Coconut plays a major role in the economies of many countries in the Asia and Pacific region directly by providing food and income from coconut products, and indirectly as an important component of the landscape where tourism plays a key role in the economy.
The expert consultation notes with great concern that these economies are threatened due to a serious outbreak of coconut chrysomelid hispine beetle, Brontispa longissima, that has spread to new areas at a rapid pace in the region. This invasive species demonstrates the need for strengthening the technical information base, quarantine and IPM capabilities within countries in the region.
The traditional pest management approach and strategy based on insecticide use has not been able to stop the spread and the damage continues unabated. Experiences from countries in the Pacific that were invaded years earlier as well as information from the country of origin of the insect demonstrates that the insect can be quickly, effectively and sustainably contained using classical biological control.
And whereas the paucity of knowledge of classical biological control is of concern and considering that the capacity of the countries in the region is substantially very low in dealing with the problem individually, the expert consultation recommends the following common strategies for the sustainable management of the coconut chrysomelid hispine beetle in the Asia-Pacific region:
1.Adopt a regional approach to develop a programme of coconut beetle management for the Asia-Pacific with FAO providing a coordinating forum to enable the experiences of the individual member countries, as well as neighbouring non-member countries, to plan and strengthen an ecologically sound IPM programme for the palm industry (including coconut). To further this objective, it is imperative that FAO, the Asian and Pacific Coconut Community, donor communities (including the Common Fund for Commodities) and member countries of the Asia-Pacific Plant Protection Commission work together to develop a comprehensive programme to ensure that the coconut industry will continue to be a symbol of a tropical agro-biodiversity haven that mirrors sustainable development for poverty alleviation through farmer education using an FFS approach.
2.It is duly noted by the meeting that a regional programme will speed up classical biological control implementation, reduce the cost of controlling the outbreak and enhance sustainability through optimizing resources, sharing of experiences and knowledge, avoiding pitfalls, exchanging biological control agents and promoting a better understanding between countries in Asia and Pacific.
3.The meeting further recommends that individual countries should strengthen their own database of crop pests and natural enemies, conduct independent impact assessments to facilitate an enabling environment for both biological control and IPM and further strengthen the regulatory framework of plant quarantine and pesticide management with concurrent activities for enhancing the capacity of extension staff.
4.The meeting appreciates the discussion on the rearing techniques for the biological control agent of Brontispa longissima and confirms compliance with the guidelines of the ISPM #2 and #3 and the guidelines for the rearing and release of Asecodes hispinarum. The need for greater awareness by the public and participation of farmers in classical biological control is highlighted. The meeting further concurs with the need to study the ecology of both insects to ascertain the impact of this biological control effort in each country, and that the results be incorporated in an overall regional IPM programme that may follow.
