in 
Politics, Environment
Politics, Environment Monday
30Jun
Gumapac, Kanaka Council go pro-guava
Monday, June 30, 2008 at 09:25AM Kale Gumapac and the Kanaka Council are part of a coalition of groups battling a federal plan to lessen the threat of waiawi, or strawberry guava, to native forests by introducing a foreign species of insect. Researchers say the insect will hinder waiawi's ability to spread by causing the plant to produce less fruit, and that harm to any other plants or species would be unlikely.
Opponents raise a number of objections, a couple of which are in these press releases from Gumapac here, and another from Troy Martinez of Save the Guava here, both calling attention to a rally planned for 11 a.m. Thursday, July 3, at the state Department of Land and Natural Resources building in Hilo.
Gumapac, who is also running for the Fifth District County Council seat, said:
(T)he Hawaiian proverb “Pupukahi I Holomua” United we move Forward is the theme of this coalition, Concerned Citizens of Hawai’i are hunters on Hawai’i island and Save the Guava are members from the Good Shepherd’s Foundation.
Gumapac said representatives of the Kanaka Council, which describes itself as a Hawaiian cultural rights group, and the Concerned Citizens will be meeting with DLNR officials to find out where the federal project now stands in the permitting process. Gumapac believes it needs at least one more permit from the state.
View Printer Friendly Version
Email Article to Friend
Reader Comments (8)
Nice tasty treat? That's funny. I suppose someone somewhere likes the taste of raw cactus fruit too. That wouldn't make up for thousands of acres of cactus choking our forests would it?
While I am suspicious of the bio-control I would like to know more and wouldn't reject it without much more logic applied. There are likely dozens or hundreds of unstudied invasive aliens arriving at these shores each year. In that reality one thoroughly studied one - with an ability to slow down the advance of guava in our forests is well worth considering.
I believe the plan was to redo the EA and have another 30-day comment period. Also Tracy Johnson folks are supposed to reply to all of us who sent in our comments during the first comment period. I am still waiting to get my reply.
All fruit, especially our wild fruit, with high nutritional value like the waiawi should be SAVED not destroyed!
BTW, I am still waiting for a formal response from Tracy Johnson folks regarding my comments that I sent in for the first draft EA deadline.
Troy Martinez contacted me and asked if we could kokua. The Kanaka Council had a consensus vote and brought this together with Troy. We were able to put together a very strong coalition in a short period of time.
Mahalo nui loa to all those who came that day to support.
Malama aina e malama o ke kai,
Kale Gumapac
You need fresh fruit? We get choke white pineapple. Come n' get it!
One key point is that in Brazil, where the scale and guava have coevolved for thousands of years, there is plenty of fruit for the people. Here, without the scale, guava is out of control and if nothing is done there will soon be only guava in our forests. All the rare and beautiful life forms that live only in Hawai'i nei will be gone forever. Please, lets not lose this opportunity to help save our forests from the monstrous waiawi. Biocontrol is the only feasible option, and the scale insect is a good choice: well-researched and with an excellent chance of curtailing waiawi without harming other plants. Mahalo for reading.