09-02-2007, 07:20 AM
Despite the marvelous satire of "Dr. Strangelove," hardly anybody learned to stop worrying and love the bomb. And so it will go with the coquis.
Seriously, there was a lost window of opportunity to eradicate the coquis when they first began to appear. A lot of people believe that if the initial infestation had been anywhere else besides Puna, control efforts would have gotten serious much earlier. I don't know if that is really true, or if the lack of early action is just another example of the underfunded, understaffed quarantine/control division of the State Ag Dept.
Yes, there are misguided people who think that because they are living animals, coquis should not be killed. These same people paradoxically consider themselves to be environmentalists. I have even seen letters to the editor in the newspaper lamenting the "torture and murder" of the poor coquis. Give us a break.
Personally, I think that the spraying efforts only work on a somewhat localized basis. Unless every vacant lot and pasture is sprayed along with ALL the residential lots, you don't get eradication, even on a neighborhood basis. Having said that, I still believe that those who wish to spray (for whatever relief thay can get) should get adequate help from the County and the State. Unfortunately, I just read yesterday in the Hilo paper that the funding for one of the most wide reaching spraying programs on the Big Ishand was cut by the Legislature in the last session. I have to wonder if this money would have been appropriated if the coquis were chirping all night outside million dollar plus homes on Oahu. Ah, there I go again with that Puna chip on my shoulder.
Cheers,
Jerry
Seriously, there was a lost window of opportunity to eradicate the coquis when they first began to appear. A lot of people believe that if the initial infestation had been anywhere else besides Puna, control efforts would have gotten serious much earlier. I don't know if that is really true, or if the lack of early action is just another example of the underfunded, understaffed quarantine/control division of the State Ag Dept.
Yes, there are misguided people who think that because they are living animals, coquis should not be killed. These same people paradoxically consider themselves to be environmentalists. I have even seen letters to the editor in the newspaper lamenting the "torture and murder" of the poor coquis. Give us a break.
Personally, I think that the spraying efforts only work on a somewhat localized basis. Unless every vacant lot and pasture is sprayed along with ALL the residential lots, you don't get eradication, even on a neighborhood basis. Having said that, I still believe that those who wish to spray (for whatever relief thay can get) should get adequate help from the County and the State. Unfortunately, I just read yesterday in the Hilo paper that the funding for one of the most wide reaching spraying programs on the Big Ishand was cut by the Legislature in the last session. I have to wonder if this money would have been appropriated if the coquis were chirping all night outside million dollar plus homes on Oahu. Ah, there I go again with that Puna chip on my shoulder.
Cheers,
Jerry