Coconut rhinoceros beetle (CRB) is now part of the island conversation: University of Hawaii researchers and Department of Land and Natural Resources and Department of Agriculture officials told a Jan. 17 joint House–Senate biosecurity briefing that CRB has become widespread on some islands and that the best near-term strategy is a mix of containment, targeted treatments and accelerated research into biocontrols.

The update matters because CRB damages coconut and other palms, with potential economic and cultural impacts across the Pacific; speakers said eradication on Oahu has been unfeasible for several years and that national and international partners must help develop new tools.

Michael Melzer, an agricultural biosecurity researcher at the University of Hawaii at Manoa’s College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources (CTAHR), described a program that began after the beetle’s discovery in 2013 and said federal partners, especially USDA, have supplied the bulk of response funding. Melzer said Oahu is “dire” and island‑wide; Kauai is “following the same trend,” while Molokai and Lanai have no detections and Waikoloa on Hawaii Island remains a nascent detection where eradication may still be feasible.

Melzer said CTAHR’s work spans detection, chemical and cultural control methods, and applied research to support potential biocontrols. The program uses systemic tree injectors in some treatments; plant quarantine manager Jonathan Ho told committees that injectable systemic products used in injections include imidacloprid (applied via systems such as Arborjet and Imajet) and that treated coconuts are tagged with a dated “do not eat” quarantine label for one year.

CTAHR and state officials said eradication tools are limited and that biocontrol research is a priority. Melzer said USDA and other federal partners want a regional approach because CRB threatens many Pacific islands; CTAHR is seeking permits to expand contained laboratory work and is preparing foreign exploration for potential pathogens or parasitoids that could reduce beetle populations. Melzer said such work may proceed this year pending state and federal permitting and that foreign exploration and host‑range testing could begin within months; regulatory review would determine whether any agent could be released.

The presentation noted recent local successes: Chelsea Arnott of HISC recounted a rapid response in 2023 on Maui where an infested palm and 25 surrounding trees were removed, chipped, and fumigated the same day after a local tree trimmer reported larvae, and no further CRB detections on Maui have been reported in that response area.

What’s next: CTAHR and state partners said they will pursue expanded containment treatments, seek funding for biosecurity research facilities, and pursue foreign exploration and permitting for candidate biocontrol agents; lawmakers asked for timelines and requested periodic updates to committees.