Sydney Ross Singer, President
The Good Shepherd Foundation, Inc.
P.O. Box 1880, Pahoa, Hawaii 96778
(808) 935-5563
May 9, 2008
Get ready for another alien insect species to invade Hawaii. The newest invader is a type of scale insect that attacks mostly strawberry guava plants. It won't kill the guava plant, but it will make ugly swellings on the leaves, called galls, and will reduce the fruit yield. But don't call the Hawaii Department of Agriculture to stop this invasion. They are the one's wanting to start it!
Public comment is now being taken by the DoA regarding its Draft Environmental Assessment, or DEA, on their plan to release this scale insect as a way to control strawberry guava. The reason the DoA is attacking strawberry guava is because the guava tends to take over in an area, and their fruit feeds fruit flies and pigs, both considered alien pests in Hawaii. Over the decades, the introduced (alien) insect will weaken the guava plants, slowing the spread of the guava, and making their removal easier. At least that's the hope. Of course, there will still be miconia, albesia, and other introduced trees that will probably replace the lost guavas.
But is this the right time to eliminate a food source in Hawaii? Should a food source be considered an "invasive" species?
Strawberry guava was brought to Hawaii almost 200 years ago. It is considered a "superfruit", being rich in vitamins A and C, omega-3 and -6 polyunsaturated fatty acids. Containing about half the amount of vitamin C as a raw orange, a single strawberry guava also has good levels of the dietary minerals potassium and magnesium, and is a good source of other essential nutrients and antioxidants. Many people in Hawaii, including subsistence farmers, low-income people, and those culturally attached to the land, collect wild strawberry guava to make jam. The strawberry guava is an important part of the wildlife food chain, feeding native and introduced insects, birds, and mammals, as well as people. Eliminating strawberry guava would upset this food chain, making hungrier wildlife to invade the farm and garden. And it will make hungrier people, too.
At a time of world hunger and food shortage, when Hawaii is trying to find ways of being food self-sufficient in a green, sustainable way, the strawberry guava should be protected, not targeted. What was once brought here for food should not now be shunned as an invasive species. The answer is not to introduce another alien, potentially invasive, insect species. The answer is to realize that having food growing in Hawaii, especially a nutritious food such as the strawberry guava, is a blessing.
Of course, the proposed insect introduction will probably only produce ugly, sick-looking strawberry guava trees. Keep in mind that the guava may be a problem in some forests, but they are desirable on many farms and in backyards. However, if the DoA has its way, people who cultivate strawberry guava will need to spray pesticide to kill the insect pest released by the DoA. This means that those who appreciate the strawberry guava, as it has been appreciated for hundreds of years, will need to defend their plants from pests released by the government. This is insane and unfair to those wanting these plants.
The DoA should scrap this plan and look for better ways to control unwanted guavas, while letting the rest of us still enjoy the sweet taste of guava season.