HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0385.148 2012-2014 COIwFTY CLERK
Date: September 4, 2013
7013 SEP - 1 P11 12: 58
To: Council Members
From: Dennis Gonsalves
789 Hoolaulea Street
Hilo, Hawaii 96720
Subject: Oral testimony against Bills 109 and 113, and for an adhoc committee
on co existence.
I am Dennis Gonsalves, a retired agriculture researcher who helped to develop the
Rainbow papaya. I oppose bills 109 and 113.
Bills 109 and 113 continue to divide the communities and farmers of Hawaii Island
as it seeks to eliminate or greatly limit farmers and others to use approved GMO
crops and eliminates the use of new GMOs. Ironically,the USDA scientists that are
working to control coffee berry borer are the same scientists that are doing genetic
engineering work to control bacterial blight of anthurium and control tomato
spotted wilt virus. These bills will limit their capacity to use GMO technology to help
farmers and people of Hawaii Island.
On another note,the bacterial citrus greening disease was found in Florida in 2005
and experts estimate that greening will virtually eliminate the Florida's citrus
industry in 5 years. So far genetic engineering is the most promising long-term
approach to control greening disease. Greening is now in California and Hawaii may
be next. Bills 109 or 113 would eliminate Hawaii Island from using GMO citrus,
even if greening decimates backyard and commercial citrus. Is that what you really
want?
Bills 109 and 113 should be defeated or withdrawn and a task force formed to look
into co-existence of GMO and nonGMO crops. Councilwoman Wille proposed a
discussion for such a committee; I support that. This action would be pono and
would start to mend the rift among the people of Hawaii Island that these proposed
bills have caused. In fact,the transgenic papaya grown on Hawaii Island is an
excellent coexistence model because GMO and nonGMO papaya have been
commercially grown in Puna since 1998. It is the virus, not the GMO papaya, that
limits the amount of nonGMO papaya that is commercially grown.
Comm. No. 3$5*. /548
Ref. To: P/PS M rc
Ref. Date SEP 0.6 2013