Send Testimony by Thursday 5/9: OPPOSE Bacteria-Infected Mosquitoes on Kaua‘i
Let the Board of Land and Natural Resources know that we don’t want this dangerous experiment to move forward
The State of Hawai‘i and its multi-agency partnership Birds, Not Mosquitoes are already releasing millions of bacteria-infected mosquitoes in the fragile ecosystems of East Maui. This dangerous plan is quickly expanding onto the next island of Kaua‘i. Despite serious concerns raised by the community about the risks of the project to the health of the island’s people, wildlife, and ‘āina, pilot study releases began on Kaua‘i in October last year. These “Mark Release Recapture” (MRR) studies are exempt from the environmental assessment, so no information is required to be disclosed about where, when, or how the releases have been happening, or about what type of mosquitoes they’ve been letting loose into the environment.
Disregarding the potential irreversible impacts of this reckless experiment, project leaders remain faithful to the biotech industry agenda and the funding that comes with it, even going as far as to call the invasive lab-altered insects “the savior mosquitoes.” Using the MRR studies to determine quantities needed to overflood the area, mass releases of bacteria-infected mosquitoes are set to begin on Kaua‘i in the weeks ahead.
We now have another opportunity to speak up for the island of Kaua‘i and remind the Board of Land and Natural Resources (BLNR) that our community is opposed to this lab-altered mosquito experiment being unleashed on the Hawaiian Islands. The BLNR will meet this Friday, May 10th at 9:00am and will vote on agenda item C6 regarding the contract for mosquitoes to be released on Kaua‘i.
To make your voice heard, email written testimony by Thursday, May 9th at 9:00am to: blnr.testimony@hawaii.gov.
Sample Testimony:
I’m opposed to the BLNR 5/10/24 agenda item C6. These bacteria-infected mosquito releases are a dangerous experiment on our islands. Serious concerns about this plan have not been adequately addressed. The agencies involved in this project have lied about the introduction of foreign organisms into the islands and about the release of female mosquitoes that bite, breed, and spread disease. On Maui, these agencies are also flagrantly deviating from the approved plan, increasing the risks of helicopter fire and accident incidents.
Southern house mosquitoes transmit diseases to people and animals, and pathogen screenings are not being disclosed. Wolbachia bacteria can cause mosquitoes to become more capable of spreading diseases. The agencies releasing these lab-altered mosquitoes have admitted that the plan does not include monitoring the effects of the experimental mosquitoes on forest birds. This project has the potential to cause the extinction of the native birds it is meant to protect, and it could impact the health of the people. I demand an environmental impact statement.
We can provide Zoom video testimony on Friday 5/10 at 9:00am by emailing a request to blnr.testimony@hawaii.gov (include your name and the agenda item C6). If you’re on Oahu, you can attend the meeting live and provide in-person testimony at 1151 Punchbowl St. Room 132 (Kalanimoku Building), Honolulu. Video and live testimony are limited to two minutes. The link for the Zoom meeting is https://us06web.zoom.us/j/84370654197 or telephone (719) 359-4580 meeting ID 843 7065 4197. The meeting will also be livestreamed on YouTube.
These mosquito releases on Maui and Kaua‘i are being presented as conservation actions, but the potential significant impacts to our environment have not even been studied. Not only are these projects experimental, but these releases are just the beginning of a much bigger biotech insect agenda planned for all islands. The Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) – proposing agency for the projects – has a lab in Hawai‘i, and they’ve been funded to build out their insectary where they intend to mass produce lab-altered mosquitoes for release on the islands into perpetuity (forever).
Millions of dollars in federal funding continue to pour in, and these agencies are already making future plans to expand into dangerous mosquito gene drives, synthetic biology control tools, and CRISPR gene-edited mosquitoes (pgSIT). The Hawai‘i Department of Health is also running a parallel program where they intend to release lab-altered mosquitoes throughout the islands to “control mosquitoes of public health concern.”
Hawai‘i Unites has taken the DLNR and BLNR to court to stop the release of bacteria-infected mosquitoes on Maui. Our case can set a precedent to strengthen Hawai‘i’s environmental laws and protect the health of these islands. Your tax-deductible donations help us continue standing up against this reckless biotech industry experimentation agenda.
Mahalo,
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.
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We are here to testify on C6, but they are talking about item D8? Do they expect us to sit here all day and watch them waste our money instead of going in order? And the zoom is not streaming the meeting for some reason and my phone can't run the youtube and zoom simultaneously.
I don't think the BLNR had the aptitude to make these decisions