Synopsis: The coconut rhinoceros beetle is a new pest that poses an existential threat to some of our most precious trees and crops. While their numbers continue to climb on O‘ahu, our community must act now to prevent their spread to other islands and protect our natural resources for future generations.
Eia ke laulaha ākea a‘e nei i luna o ko kākou ‘āina aloha kekahi mea hou e pu‘e wale nei i ko kākou mau lā‘au makamae. He leo ho‘omaka‘ala kēia iā ‘oukou, e nā makamaka heluhelu, i kēia pu‘u laehaokela ‘ai kumu niu, ‘o ia ho‘i ke coconut rhinoceros beetle (CRB). Hana pū wau i kekeahi manawa me kekahi mau mea kālaimeaola e noi‘i nei i kēia pu‘u hou i hō‘ea mai i ko Hawai‘i mau kapa kai i kēlā mau makahiki i hala aku nei, a ke hāpai a‘e nei lākou i leo kūkala pō‘ino no ka hana a kēia mau mū.‘O kā ke CRB ‘ai, ‘o ia nō ka lā‘au ‘i‘o o ke kumu niu. ‘Eku lākou i loko o ka wēlau o ke kumu niu, kahi e mu‘o ai nā lau hou, a ‘eli‘eli ai i ka ‘i‘o o ke kumu. Ke ‘eli ‘ia ke kumu pēlā, ‘o ka make koke nō ia o ke kumu.
Ke ho‘opulapula ke CRB, ‘imi ‘o ia i kahi e hānau ai kāna ‘enuhe. ‘O kahi ‘oi loa o ka maika‘i no kēia mau ‘enuhe, he ahu kīpulu, kahi e ho‘olilo ‘ia ai nā koena lau like ‘ole i mea momona loa e ho‘ohui ai me ka lepo. He wahi hānau kēia ahu kīpulu no ka ‘enuhe, a laila, lilo i pu‘u o‘o nāna e ‘imi i kumu niu e ‘eku ai. Ma Hawai‘i nei, hiki ke kū‘ai ‘ia ke kīpulu no nā hana like ‘ole, a laila, ho‘ouna ‘ia ke kīpulu mai ‘ō a ‘ō, a mai ia mokupuni aku a i ia mokupuni aku. Pēlā nō i lawe mua ‘ia ai ka CRB i ke One o Kākuhihewa mai ka ‘āina ‘ē mai. A laila, laha malū akula ‘o ia i nā wahi kīpulu a hānau mai ka ‘enuhe. Ua ‘ike ‘ia ka hapa nui o nā kumu niu i make i ka CRB ma kahi kokoke i Pu‘uloa, a ma ‘Ewa me Wai‘anae ka hapa nui o nā pu‘u i loa‘a i ka pahu pahele. Ua pahele ‘ia kauwahi pu‘u ma Ko‘olaupoko me Ko‘olauloa kekahi. ‘Oiai, he kāka‘ikahi ka ‘ike ‘ia o ka CRB o‘o i kēia mau lā, ke māhuahua nei na‘e ka nui o nā ‘enuhe CRB mai ‘ō a ‘ō o ka mokupuni. Mana‘o kekahi mau mea kālaimeaola, ua hala paha ka manawa o ke kīpaku ‘ana mai O‘ahu aku. ‘O Kaua‘i? ‘O Maui mā? ‘O Hawai‘i? ‘A‘ole nō paha i laha iki ka CRB ma laila. Eia na‘e, ua loa‘a kekahi mau pu‘u CRB i pahele ‘ia ma ia mau ‘āina. He hō‘ailona ia no kona ho‘one‘e palaka wale ‘ia e kānaka.
Wahi a ka po‘e noi‘i mū, ‘a‘ole kamawae ka CRB. Inā ‘a‘ole loa‘a ke kumu niu, ‘eli nō ka pu‘u CRB i loko o ke kumu pūhala a make ia. Ke ‘ole ka pūhala, he mau mea hou aku ke ‘ai ‘ia. ‘O ka pū mai‘a ‘oe, ‘o ka hā kalo ho‘i, he loulu paha, a ia mea aku ia mea aku. He minamina nō inā nalo wale nēia mau lā‘au i lako ai ka nohona o nā hanauna mai kinohi mai. A pehea ana lā ko kākou nohona inā nele kākou i ka niu ‘ole, a me nā mea loa‘a mai kona kumu mai? Pehea ho‘i ke nele i ka lau hala ‘ole? Pehea ko kākou nohona inā lilo pū aku ke kalo i kēia mū? Pehea ana lā kākou e wehewehe ai i ka lilo ‘ana aku o kēia mau mea ku‘una makamae, he mau mea paha a kā kākou mau pulapula e ‘ike maka ‘ole ai?
Mai kūnānā; ‘a‘ohe mālama, pau i ka CRB, ‘eā? Inā ‘a‘ole kākou mākaukau no ka ho‘onele ‘ana i kā kākou mau pulapula, ‘o kēia nō ka manawa e ho‘olale a‘e ai i ke aupuni e ho‘opau ‘ānō i ka pu‘u CRB. Eia nō ke emi nei ka heluna o kēia mū. ‘Akahi a pāpā ‘ia ka ho‘one‘e ‘ia o ke kīpulu i waena o nā mokupuni i mea e kāohi ai i kona laha ‘ana. He hana pono kēia akā ‘a‘ole lawa. Aia a komo nā kānaka a pau, pau ai kēia ‘ino. E kipa aku i kā ka CRB Response kahua pūnaewele, kahi e ho‘olaha ‘ia ai nā mana‘o nui pili i ka CRB: crbhawaii.org
E ho‘ouna ‘ia mai na ā leka iā māua, ‘o ia ho‘i ‘o Laiana Wong a me Kekeha Solis ma ka pahu leka uila ma lalo nei:
>> kwong@hawaii.edu
>> rsolis@hawaii.edu
a i ‘ole ia, ma ke kelepona:
>> 808-956-2627 (Laiana)
>> 808-956-2627 (Kekeha)
This column is coordinated by Kawaihuelani Center for Hawaiian Language at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa.
