There have been a lot of rumours swirling around Anguilla suggesting that there was an impending situation where genetically modified male Aedes Aegypti mosquitoes would be bred and introduced into the island’s ecosystem. But this has been denied by the Government of Anguilla stating categorically that no such approval had been given to any such proposal. The denial was made by the Ministers of Government on their radio interactive programme, Up front: A Conversation with the Nation, on Tuesday night, February 23.
The public concern originated from the current visit to Anguilla of a team from the British company OXITEC for exploratory talks with the Executive Council this week Thursday. Speaking late last week about the company’s proposal, the Regional Manager in the Caribbean, Mr. Richard Adey, told The Anguillian that only the female mosquitoes bite and transmit dangerous diseases. With that in mind, OXITEC would produce male mosquitoes with a self-destructive gene and then release them into the environment to seek out female mosquitoes of the same species. When they mate, the females would produce two eggs which would develop into larvae but will die at that stage having inherited the destructive gene from the OXITEC genetically modified male mosquitoes. As a result, there would be no offspring for the Aedes Aegypti mosquito. Mr. Adey said that if the company’s proposal was approved by Government, the company would undertake a five-year project with the hope of decreasing Anguilla’s Aedes Aegypti population within eighteen months.
Anguilla’s Minister of Health and Social Development, Mr. Evans McNiel Rogers, who was at the time meeting with Mr. Adey said, among other matters, that a lot of research was necessary to see if the methodology being used fits in with what Anguilla wanted.
Commenting on the rumours that the Government had agreed to the OXITEC proposal, Mr. Rogers said on this week Tuesday’s Government’s radio programme: “The folks from OXITECH are in Anguilla and they will be in Executive Council to make a presentation on Thursday, February 25. As members of the Executive Council, and the Government, we will have the option and the opportunity to ask them questions. We ourselves have done quite a bit of research in terms of the technology that is used and so on and so forth. In terms of the whole notion of the Government of Anguilla – and in particular the Minister of Health – bringing in mosquitoes to let loose on the people of Anguilla is really and truly another sad reflection of how things can be taken out of context and put out in the community. I just want to clear the air with respect to that. The Government of Anguilla has made no decision with respect to the genetically modified mosquitoes project which OXITEC is here in Anguilla to discuss.”
Mr. Rogers continued: “Just like any other project there are discussions before a decision is taken. For due diligence, you have to check the scientific data and the verification of that data to see if it is authentic. This is because individuals who are working with various companies are sales people. They will always give you the positive side, and those of us who have been around the block for some time have heard a number of upsides on a number of issues, projects and programmes. I would like to say to the people of Anguilla that your elected Government would take all the necessary precautions, and do all the background work, before getting into something like genetically modified mosquitoes. If one is to look at it, it will have to be an entire public consultation/public education [exercise] not only for us but for the general public.”
Mrs. Cora Richardson Hodge, Minister of Home Affairs, joined Mr. Rogers in underscoring the Government’s position. “I have not met or spoken to anyone with respect to this genetically modified mosquito. I find it difficult to hear persons going out there representing that the Government has agreed [to such a matter]. Anyone can come to Executive Council and make a presentation so the door is open to them if they want to make a presentation to come – just like this company has been going throughout the region making presentations in other territories. But, at the end of the day, it comes down to the decision by the Government as to whether or not they want to take it further.
“We have not gotten there and I have my personal views. I don’t believe that we will entertain this any further than a presentation in Executive Council. Coming from an environmental perspective, my view is always that every action equals an opposite reaction. Sometimes you have unintended consequences that flow from introducing something in your society that is not part of the natural environment. I have many questions, as Mr. Rogers indicated, that I will be asking this company. At the end of the day I have firm views in terms of this.”
Mrs. Evalie Bradley, Ministerial Assistant in the Ministry of Home Affairs, commented that she had been approached by a number of her supporters who questioned her about the intentions of the Government on the introduction of genetically modified mosquitoes. “I must admit that it was the first time I was hearing about it but, as the Ministers have indicated, it is just a simple discussion.” She stated. “It does not constitute a definitive decision to be made by Government to bring in these genetically modified mosquitoes and let them wild in Anguilla.” She added that it was the responsibility of the people of the island to do their part to control the mosquitoes.
Mr. Cardigan Connor, Parliamentary Secretary, Tourism, said Anguilla was fortunate not to have any cases of the Zika Virus. He, too, stressed the importance for persons in the community to take preventive action to destroy the breeding places of mosquitoes.
Meanwhile, the Minister of Health in Dominica, Dr. Kenneth Darroux, has been quoted as saying: “I want to make it clear that the OECS Ministers of Health and the Ministry of Health in Dominica, have stated categorically that we are not going to engage in any discussion [with OXITEC] unless there is scientific proof that this [genetically modified mosquitoes technology] is safe.”
OXITEC currently operates in Brazil, Panama, Cayman Islands and Malaysia. The company was founded in 2002 as a spinout from the University of Oxford (UK). It operates independently of the University as a subsidiary of Intrexon Corporation (NYSE: XON) which engineers biology to help solve some of the world’s biggest problems. OXITEC uses advanced genetics to breed and release ‘sterile’ male Aedes Aegypti mosquitoes in a bid to control what is described as a dangerous, invasive mosquito species responsible for the transmission of diseases such as Yellow Fever, Dengue Fever, Chikungunya and, most recently, the Zika Virus.
