Dear Editor – Disturbing images were featured on the SIBC’s webpage tonight, Wednesday, of coconut palms affected by damage caused by the Rhinocerous Beetle at Reko Village on Savo Island.
It is know the Rhinocerous Beetle menace has already ravished coconut palms in Honiara and parts of Guadalcanal and dealing with the problem is proving very problematic.
Chief Fred Gabu of Reko Village expressed his despair at the damage being caused and implored the SIG to do something about eradicating the pest.
I understand a type of fungus has been tried to control the spread of destruction to the palms but it is reported to be a slow process.
On the island of Guam where the Rhinocerous Beetle plaque manifested itself some years ago, the government there engaged a New Zealand scientist, Trevor Jackson, to assist by releasing a virus into the rhino beetle.
The virus, which naturally occurs in Malaysia was produced in a New Zealand laboratory and then dispersed using auto dissemination.
Adult beetles were fed a solution of the virus, became infected, and then released to infect the resident population of rhino beetles and with some measure of success.
Samoa, Fiji, Tonga and Palau followed with similar trials and it might be worthwhile for the Solomon Islands Government to discover how successful, or otherwise, rhino beetle infestation was contained in those Pacific countries.
Frank Short
Bangkok, Thailand
