Kalihi Lawmakers Plan Community Meeting on Invasive Beetles

May 11th to 01/01

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COURTESY OF THE STATE OF HAWAII

Kalihi-Kapalama area lawmakers plan to hold a community meeting Tuesday to address concerns about the state’s rising infestations of invasive coconut rhinoceros beetles.

State and local lawmakers from the Kalihi-Kapalama area are scheduled to host a community meeting to address concerns about rising invasive infestations across the state on Tuesday.

The meeting begins at 6 p.m. at Kapalama Elementary School, 1601 N. School St., and will include a presentation from the Oahu Invasive Species Committee, followed by a question-and-answer session attended by lawmakers.

The meeting comes amid a growing number of reports about coconut rhinoceros beetles damaging coconut palms and other trees on Oahu’s North Shore, central Oahu and other leeward and windward areas.

The black beetles, which measure up to 2.5 centimeters long and have horns, bore into the tops of palm trees to feed on their sap, damaging and killing them. They live and reproduce in compost and mulch.

“These pests harm our economy, our agriculture and – most importantly – our island’s fragile ecosystem,” Councilman Tyler Dos Santos-Tam said in a statement. “Unfortunately, it’s only getting worse. Last year, the coconut rhinoceros beetle spread from Oahu to each of our other counties. If we want to change course, we have to be more diligent about this issue. This starts with spreading more awareness.” Our communities need to know why these pests are a problem and how we can stop them.”

The first coconut rhinoceros beetle in Hawaii was detected in December 2013 near Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam on Oahu. Since then, the beetles have spread to many other parts of Oahu, as well as Kauai, and.

Legislators present at the meeting include Santos-Tam, Councilman Radiant Cordero, State Senator Donna Mercado Kim and State Representatives Sonny Ganaden and May Mizuno.

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