With the recent announcement by multi-agency partnership Birds, Not Mosquitoes (BNM) that their experiment of releasing millions of bacteria-infected mosquitoes in Hawai‘i has failed, it’s time to let these agencies know that “pausing” is not enough. This reckless biotech mosquito agenda needs to stop.
Hawai‘i Unites reached out again this week to BNM agencies to document our concerns. As we await response, we’re asking our supporters to help make our voices heard. There’s strength in numbers. Please take the time to email the two lead agency heads for these programs and tell them that we don’t want any more mosquito releases of any kind in Hawai‘i:
Dr. Kenneth Fink
Director of Health
State of Hawai‘i Department of Health
kenneth.fink@doh.hawaii.gov
Ryan Kanaka‘ole
Chairperson
State of Hawai‘i Department of Land and Natural Resources
ryan.kp.kanakaole@hawaii.gov
Sample email message:
RE: Stop All Mosquito Releases in Hawai‘i
Experimental mosquito releases in Hawai‘i have failed. After repeatedly dismissing all of our concerns about serious risks of these programs, Birds, Not Mosquitoes (BNM) has now admitted that the release of millions of bacteria-infected southern house mosquitoes on Maui and Kaua‘i has been an experiment all along.
Hawai‘i Unites challenged state agencies in court because of the insufficient study of these mosquitoes and the potential harm to the health of Hawai‘i’s environment, people, and wildlife. Rather than addressing risks and concerns, BNM agencies worked to undermine environmental laws and advance biotech industry exploitation of these islands as open-air testing grounds.
BNM agencies have been intentionally misrepresenting the safety and efficacy of these experimental mosquitoes. It is not enough to “pause” these programs. I formally request that all Birds, Not Mosquitoes agency partners stop all mosquito releases and any plans for future releases of any lab-altered mosquitoes in Hawai‘i entirely. These programs are reckless and could cause irreversible harm to these islands.
Hawai‘i Unites also emailed the following BNM agency spokespeople who you can also contact to voice your opposition to these mosquito releases:
Natalie Gates
Superintendent, Haleakalā National Park
National Park Service
hale_superintendent@nps.gov
Earl Campbell
Project Leader, PIFWO
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
pifwo_admin@fws.gov
Chris Farmer
Program Director, Hawai‘i
American Bird Conservancy
cfarmer@abcbirds.org
Dr. Hanna Mounce
Program Manager
Maui Forest Bird Recovery Project
mounce@mauiforestbirds.org
Dr. Lisa “Cali” Crampton
Project Manager
Kaua‘i Forest Bird Recovery Project
crampton@hawaii.edu
Keoki Kanakaokai
Natural Resource Manager, Maui
The Nature Conservancy
gael.kanakaokai@tnc.org
Jolene Sutton
Assistant Professor, Department of Biology
University of Hawai‘i at Hilo
jtsutton@hawaii.edu
As Hawai‘i Unites previously reported, the State of Hawai‘i Department of Health (HDOH) intends to expand their BNM multi-agency mosquito release programs in Hawai’i to all of the islands, releasing three species of lab-altered mosquitoes and escalating the narrative from bird conservation to public health. If this plan moves forward, invasive lab mosquitoes would be released directly in our neighborhoods.
Please continue to contact HDOH Director of Health Dr. Kenneth Fink by phone and email to let him know that you don’t want any more of these mosquito releases in Hawai‘i.
Dr. Kenneth Fink
(808) 586-4410 ext.2
(leave a voicemail if prompted)
kenneth.fink@doh.hawaii.gov
Mahalo to everyone for continuing to voice your opposition to this dangerous agenda.
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.