Cayman mosquito release was act of “colonialism”
(CNS): A UK not-for-profit public interest group has criticized the British scientists that released three million genetically modified (GM) mosquitoes on Grand Cayman this year. GeneWatch said that the use of an overseas territory without public consultation for such an experiment was an act of colonialism. The organisation, which investigates how genetic technologies will impact food, health, agriculture, environment and society, said Oxitec had misleadingly claimed the mosquitoes released in Cayman were sterile and that there was no ethical oversight before using Cayman for the trials.
“The British scientific establishment is acting like the last bastion of colonialism, using an Overseas Territory as a private lab,” said GeneWatch UK’s Director, Dr Helen Wallace. “There is no excuse for funding trials without public consultation or ethical oversight to help out a spin-out company that is heavily in debt.”
The trials were conducted by Oxitec, in which Oxford University is an investor. The company also owes £2.25 million to a multi-millionaire venture capital investor in Boston, which it is due to pay back by 2013. The company is losing £1.7 million a year and its business plan requires it to commercialise its products and charge ongoing fees for continual releases of the GM mosquitoes, which are intended to reduce the transmission of the dengue virus.
Trials of the same GM mosquitoes are expected in Malaysia soon. The biggest risk with the company’s approach is that a different, more invasive species of mosquito (the Asian Tiger mosquito) may move into the ecological niche vacated by the species it is targeting (the Yellow Fever mosquito), potentially transmitting more diseases and becoming harder to eradicate. The company has created GM Asian Tiger mosquitoes with a view to marketing these in future to tackle this expected problem.
“People in Malaysia should make their own decision about how to best tackle dengue,” said Dr Wallace, “But they need to be informed about the potential risks and why the company is so keen to push ahead. There is a real danger that this approach to reducing mosquito populations could lead to harm to public health. It is also likely to lock developing countries into continual payments for ongoing releases of two GM mosquito products.”
Oxitec’s scientists have published computer models of falling mosquito populations as a result of releasing their GM mosquitoes, but they have not included the effect of the two different species of mosquitoes and their interactions with the four forms of the dengue virus and other tropical diseases, the activist group said.
Oxitec has close links to the GM crop company Syngenta and is also developing GM versions of agricultural pests, which it intends to commercialise in future, partly to combat the growing problem of resistant pests caused by the use of pest resistant (Bt) GM maize, soybeans and cotton.
It has received significant public subsidies, including more than £2.5 million in grants from the UK government-funded Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), mainly for joint projects with Oxford University.
Category: Science and Nature
This situation is a good one to help us really learn how government works.
Did MRCU take the decision on their own? Who is the Chief Officer responsible? Was the Minister involved? Did the matter go to Cabinet? Was the Governor involved? Were instructions received from the FCO?
At the end of the day, who was ultimately responsible for making the decision to release the GM mosquitoes? Who gave the go ahead? The people deserve to know the answer, and it mayeven surprise us.
In the meantime we hope it will be successful.
I dont know anything about Mosquitos, but I do know this much, this year I have not been able to sit on my porch after 6pm, the Mosquitos have been terrible, and yes we did notice a new type of mosquito. Wonder if all this had something to do with the mosquito plane hardly spraying this year????? I know that personally I do not like the idea of being a test subject to no one!!! And by the way how many cases of dengue has Cayman had? Why not do this reserch in Honduras or somewhere that Dengue is killing people?
I thought the yellow fever mosquito was eradicated from the Cayman Islands back in the 1960’s. Who have allowed them to re-establish throughout Grand Cayman? Why is the country now being askedto pay huge amounts of money on a recurrent basis to address a problem that was already solved? XXXX
People do not buy the B.S. of these mosquito research UK posts.
The non-profit advocateis looking out for our interest NOT THEM!
I believe Ms. JaneWatch she’s telling the truth. Not these lying posts defending this action of colonialism She is so right.
that’s how the UK treats her territories, INFERIOR!
It would be refreshing were some letter-writers to learn just a little bit about genetic engineering before hysterically presenting Caymanians as being subjugated like lab rats, so their colonial masters can save a few dollars cutting research corners at the potential expense of the entire population’s health! Conspiracy theories roll on!
In my view, some of the comments by GeneWatch as reported above, are misleading. Their observation that another disease-vector species might move in to replace the one that has been eradicated, is not applicable to Cayman, whereas it is relevant to Malaysia. Cayman has only one dangerous mosquito species, Aedes aegypti, and once eradicated, there is no competitor to take over. These genetically modified mosquitoes are sterile, so if they get blown to another island, there can be no problem. I think we should place a little more trust in our trained scientists at MRCU and dispense with the knee-jerk reactions of those to whom Science apparently presents impenetrable mysteries, and deep, evil threats!
LMAO at "get blown to another island" – really? So are the one already here too strong to be blown away in the 1st place?? OMG – i could go on, but thanks for the laugh…lololololol
I dont know much about science but I do know that there is people out there that will preach to you that what they are doing is no harm to you, but in the long run its not true, look at the poor people of the Soloman islands and some of the other islands. They will tell you anything to get what they want. When I heard this I drew a deeeeep breath as I too feel that there is something they are not telling us. So I beleive that we are the quniea pigs here.ten years from now if we are still alive lets see what new type of disease comes along:(
wait til I release my monkeys and they breed into and army of monkeys…. just wait
Flying monkeys, dude. Genetically Modified Flying Monkeys! Don’t let the colonialists keep you down. Aim for the sky.
Don’t see any problem with this. There is obvious synergies in using colonial lands to test the inventions of British companies.
Now I know that your posts are ironic and deliberately provoking, Pit Bull. What a relief! I thought you might be serious in previous fascist views you’ve expressed but now I know it’s just good old British irony.
No, I was being serious.
I should be shocked. I’m not.
These mosquitos released — gentetically modified aedes aegyptii — were designed to produce inviable offspring. These are the spotted-legged mosquitos associated with dengue and yellow fever. So far so good. However, the mosquito has a short lifespan, and that is why other short lifespan insects are used for genetic studies — because any mutations can be seen and studied within a few generations.
Were impacts upon insect-eating birds and bats studied? I seriously doubt it.
The claim was made by Oxitec that the mosquitos would be contained geographically by being released in Cayman. Really? How did mosquitos get here in the first place? Wee little boats? These GM mosquitos won’t get into shipping containers or airplanes?
Remember this, if nothing else: This was the FIRST time anywhere on the PLANET that these GM mosquitos were released, and they were done so without knowledge of the people they will impact. Are we considered so dim-witted and unlearned that we cannot participate in our own environment and those variables that might affect them? Were we considered to be ……… a calculated risk?
Why Cayma for a test area? I think it’s pretty simple, if you think about it. Surely I’m not the only one who thought that Ocitec considered that worst case is that ONLY 50,000 people might be adversely impacted. Think about that.
I’m truly glad that intial reports are that the project is working as designed. Thank the Good Lord for huge favors. I hope it ends there — with a favorable report card and counted blessings. Will we know about the next release? Stay tuned sports fans; if anyone knows it will be told on CNS.
Aedes aegypti stays close to the ground and in vegetation or houses, so their population would not affect bats anyway. They are probably eated by insectivorous birds, though. However, there are no birds that feed on Aedes aegyti exclusively, or even mosquitoes exclusively, so I don't think bird populations would be affected by eradicating Aedes aegypti.
do not be surprise at what they will . just cheer up the worst is yet to come
What a load of hogwash. Bites that don’t heal and scar, other mosquito species taking over, etc. Educate yourself. Speak to the MRCU and get the other side of the story. These populations live in very bounded areas and are not wide ranging and certainly not long lived.
Speak to the families who lost relatives to dengue fever this year, a few even here in Cayman. Consider the amount of pesticide otherwise used to control the breeding populations of this mosquito and the long term harm this does.
If you have grafted a plant you have participated in GM. If you have bought nice all yellow bananas, pretty orange oranges, and perfectly popped popcorn you have consumed food with various levels of GM tech involved. Get over it. We are all the product of GM when mom and dad got together.
The ones most against GM on the international level and fund most of the ‘research’ against GM are the pesticide companies who have a vested interest in maintaining the status quo no matter the human toll.
The bird flu was a lie, swine flu was a lie, the polio vaccine made you die. So why would this come as a surprise?
What tosh. I presume the scientists who did this must have applied for work permits or otherwise had the approval of the CI Government for this activity?
Oh and by the way it seems to have worked too…..
What a crime against humanity this is.
to unleash 3 million mosquitoes dangerous into our society!
Releasing three million mosquitos which don’t bite, mosquitos whose only effect is on other mosquitos, how is that a crime against humanity?
If they dont bite, how do they feed?
CNS: Google is your friend. Do male mosquitoes bite humans?
Yes the people should have been consulted but they would have never agreed and now the swarms that used to be around my house at dusk are gone and I for one am very thankful for that. I can actually leave my house in the evenings again and sit on my porch. Thank you for doing somehting to curb the problem instead of just cutting the budget for the mosquito control plane. Personally I’m happier not breathing in all the toxins that get put into our air by the plane and getting better results.
Mother country is actually doing this to her children? What a low down, dirty sc…….M
This is just the start of worst things to come in Cayman.
And our DUMB legislators allowed this to happen to us.
CAYMANIANS WE HAVE BEEN SOLD? This is definite colonialism as the research Doctor has stated. We have been chosen to start enriching a billionaire company who is owed millions of dollars by this research company in the UK and we are now mandated to pick up the tab to pay off its debts while we are jobless,homeless, and hungry, and with a struggling public purse. the funny thing about this is we have nothing to do with this! It’s not even our problem! Everybody including the UK comes here to the Cayman Islands take a dunk on us! Is it propaganda that we are led by idiots or what? with no protective hedge around us?
It makes one wonder now taking a fresh look at the real reason why there is a rush to get hands onto the bank accounts of innocent struggling x-pats and Caymanians who have saved up their monies. People have a right to save for as long as they want. But to label or earmark a bank account that is only 6 or 7 years old even 10 to 15 years old is out right robbery. I wonder if they think we are going to take this laying down?, Get ready for round three on that one.
Not only is this a move of audacity on the part of the UK but the next question is just ‘where is the budget to pay for someone else’s bill? A BILL THAT THE CAYMAN ISLANDS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH!
People do you now understand what we are talking about?This is the limit.These rich orgnizations believe they own the world and own not only us but our bank accounts and our pocket books and our governments help them screw us!
We have been sold twice. By the Uk government and by the Cayman government. Ra*s!
The Uk is dirtier than we anticipated.
Big mouth and big eye Ezzard how come you did not see this coming or investigated this?. Thanks to the Doctor of this non profit organization looking out for Caymanians while the Caymanian government and UK is SINKING US WITH A MILLSTONE AROUND OUR NECKS!.
Why were these mosquitoes not unleashed in the UK that’s where these mosquitoes belong!?
Same dirty game the US plays on their territories like Puerto Rico !.
There should have been wide consultation on this matter and someone would have flagged us on this tracing this whole thing back to a multibillion dollar company in Boston that is owed millions of dollars in the UK. so the UK is using her territories to distribute the bill to various vulnerable colonies using us as the FUNDING UNITS TO ‘WIPE OUT A HUGE DEBT THAT WE the people in the Cayman Islands nor our government did not INCUR?! Well I’ll be go ti church!
What the FFFFFF!
Many of my friends and co-workers have been complaining about unusual mosquito’s bites-the bites would always becomes infected, very painful and upon healing would leave a scar.. Nobody ever had mosquito’s bites like that before.
Well then, good thing the mosquitoes they released were sterile males meaning that (a) they weren’t producing any young mosquitoes to bite you and (b) they weren’t biting you themselves.
The genetically modified mosquitos were males which do not bite. So whatever your problem is does not result from this study.
Do you people even read the reports before you comment?
People DO NOT believe these comments of rebuttal defending the UK’s inhumane action against the people of the Cayman Islands.
Yes Ms. Jane Watch is RIGHT it is COLONIALISM! at its worst! and she represents a non-profit organization watch-dogging these CROOKS!.She has nothing to gain nor lose. She’s telling the truth and I believe her. I have researched her organization and They are reputable, trusted, and recognized worldwide. On The other hand the UK parties responsible for this injustice against us well, their actions throughout the ages against her colonies has been questionable AND DISGRACEFUL. So there!
Scum bags!!!
The mosquitoes were all neutered males. Only female mosquetoes bite.
The technique is exactly the same as the humane society is using on the stray dogs.
So you have not experienced any of these mysterious mutant bites yourself? No. I thought not. Why don’t you leave the hysteria to someone who directly experienced these "mutant bites"?
Yes, let’s wait until that happens before we move your post from the "complete BS" category of CNS postings. At the moment it is ranked alongside the "my neighbour told me that [institution x] sacked a Caymanian so that they could recruit the expat boss’s schoolfriend’s daughter" posts.