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Critics of mosquito reduction strategy are ill-informed- Hon Vincent O. Wheatley
Mr Caul and a few others have called on government to stop the releasing of the mosquitos.
It a bid to satisfy the disgruntled, Minister for Health and Social Development Honourable Vincent O. Wheathley, who is also the Ninth District Representative, advised the discontinuation of the releasing of mosquitos and summoned residents to a community meeting to hear their concerns and have questions answered.
No objections to Bug Out Programme
The meeting was held last night October 17, 2023, at the Old Yard Inn Conference Room but saw sparse attendance by residents. None-the-less, those in attendance actively participated and expressed no objections to the continuation of the project.
Leading off the discussion, the District Representative said the discord and confusion were caused by a particular few ill-informed persons.
“Persons don’t attend meetings when meetings are called to get the required information to understand," Hon Wheatley stated.
Hon. Wheatley explained that the project was initiated following an outbreak of Chikungunya in the territory between 2012 and 2013.
“Everybody was panicking helter skelter,” said Hon Wheatley as he further said that in 2016, the territory was hit by another outbreak. This time it was Zika.
“At that point the BVI decided that it cannot be business as usual [and we] we must do something to reduce the mosquito population in the BVI. Entering the scene was Bug Out with one goal, mosquito reduction.”
In a move to combat the spread of those and other diseases caused by mosquitos, including dengue, the Bug Out initiative was birthed with Green VI.
Male mosquitos released 3 times per week
It was explained that over the year, through a number of methods, the population of the particular mosquitos, Aedes (Stegomyia) Aegypti mosquitos were reduced by 50%. That statistic has not shifted in the downward trend, resulting in the need for new measures.
“We realise no matter what else we did it was hard to get beyond 50%. Are we going to wait for something to come into the population like malaria or yellow fever or something else? Now, we said we must come closer to zero as possible.”
As opposed to what he described as the worst nuclear option of fogging, a decision was made to utilise the Wolbachia method. "We had many many discussions about it, many, many meetings, right in this room, because at that point in time we had decided let’s see how it is going to work, how it is going to be received.”
Entomologist Dr Amy Lynd of Bug Out revealed that since January of 2023, Green VI has been in the practice of releasing the Aedes Aegypti mosquitos three times weekly.
“The males only live a couple of days, so we have to keep releasing them in order for them to mate the female, as they emerge from their breeding sites.
“We started releasing in Handsome Bay and then started expanding down into the Valley over the next seven months. We are now down to the North Road, which goes to Fishers Cove to St Mary’s Church, and we are planning further expansion.”
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20 Responses to “Critics of mosquito reduction strategy are ill-informed- Hon Vincent O. Wheatley”
What has this Caul boy ever done in his life? All he does is @#$%& complain all day long.
They don’t want to fog because the fog would kill their precious male mosquito pets as well. So while they test out this experiment, we the humans have to suffer and get bitten up.
Did they bring in experts or been advised by such ?
I’m tried if the certain race that believes dearly on experiments and science
They live wreckless
And puts their lives at risk too much
Was this announced hence the reason for poor attendance?
How can a group of ppl make decisions for the country ?
Letting go gate$ mosquitoes is another big mistake
Lately mosquitoes biting ppl and they swelling up huge red itchy this wasn’t soo before
I guess we the guinea pigs accepted the science
If this program is working why are the mozzies so bad on VG and Anegada? And why are people reacting so bad to bites?
And what's this about female mosquitos being released.
Something is not right here???