Local officials in Florida have approved the release of 750 million mosquitoes that have been genetically modified to reduce local populations.
The aim is to reduce the number of mosquitoes that carry diseases such as dengue or the Zika virus.
The green light of a pilot project after years of debate drew a rapid shock from environmental groups, who warned of unintended consequences.
One group condemned the plan as a public “Jurassic Park experiment.”
Activists warn of possible damage to ecosystems, and the possible creation of hybrid, insecticide-resistant mosquitoes.
But the company involved says there will be no negative risk to people like the environment, and points to a slate of government support.
The plan to release the mosquitoes in 2021 in the Florida Keys, a string of islands, comes months after the modified mosquitoes were approved by federal regulators.
In May, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency gave permission to the British-based, US-operated company Oxitec to produce the genetically engineered, male Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, known as OX5034.
Mustards of Aedes aegypti are known to spread deadly diseases to humans such as dengue, Zika, chikungunya and yellow fever.
Only female mosquitoes bite humans because they need blood to produce eggs. That the plan is to release the male, custom mosquitoes that will then hopefully feed on wild female mosquitoes.
However, the males have a protein that kills all female offspring before they reach a moderately biting age. Men, who feed only on nectar, will survive and pass on the genes.
Over time, the goal is to reduce the population of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes in the area and thereby reduce the spread of disease to humans.
On Tuesday, officials in the Florida Keys Mosquito Control District (FKMCD) gave final approval to release 750 million of the custom mosquitoes over a two-year period.
The plan has drawn a lot of criticism, including nearly 240,000 people who signed a petition on Change.org that slipped Oxitec’s plan to use US states “as a test ground for these mutant bugs.”
According to the Oxitec website, the company has found positive results doing field tests in Brazil. It also has plans to deploy them in Texas in 2021 and has received federal approval, but no state or local approval, according to reports.
In a statement announcing the project, environmental group Friends of the Earth said: “The release of genetically engineered mosquitoes will fatally endanger Floridians, the environment and endangered species in the midst of a pandemic.”
But an Oxitec scientist told AP agency: “We have released more than a billion of our mosquitoes over the years. There is no potential for risk to the environment as a human being.”
The Aedes Aegypti are invasive to southern Florida, and are often found in urban areas, where they live in standing pools of water. In many areas, including the Florida Keys, they have developed a resistance to pesticides.
