THE rhinoceros beetles have reached big villages in Rendova Island, sparking fear of total destruction to coconut plantations in the near future.
In the Christmas and New Year festive season, Solomon Star made observations of rhinoceros beetles on coconut trees at Ughele village in South Rendova in the Western Province.
From the observation, Solomon Star witnessed the number of destructions rhinoceros beetles have caused to coconut leaves and young fronds.
Villagers couldn’t recall or recount the arrival of rhinoceros beetles at Ughele village, but they feared the beetles would cause total destruction to their coconut plantation at Ughele village and other parts of Rendova in the future.
A student, Bilisary Sisiolo, who is currently studying for a Bachelor of Law (LLB) at the USP Solomon Islands Campus, has supplied disturbing photos of these insects eating coconut leaves to Solomon Star yesterday.
He shared his fear that this beetle will soon wipe out coconut plantations at Ughele when not properly assess and eradicate by responsible authorities.
“Rhinoceros beetles have eaten leaves of coconut trees.
“This is the beginning of the destruction of the dangerous beetles,” he told Solomon Star.
Coconut trees are the ‘tree of life’ because they are sources of food and medicine.
Ughele people use coconut trees for food, drink, medicine, arts and crafts, copra, virgin oil production, and other essential products.
That is why they are calling on responsible authorities right now to eradicate rhinoceros beetles at their coconut plantations.
This paper also witnessed that these insects are slowly intruding into big coconut plantations because coconut trees are a main livelihood for people in Ughele.
Solomon Star understands some people in Ughele still cook copra and sell it to local buyers in the village.
Therefore, eradicating rhinoceros beetles is crucial at this point in time to protect coconut plantations, which people depend on for food, medicine, and commercial cash production, like copra and oil.
It is now or never!
The rhinoceros beetle is a large, cylindrical beetle that can be found in woodland, parkland, and hedgerows, and it is dangerous to developing coconut fronds.
This insect attacks coconut palms and other palms, such as economically important oil palms.
The Solomon Islands Government, through the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock with the technical and financial support of aid donors, is trying their very best to eradicate this insect in coconut palms and oil palm plantations in the country but to no avail.
Eradicating rhinoceros beetles is the ongoing fight for the country, as these beetles have spread to coconut plantations in rural communities.
By LACHLAN SHYVES EDDIE
Solomon Star, Honiara.
