Mosquito trial will begin in April, but Keys locations won’t be disclosed
Mosquito trial will begin in April, but Keys locations won’t be disclosed
Tags: Aedes, Dengue, Genetic biocontrol, North America, Oxitec, Population suppression, Self limiting, Sterile insect technique (SIT)S. Matthis, KEYSWEEKLY, 2021.
The Florida Keys Mosquito Control District announced it will begin trials of the Oxitec genetically modified mosquitoes in April. In a press release, the agency said the projects will be focused in a “select number of neighborhoods situated between mile markers 10 and 93 …” When the Keys Weekly Newspaper asked the agency to elaborate with more detail, it declined. FKMCD spokesman Chad Huff wrote in an email, “The physical location of each box is still being finalized. Since most will be situated on private property at owner request, FKMCD-Oxitec will NOT be providing specific addresses due to privacy concerns and protection of project integrity.” Phil Goodman, chairman of the FKMCD said the decision to keep addresses confidential was an operations decision, not a decision by the elected board. “Right now, we don’t have any specific sites that are 100 percent selected,” said Andrea Leal, executive director of the FKMCD. “We are just narrowing down areas with potential.”
