar Frog War, and listing the coqui as a plant pest is the latest attempt by the HDOA to be able to kill frogs on private land without owner consent. But calling frogs "plant pests" does not make them so. Real plant pests, such as fruit flies, aphids, and borers, damage plants or their fruit. Coqui frogs do no harm to plants, and benefit plants by eating insects that do harm, such as fruit flies, aphids, and borers. Their "crime" is their nocturnal chirping, which is merely a subjective noise nuisance issue for some people. Subjective feelings, such as whether or not you like the sound of a chirping frog, should have no bearing on designating a species as a plant pest. And the HDOA does not deal with animal noise nuisance issues. The HDOA is accepting comments on its proposed rule changes, including also expanding its powers to potentially add to their plant pest list any vertebrate species, or animal with a backbone. Until now, no vertebrates have been considered plant pests, and the coqui frog would be the first. But what's next? Pigs? Birds? Lizards? Every creature that eats could be considered a plant pest, if the HDOA gets its way. And this will give them license to enter private property to get whatever they want. Please oppose this abuse of power. To view the proposed rule amendments, click here. Send your comments to HDOA. hdoa.info@hawaii.gov
Some people hate the nighttime mating song of the frogs, which keeps them awake. Others enjoy the coqui's bird-like chirp and find that it soothes them to sleep, like the sound of crickets. The USDA Wildlife Services have spearheaded a campaign to exterminate the frogs, and government agencies have made it a felony to knowingly transport the frogs. Others break this law deliberately to spread them. CLICK HERE to read our CHIRP policy on this.... Some want to kill the frogs. Others want to save them.
Why has the coqui been labeled a "criminal" in Hawaii, and subjected to such tortures as being boiled or frozen or sprayed with acid? It's not because the frogs are an environmental problem. Even a "scientific study" has shown that they are not a threat to Hawaii's ecosystems. Click here for excerpts from an article that appeared in The Honolulu Advertiser newspaper, August 28, 2005. NO, THE REASON for the Frog War is not because the frogs are an environmental problem. It's because of their chirping at night, which some people don't like!
>> READ MORE about our "Place of Refuge" |
Coqui Survey | |||||
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SOME PEOPLE consider coqui frogs in Hawaii to be invasive aliens that threaten the environment and the quality of life. Others consider the frogs exotic immigrants who can improve the environment and quality of life in Hawaii.
AS OF January, 2008, the coqui frogs are still under attack in Hawaii. Millions of dollars have been spent to spray the jungles with acid and caustic lime (calcium hydroxide) in order to burn the frogs to death. Some spraying has taken place using helicopters to poison the tree tops. Beautiful tropical plants have been cut down and sprayed with herbicide to eliminate coqui hiding places. Trees have been cut down, and bulldozers have cleared land, all to attack the coqui.
It takes 45 minutes to kill coquis with acid or calcium hydroxide, a painful and inhumane practice that also burns lizards, spiders, insects, birds, cats and dogs, plants, and anything else unfortunate enough to be in the spray's path. Uncountable numbers of animals suffer sub-lethal burns that cause weeks of pain. This barbaric practice is not only cruel; it is also ineffective, and has spread the frogs. The only other methods of killing coquis, promoted by the government, are to hand-capture the frogs and put them in hot water, to cook them to death, or to put them in the freezer, to freeze them to death. No humane method of frog control is offered; and humane laws do not apply to the coquis in Hawaii, since the government in 2006 passed a law specifically defining the coqui as a "pest"; and, by Hawaii law, pests are not protected from cruelty! (This is the first time in the history of the world that a tree frog has been labeled a "pest".)