Birds Not Mosquitos Coalition Halts Incompatible Insect Technique Amidst Plummeting Native Bird Populations in Hawai'i
The Birds Not Mosquitos coalition, a multi-agency effort in Hawai'i, has paused its incompatible insect technique (IIT) program after an unexpected surge in mosquito numbers on Kaua'i led to a dramatic decline in native bird populations. The coalition, which includes the Hawai'i Department of Land and Natural Resources, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Department of the Interior, University of Hawai'i, National Park Service, and various non-profit organizations, had invested significantly in the IIT. This technique involved releasing male mosquitoes infected with a specific bacteria to prevent female mosquitoes from producing viable eggs. The initiative received over $49 million in federal funding and $2.4 million from the state. Despite initial optimism, data by late 2025 indicated the IIT was not preventing avian malaria at the necessary rates. The situation worsened on Kaua'i last winter, with an unprecedented mosquito population explosion on the Alaka'i Plateau, a critical habitat for native forest...
