An even easier Aloha.
Travelers flying to Hawai‘i will soon notice changes to the paperwork required to enter the state. Starting March 1, the Hawai‘i Department of Agriculture will begin the Akamai Arrival pilot program to digitize the Hawai‘i Plants and Animals Declaration Form.
The form, which has been in use since before Hawai‘i became a state in 1959, has long been an outlier for a U.S. domestic flight, adding a sense of almost international-like occasion to passengers flying to Hawai‘i from the U.S. Mainland. The form asks travelers if they have any plants or animals in their possession to declare to agricultural regulators in the Aloha State.
During the pilot program, passengers on select flights from the U.S. mainland to Hawai‘i will instead complete their declarations using a digital process implemented by the airline operating the flight. Passengers will complete the digital declarations before arriving in Hawai‘i, giving agricultural officials time to review declarations before the aircraft arrives.
Every mainland-to-Hawai‘i flight operated by American Airlines and Southwest Airlines will be part of the process, while a sampling of flights operated by Delta Air Lines, Hawaiian Airlines, Alaska Airlines, and United Airlines will also be included in the pilot program.
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“Protecting Hawaiʻi’s unique environment from invasive species is critical to our way of life, our economy, and our future. The ‘Akamai Arrival’ program is a forward-thinking approach that modernizes our biosecurity efforts while making it easier for travelers to comply with our agricultural protections. This initiative is another step toward preserving our islands for generations to come,” said Governor Josh Green.
Hawai‘i has had restrictions on the import of foreign plants and animals dating back to when the islands were the sovereign Kingdom of Hawai‘i. In 1888 King Kalākaua outlawed the importation of new coffee plants to Hawai‘i to protect existing coffee crops. Today, all agricultural items, including plants, plant parts, non-domesticated animals, microorganism cultures, microbial products, arthropods, and soil require inspection upon arrival in Hawai‘i, and the introduction of agricultural items not already present in Hawai‘i is generally prohibited to protect the state’s plant and animal species.
Significant portions of the plants and animals in Hawai‘i—including all but two mammals—were introduced by humans, either by Native Hawaiians who arrived from the South Pacific bringing food crops with them in their canoes, or by western arrivals after the 18th Century. Pet animals also require inspection, and often quarantine before being allowed to enter the state. Inspection and quarantine efforts have kept Hawai‘i free of snakes and rabies.
Keeping snakes and other invasive species out of Hawai‘i is particularly crucial to efforts to preserve the island chains’ endemic bird species, many of which are critically endangered. Several species of bird found nowhere else in the world are known to have gone extinct since western contact, largely resulting from habitat loss and diseases carried by mosquitoes and other introduced species.
Completion of the declaration is required by law, and failure to declare or give false information on the form can be charged with a misdemeanor carrying a fine and jail time. Passengers who attempt to smuggle a snake or other prohibited agricultural item into Hawai‘i can be charged with a felony, with a fine of up to $200,000 and up to five years in jail.
Akamai is the Hawaiian language word for “smart.” One adult on the flight can complete the declaration for their entire family. The digital form is available in English, Spanish, Tagalog, Japanese, Chinese, or Korean.
Passengers on flights not included in the pilot program, which runs through May 31, will continue to fill out the paper declaration forms. Once the pilot is complete, the state will assess efficacy and determine net steps.
Procedures for agricultural inspections for passengers departing Hawai‘i for the US Mainland—which involves inspection of checked and carry-on bags, but not a declaration form—will remain unchanged.
