Comment Deadline to Oppose Kamehamenui Mosquito Releases Extended to 11/23
Let Hawai‘i’s DLNR know that we do not want lab-altered mosquitoes released as part of the Kamehamenui Forest Reserve Management Plan
The State of Hawai‘i Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) is looking to expand their experimental mosquito release agenda in East Maui. The DLNR’s Kamehamenui Forest Reserve Management Plan – Draft EA (AFNSI) includes a narrative focused on the threat of avian malaria to native birds and the need for Culex quinquefasciatus mosquito control as an objective.
As documented in our Hawai‘i Unites newsletter, DLNR mosquito control strategies currently in use center around the release of millions of Wolbachia-bacteria-infected mosquitoes in our fragile ecosystems and conservation areas on Maui and Kaua‘i.
“No studies have been done to assess the serious risks of these lab-altered mosquitoes, and this proposed Kamehamenui project would allow for escalation of these dangerous biotech experiments. We are asking that the plan be amended to state that lab-altered mosquitoes will not be released in the Kamehamenui Forest Reserve project area.”
The public comment period is open, and the deadline to comment has now been extended to Sunday, November 23, 2025, at 11:59pm.
If you have not already sent in your comment, please take the time to submit a comment in opposition to the release of lab-altered mosquitoes as a control objective for this proposed project. The deadline to comment is Sunday, November 23, 2025, at 11:59pm.
COMMENT on Kamehamenui Forest Reserve Draft Management Plan
I’m opposed to any release of lab-altered mosquitoes as an objective of the Kamehamenui Forest Reserve Draft Management Plan. The mosquitoes currently being released by the DLNR as a control strategy in East Maui are experimental, and serious risks have not been studied or addressed. Concerns include accidental release of female mosquitoes that bite, breed, and spread disease; peer-reviewed studies showing increased disease-spreading capability; horizontal transmission of bacteria; population replacement; wind drift of mosquitoes to unintended areas; lack of documented biosecurity protocols and pathogen screenings; and risks to the health of people and animals, including the native birds these projects claim to protect.
Note: The comment format for this Kamehamenui Draft EA is a feedback form. Question #25 of the form allows for any “comments or feedback.”
Comments can also be submitted by mail to:
Kamehamenui Forest Reserve Draft Management Plan – Comments
P.O. Box 2143
‘Ewa Beach, HI 96706-9998
More details about the Kamehamenui Forest Reserve Draft Management Plan mosquito control agenda are in our Hawai‘i Unites newsletter. Hawai‘i Unites’ comment opposing Kamehamenui mosquito releases details numerous concerns, concluding that conservation efforts must focus on more environmentally sound approaches like habitat and stream flow restoration.
“These mosquitoes are a dangerous experiment, and the continued release of this insufficiently studied product is a reckless assault on our natural environment. Hawai‘i Unites opposes the exploitative use of sacred lands of the Hawaiian Islands as testing grounds for the profit-motivated biotech industry to execute the mass release of their experimental Wolbachia-bacteria-infected mosquitoes.”
Mahalo for taking the time to submit a comment opposing expansion of lab-altered mosquito releases in East Maui. It’s important that we continue to make our voices heard.
Aloha,
Tina Lia
Founder
Hawai‘i Unites
HawaiiUnites.org
Hawai‘i Unites is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to the conservation and protection of our environment and natural resources. Your tax-deductible donations help us to fulfill our mission of honoring and protecting our sacred connection to the natural world.
Report a Mosquito Bite
The State of Hawai‘i and its multi-agency partnership Birds, Not Mosquitoes have been releasing bacteria-infected mosquitoes in East Maui and conducting pilot study releases on Kaua‘i since 2023. As part of our ongoing research and documentation, Hawai‘i Unites has been compiling reports from throughout the islands about unusual mosquito bite reactions. If you’ve been bitten by a mosquito and would like to report the incident, please complete our Mosquito Bite Incident Report.