A new biotype of the beetle appeared in Guam, which was resistant to the virus. However, in 2007 the rhino beetle struck back. The virus was introduced as a control method in 1964, and as a result, for the next 40 years the CRB-Pacific was not a major a threat to the region. The most successful of these methods came from the discovery of the Oryctes nudivirus (OrNV), which proved deadly for CRB-Pacific. The Pacific coconut rhinoceros beetle (CRB-Pacific), had an appetite for coconut palms, and its arrival in the region resulted in many innovative control methods being tested. Originally native only to South Asia, the beetle was able to expand along the trade routes of the rubber industry, slowly establishing itself across South East Asia and into the Pacific.
The first Pacific invasion of the rhinoceros (rhino) beetle took place in 1909. The new threat comes from a longstanding adversary in the region: the rhinoceros beetle. In August of 2017 an alert was issued identifying a new danger to the Pacific, which is causing devastation to coconut palms and expanding rapidly across the region. The foundation is set for the coconut industry to play an integral role in the Pacific’s development targets for the foreseeable future, so long as the health and sustainably of the coconut palms remains secure. CIDP has projected a 149 per cent increase in thecoconut water market alone between 20. Combine that with the coconut palms’ contribution towards tourism and culture, and the importance of this resource becomes clear. These products –coconut milk, coconut vinegar, coco coir fibre, coco jam and bio fuel –are found on shelves of supermarkets around the globe. More impressively, 25 of these products are sourced, created and distributed by Pacific-owned and Pacific-based businesses. In 2016, the Coconut Industry Development for the Pacific (CIDP) initiative recorded 64 coconut-related businesses driving economic progress in the Pacific – a 50 per cent increase since 1993. The coconut industry has always been a centrepiece of economic activity in the Pacific but since 1993, it has been rapidly expanding and diversifying. The Pacific Community (SPC), working with Pacific Island countries and territories, and development partners, is looking for ways to meet this threat before it devastates the hopes of economic progress in the region. Recently, however, the health of coconut palms has come under severe threat. But the palms are more than providers of shade and backdrops for postcards they are a central part of the region’s economy, and their health is essential to the continued prosperity of Pacific people.
Photo: courtecy of Durham Field Office – US Forest Health ProtectionĪsk someone to describe the Pacific and inevitably they will think of the coconut palms that decorate every Island nation.