Experiment
This specific population control technique has NEVER been done in the state of Hawaii. This project is an experiment. Southern house mosquitoes have never been documented as used for Wolbachia IIT stand-alone field release anywhere in the world. The East Maui project area is the largest Wolbachia mosquito release of any kind globally to date (the Kaua’i project area is the second largest). The total acreage of the Maui project area is almost 14% of the entire island.
Mosquitoes are already being released. The State of Hawaii has moved forward with its plan to release biopesticide lab-reared Wolbachia bacteria-infected mosquitoes on Maui and Kaua’i, with future expansion of the project to additional islands. The related “Mark-Release-Recapture” studies began in mid-May 2023 on Maui (basic data collection, research, experimental management and resource and infrastructure testing and evaluation activities), and the Maui project releases began in November 2023. Mark-Release-Recapture studies began on Kaua’i in October 2023. Public testimony has been overwhelmingly in opposition, and cultural descendants and experts have voiced serious concerns.
The Maui project is called “Mosquito Control Research Using Wolbachia-based Incompatible Insect Technique” and is promoted as a population control effort to save Hawaii’s endangered native birds. The multi-agency partnership Birds, Not Mosquitoes, a steering committee formed in 2017 and comprised of state, federal, and non-governmental organizations, is coordinating the plan.
The Number of Mosquitoes to be Released on Maui is described in the Maui Environmental Assessment (EA):
“Based on current estimates, we expect to release between 50 and 6,000 incompatible mosquitoes per acre per treatment (which would occur up to twice per week) depending on elevation and local temperature and capture data gathered during monitoring.”
The Total Project Area is 64,666 Acres
Potentially 775,992,000 Mosquitoes per Week
(64,666 acres x 6,000 mosquitoes x 2 times/week)
40,351,584,000 (over 40 Billion) per Year
on Maui alone
Following are maps and tables from the Maui EA describing the project area, mosquito release locations, drone flight hours, and helicopter flight hours
These mosquito releases are planned indefinitely until the state finds another solution. According to the Maui Environmental Assessment, the life of the plan is “likely at least 20 years.” The state has been funded to build out an insectary here in Hawaii where they intend to mass produce lab-altered mosquitoes for release on the islands into perpetuity (forever).
