Hawaiʻi's food security is already weak. Nearly one-third of children in the state live in a food insecure home and the demand for food banks is on the rise.
State lawmakers have introduced a bill to ban the sale of raw ahi in retail establishments unless it carries a label that says the country where the tuna was landed.
Draft legislation proposes consolidating programs under a renamed Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity, but critics say the agency already has a spotty track record on invasive species.
High vacancy rates, particularly in key leadership positions, have cast doubt over the department's ability to strengthen protections against invasive species.