WHEREAS, mosquitoes are an alien species in Hawaii having been introduced in the late 1800s; and
WHEREAS, mosquitoes are vectors of diseases that affect humans and wildlife; and
WHEREAS, it is only a matter of time till diseases such as dengue fever and Zika virus become established in Hawaii; and
WHEREAS, avian malaria has decimated the native bird population throughout the range of the mosquito; and
WHEREAS, as our climate warms mosquitoes are able to survive at higher altitudes; and
WHEREAS, our native birds will continue to loose survivable habitat as mosquitoes move mauka; and
WHEREAS, eliminating the mosquito will restore the original habitat of our native birds and quite possibly save them from extinction; and
WHEREAS, it is technically possible to eliminate mosquitoes from Hawaii using genetically engineered mosquitoes now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-ninth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2017, the Senate concurring, that the University of Hawaii be asked to report to the Thirtieth Session of the Hawaii State Legislature on what techniques can be used to eliminate Aedes mosquitoes from Hawaii, the estimated cost of such a program and the expected environmental impacts of the proposed program; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Governor, the Chancellor of the University of Hawaii, and the Chair of the Department of Health.
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