Number: 1984-30
WHEREAS, The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s proposal to try to eradicate three species of fruit fly (called the Tri-Fly Complex) from Hawaii represents a major perturbation to Hawaii’s native species bees and other beneficial organisms; and
WHEREAS, certain components of the proposed eradication project, especially aerial application to native forests of malathion bait sprays and malathion impregnated filter tip lures, will detrimentally impact non-target native invertebrates and their dependent plants and insectivorous birds; and
WHEREAS, negative impacts on arthropod predators and parasites will upset biocontrol and natural controls of arthropods, including those beneficial species important in controlling crop pests, and secondary pest outbreaks from less vulnerable scale and mealybug species can be expected to occur; and
WHEREAS, Hawaii is the “Endangered Species Capitol” of the U.S., if not of the world; and
WHEREAS, proponents of USDA Tri-Fly eradication recognize only those Threatened or Endangered species that are now on the official U.S. lists, but ignore the other hundreds of rare species currently under dilatory review by the Federal government for official listing; and
WHEREAS, the main pressures for this program come from mainland agricultural interests, especially California; and
WHEREAS, California now has a stronger monitoring program and effective containment plans for these and other fruit flies from all regions; and
WHEREAS, the eradication of small, initial populations of fruit flies in California and Florida have been successful because pest numbers were very low and the topography was favorable compared to Hawaii, and the feasibility of eradicating the flies by available methods is gravely in doubt; and
WHEREAS, the Tri-Fly eradication proposal would be using Hawaii for an experimental program, using materials and methods with a number of harmful impacts, without likelihood of success; and
WHEREAS, the USDA estimates that the cost of the proposed eradication ranges from $141 to $493 million, with direct agricultural benefits to Hawaii amounting to only $1.5 million per year, which would require 100 to 300+ years to recover the cost of eradication; and
WHEREAS, the costs and consequences of the program now are under evaluation, and the chances of interrupting the project after an eradication program is instituted appear remote; and
WHEREAS, the probability of a successful future project increases in proportion to the measures taken to reduce harmful impacts on people and on the natural environment;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the National Wildlife Federation, in annual meeting assembled March 15-18, 1984, in Atlanta, Georgia, calls for the suspension of the Tri-Fly Eradication Project in Hawaii pending the development of safe, socially acceptable and economically feasible methods which should be sought intensively by USDA research on genetic engineering using male-producing or lethal genes of fruit flies to assure their self-destruction.