Fortunately our Hawaiian Pupus contained few surprises. However the same can’t be said for recent container shipments of Christmas trees from the Pacific Northwest – arriving in Maui with a few passengers that shouldn’t have cleared customs, in the form of slugs and other pests non-indigenous to Hawaii.
This report in The Maui News leaves little doubt costly claims are pending:
“Carol Okada, Plant Quarantine manager, said the cost of clearing the trees of slugs will be borne by the shippers. But the state will have to absorb the overtime cost for the plant inspectors, who also are needed to clear other items being shipped to Hawaii this holiday season. Okada said that she did not know why there was such a large infestation of slugs. She said officials from Washington and Oregon were shocked to hear about the problem and speculated that wet weather caused the slugs to take refuge in the trees.”
Maui Now reports here that of the 150 containers inspected by state officials, 74 were being held for pest identification or improper paperwork. Agricultural officials expect an additional 100 containers to arrive between now and Christmas.

In other news, just like the surfer seen below on the shores of Napili, lumber markets continue to ride a wave of unseasonably strong activity..