Hawai`i has been actively involved in alien pest prevention since 1888, when Kind David Kalakaua declared a quarantine on imported coffee to prevent the introduction of coffee rust and other diseases.

Today, at least 20 state, federal, and private organization and a number of volunteer groups, dedicate a major part of their resources to design, implement, and improve alien pest prevention and control programs. This system relies on four lines of defense to protect Hawai`i from harmful pests.

Four Lines of Defense:

1. Pre-entry Prevention
   includes international trade agreements which prohibit trade in harmful pests, and other mechanisms that prevent pests from leaving the foreign port en route to Hawai`i.

2. Port-of-entry Prevention
   focuses on inspections of arriving passengers and cargo to prevent pests from crossing Hawai`i's borders.

3. New Pest Control
   prevents any pest that slips through our borders from spreading.

4. Long-term Pest Control
   reduces damages caused by pests that we will have to live with for many years.

Currently, there are important gaps in each of these four lines of defense.