KEY LARGO — A local effort has emerged to exclude Key Largo from a test release of genetically modified Aedes aegypti mosquitoes planned for the spring.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Florida Keys Mosquito Control District have approved a release of United Kingdom-based biotech company Oxitec’s GMO insects in an effort to battle the disease-carrying wild mosquito population by effectively breeding it out of existence.
kAm~?46 2 D:E6 :D 49@D6?[ ~I:E64 A=2?D E@ C6=62D6 >:==:@?D @7 86?6E:42==J >@5:7:65 >@DBF:E@6D 7C@> 23@FE `b_ 3@I6D E92E H:== 36 A=2465 :? 2 E6DE 2C62 7@C C@F89=J ag H66<D[ ~I:E64 DA@<6DH@>2? |6C65:E9 u6?D@> C646?E=J D2:5]k^Am
kAm$E:==HC:89E !@:?E C6D:56?E z:> $:<@C2 DFDA64ED z6J {2C8@ H:== 36 D6=64E65 2D E96 E6DE 2C62 8:G6? E9:D J62C’D 56?8F6 @FE3C62<[ H9:49 9:E E96 >:=6 >2C<6C `_b 2C62 E96 92C56DE] uC@> |2C49 E@ $6AE6>36C[ E96 =@42= 962=E9 56A2CE>6?E 4@?7:C>65 de 42D6D @7 56?8F6 76G6C[ 2 5:D62D6 EC2?D>:EE65 E9C@F89 E96 3:E6 @7 2? :?764E65 76>2=6 p656D 268JAE: >@DBF:E@]k^Am
kAm$:<@C2 92D 366? 5:DEC:3FE:?8 D:8?D :? E96 &AA6C z6JD E92E @AA@D6 E96 C6=62D6]k^Am
kAm“%96C6 :D ;FDE ?@ 4@>>F?:42E:@?[ D@ E96C6 :D 2 DEC@?8 2DDF>AE:@? E92E E96J H:== 36 C6=62D65 :? z6J {2C8@[” D96 D2:5] “%96D6 D:8?D 2C6 32D:42==J ;FDE FD ECJ:?8 E@ 36 AC@24E:G6 :? ?@E 2==@H:?8 uz|rs E@ FD6 @FC AC@A6CE:6D 2D 2 EC:2= 2C62] q2D:42==J[ E96D6 D:8?D 2C6 7@C 2?J@?6 :? @AA@D:E:@? @7 E96:C AC@A6CE:6D 36:?8 FD65 2D 2 EC:2= 2C62]”k^Am
kAm|2C2 s2=J[ H9@ @AA@D65 2? :?:E:2= 677@CE E@ C6=62D6 v|~ >@DBF:E@6D D6G6C2= J62CD 28@[ D2:5 A@DE:?8 2 D:8? :? 96C J2C5 :D E96 @?=J C6>2:?:?8 @AE:@? D96 92D E@ @AA@D6 E96 E6DE EC:2=D]k^Am
kAm“x <?@H E9:D D:8? :D ?@E 8@:?8 E@ 36 6?@F89 E@ 5:DDF256 E96>[ 3FE x 5@?’E H2?E E@ 36 A2CE @7 2? 6IA6C:>6?E H:E9@FE E96 5F6 AC@46DD] %96 >@DBF:E@ 4@?EC@= 5:DEC:4E :D 5:D4@F?E:?8 92=7 E96 A@AF=2E:@?] xE’D E96 @?=J @AA@D:E:@? H6 92G6 =67E C:89E ?@H[ H9:49 :D E@ DE:4< 2 DE2<6 :? @FC J2C5[” D96 D2:5]k^Am
kAmp ?@?\3:?5:?8 C676C6?5F> 96=5 :? |@?C@6 r@F?EJ :? a_`e C6DF=E65 :? dgT @7 E96 G@E6CD 28C66:?8 E@ 2 v|~ >@DBF:E@ C6=62D6]k^Am
kAmu6?D@> 92D AC6G:@FD=J D2:5[ “(6 H:== ?@E 8@ H96C6 H6 2C6 ?@E H2?E65]”k^Am
kAmp 7=F@C6D46?E C65 >2C<6C :56?E:7:6D ~I:E64’D 86?6E:42==J >@5:7:65 s}p :? >@DBF:E@ 688D] %96 s}p :D 56D:8?65 E@ 92G6 2 D6=7\56DECF4E:@? >6492?:D>[ H9:49 DE@AD E96 3:E:?8 76>2=6 @77DAC:?8 7C@> C6249:?8 25F=E9@@5[ 244@C5:?8 E@ ~I:E64] ~I:E64 A=2?D E@ C6=62D6 >:==:@?D @7 >2=6 p656D 268JAE: 688D :? EH@ A92D6D] %96 >@DBF:E@6D H:== 92E49 27E6C C2:? @C :7 H2E6C :D 25565] ~I:E64 >2:?E2:?D ?@ 76>2=6 >@DBF:E@6D H:== 36 C6=62D65]k^Am
kAm%96 D6=7\56DECF4E 86?6 H62<6?D 3J 23@FE d_T H:E9 6G6CJ 86?6C2E:@?]k^Am
kAm“x’> ;FDE ECJ:?8 E@ 86E E96 H@C5 @FE E@ @E96C A6@A=6] xE D66>D =:<6 ?@3@5J C62==J <?@HD 2?JE9:?8 23@FE :E[ 2?5 E9:D :D 8@:?8 E@ 36 92AA6?:?8[” $:<@C2 D2:5]k^Am
kAm%96 4@>A2?J 92D ?@E 8:G6? 2 DA64:7:4 ?F>36C @7 9@H >2?J =23\C62C65 >@DBF:E@6D H:== 36 C6=62D65 3642FD6 E96 C6=62D6 H:== 36 “AC@A@CE:@?2= E@ ?F>36C @7 H:=5 >@DBF:E@6D” :? E96 49@D6? 2C62[ u6?D@> D2:5]k^Am
kAmq2CCJ (C2J[ AC6D:56?E @7 E96 u=@C:52 z6JD t?G:C@?>6?E2= r@2=:E:@?[ H9:49 @AA@D6D E96 C6=62D6[ D2:5 96’D 962C5 @?6 3:==:@? >@DBF:E@6D H:== 36 C6=62D65]k^Am
kAm“s@?’E C6=62D6 E96D6 >@DBF:E@6D H:E9 E9:D =6G6= @7 C6G:6H[” 96 D2:5] “%96J 92G6?’E 6G6? =@@<65 2E H92E >2J 92AA6? E@ ?2E:G6 6?52?86C65 DA64:6D :? E96 2C62]”k^Am
kAm$6G6C2= 8C@FAD[ :?4=F5:?8 E96 r6?E6C 7@C u@@5 $276EJ[ E96 x?E6C?2E:@?2= r6?E6C 7@C %649?@=@8J pDD6DD>6?E 2?5 uC:6?5D @7 E96 t2CE9[ 7:=65 2 ?@E:46 @7 :?E6?E E@ DF6 :? yF?6] %96J 2==686 E92E E96 t!p G:@=2E65 E96 =2H 3J 72:=:?8 E@ 4@?DF=E H:E9 H:=5=:76 286?4:6D 367@C6 56E6C>:?:?8 E92E E96 >@DBF:E@6D H:== ?@E A@D6 C:D<D E@ E9C62E6?65 DA64:6D]k^Am
kAm“%96 FD6 @7 2 ?@?\?2E:G6 DEC2:? C:D<D DAC625:?8 2=E6C65 5:D62D6 EC2?D>:DD:@? AC@A6CE:6D :?E@ E96 H:=5 >@DBF:E@ A@AF=2E:@? 2?5^@C 4C62E:?8 DEC2:?D H9:49 6I9:3:E ‘9J3C:5 G:8@C’ W7@C 6I2>A=6[ 364@>:?8 >@C6 76CE:=6[ 2D 92D 366? 56>@?DEC2E65 7@C 9J3C:5 DEC2:?D @7 @E96C >@DBF:E@ DA64:6DX[” E96 r6?E6C 7@C u@@5 $276EJ HC@E6 E@ E96 t!p]k^Am
kAmuz|rs r92:C>2? !9:= v@@5>2?[ H9@ G@E65 7@C E96 C6=62D6[ D2JD :E 92D C646:G65 C68F=2E@CJ 2AAC@G2=D 7@C D276EJ 7C@> E96 t!p[ r6?E6CD 7@C s:D62D6 r@?EC@=[ u@@5 2?5 sCF8 p5>:?:DEC2E:@?[ E96 u=@C:52 56A2CE>6?ED @7 p8C:4F=EFC6[ w62=E9 2?5 t?G:C@?>6?E2= !C@E64E:@?[ u=@C:52 u:D9 2?5 (:=5=:76 r@?D6CG2E:@? r@>>:DD:@? 2?5 @E96C DE2E6 C68F=2E@CJ 286?4:6D]k^Am
kAmw6 92D 56D4C:365 E96 @AA@D:E:@? 2D C6=J:?8 “@? EH:DE65 724ED[ ‘H92E :7’ 2DDF>AE:@?D 2?5 ‘yFC2DD:4 !2C<’ 762C >@?86C:?8]”k^Am
kAm%H@ &AA6C z6JD 5@4E@CD C646?E=J DA@<6 :? 72G@C @7 E96 E6DE C6=62D6] sC] y@9? (62C6 42==65 >@DBF:E@6D D@>6 @7 E96 5625=:6DE 2?:>2=D @? E96 A=2?6E 3642FD6 E96J 2C6 2 >2:? G64E@C @7 5:D62D6D] {:<6H:D6[ sC] $FD2?2 |2J 2C8F65 :? 72G@C @7 E96 E6DE[ DE2E:?8 E92E D96 92D D66? 7:CDE92?5 E96 >:D6CJ @7 E96 56?8F6 76G6C :? D>2== 49:=5C6? H9:=6 H@C<:?8 :? '6?6KF6=2]k^Am
kAm~I:E64 H:== 9@DE 2 AF3=:4 65F42E:@?2= H63:?2C 2E d A]>] (65?6D52J[ s64] `e] %96 E@A:4 :D “(92E’D :? E96 q@In” 2?5 H:== 36 23@FE 9@H ~I:E64’D ;FDE\255\H2E6C E649?@=@8J 96=AD 4@?EC@= E96 p656D 268JAE: A@AF=2E:@?]k^Am
kAm%96 H63:?2C H:== =2DE 7@C @?6 9@FC 2?5 E96 4@>A2?J H:== E2<6 BF6DE:@?D 27E6CH2C5D] ':D:E k2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^<6JD>@DBF:E@AC@;64E]4@>Qm<6JD>@DBF:E@AC@;64E]4@>k^2m 7@C 56E2:=D]k^Am
kAmu@C >@C6 :?7@C>2E:@? 23@FE E96 =@42= @AA@D:E:@? E@ E96 C6=62D6[ G:D:E k2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^DE@A8>>]4@>QmDE@A8>>]4@>k^2m]k^Am