Light Brown Apple Moth Controversy - Efficacy Debate and Proposed Solutions

Efficacy Debate and Proposed Solutions

Critics state that no published efficacy reports on the pheromone formulations used aerially against LBAM exist, raising questions about the validity of the eradication effort. Additionally, University of California scientists and other independent experts recommend containment measures in urban areas, but that full-scale airplane spraying should be saved for crop areas that agricultural departments are trying to protect in the Central Valley. Oakland city council member Jane Brunner questioned the location of the sprayings in interviews and in her resolution against the efforts, stating, "A very curious issue for me is that they're spraying in Richmond, Berkeley and Oakland, but they are not spraying in Danville, Walnut Creek and out in the valley." In April 2008, Oakland City Attorney John Russo, in an article expressing his reasons for opposing the spray, said that state officials cannot describe the amount of the chemical it will take to rid the state of apple moths, nor how many years the spray will need to be conducted. He also mentioned:

"As it happens, the company that makes the spray is owned by a wealthy agri-business tycoon who has contributed hundreds of thousands of dollars to the campaigns of state officials. But that's probably just another coincidence."

The group 'Helping Our Peninsula's Environment' proposes controlling the moth with the targeted use of pheromone-baited sticky traps. These are the same traps used for population size measuring purposes. The traps have caught and killed almost all the 27,000 LBAM moths found so far in California. This method would employ four additional traps for every LBAM caught and consumes far less resources in traps and staff than applying 160,000 twist ties per square mile (250 per acre).

Other critics of the aerial spray plan, such as The California Nevada Regional Conservation Committee of the Sierra Club, propose that twist ties be impregnated with the pheromone and hung on trees and other structures across the area. They say they prefer least-toxic, environmentally sensitive control methods to spraying. The California Department of Food and Agriculture has determined that more than nine million twist ties would be required to cover the infested area. Because the twist ties need to be placed at optimal distances from each other, one trained employee can correctly place 30 to 40 twist ties in a single day. Twist ties become ineffective after about three months and then need to be removed, disposed of, and replaced four times a year. As a result, using twist ties as the primary measure to control the moth has been ruled out. In early February 2008, the California Department of Food and Agriculture and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that treatment using pheromone-infused twist ties was scheduled for LBAM eradication in some lightly infested areas. A USDA official has stated that they are still considering whether to treat San Francisco and the East Bay Area through ground or aerial application.

In March 2008, Fairfax, California City Councilmember Larry Bragman wrote an article stating that since no biological basis for the spraying appears to exist, the more likely issue appears to be the costly trade quarantines invoked by Mexico and Canada under the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). But he also cited an excerpt from the Mexican quarantine demand:

"The present phytosanitary conditions may be modified or harmonized whenever we have more technical and scientific information regarding E. postvittana (LBAM) as well as we receive more information about the evolution status of this pest in the United States."

Bragman, like others, notes that the moth is not a quarantine pest in Europe, and pointed to the recent research papers by Harder and Carey that he believes constitute technical and scientific information which should be conveyed to trade representatives.

Several county public health officials posted public letters expressing their concerns or diagreements with the spray program. Health Officer of the Public Health Division of the County of Santa Cruz, Poki Stewart Namkung, stated in a letter on March 18, 2008, to Santa Cruz Assemblymember Laird, that:

"We do not believe that any spraying should commence before completion of an EIR that includes a comprehensive human health assessment."

And Alameda County Public Health Director, Athony Iton, along with Alameda County Supervisor Keith Carson, stated in a letter on February 26, 2008, to the CDFA, that:

"We are confident that there are a variety of other methods to address the LBAM that are much safer for people and the environment and do not pose a major health risk to the residents of Alameda County and California."

On April 9, 2008, California Congressmember Sam Farr (D-Carmel) further inquired at an agriculture hearing in Washington D.C. about how and when the Light Brown Apple Moth was blacklisted and whether it should be declassified from that status. News stories about the inquiry quoted Farr as saying:

"If we don’t even know why the moth is listed as a dangerous pest, it’s impossible to determine how far we must go to control it or whether the current emergency eradication tactics are justified."

Bruce Knight, Under Secretary of Agriculture for Marketing and Regulatory Programs, has said that he would respond to the inquiry and would review federal policies regarding the strategy of aerial spraying on the Central Coast.