According to the Environment Ministry of the Maldives, the beetle was first introduced to the Maldives in the late 1990s from ornamental palms imported from Malaysia and Indonesia.
Lucid Apps
The Maldives’ Government has commenced efforts to establish a laboratory in Haa Dhaalu atoll Hanimaadhoo in an effort to control coconut hispid beetles in the Maldives. Coconut hispid beetle is a type of Invasive Alien Species (IAS) that infests coconut trees and other palms, specifically palms up to five years old being at the greatest risk of infestation. Over the years, the Maldives has struggled with coconut palm infestations.
According to the Environment Ministry of the Maldives, the beetle was first introduced to the Maldives in the late 1990s from ornamental palms imported from Malaysia and Indonesia. It is believed that these originated from adult or immature stages of the pest that were concealed in these palms. Even with the nation’s fragmented and isolated geography, the beetle had spread to several islands in a year. A severely affected resort in Maldives has been reported to
have incurred a direct economic loss of over USD 200,000 within a period of 3 years.
The Ministry further states in a brochure published in 2016 that this type of beetle infestation may result in the complete defoliation of the palm and in worst cases palms can die - showcasing the severe threat that the coconut hispid beetle poses on the Maldives - a country whose islands’ cultures are deeply integrated with coconut palms.
In order to curb the decades-long problem, the Agriculture Ministry has signed an agreement with China during President Dr Mohamed Muizzu’s state visit in early 2024. With this agreement, China will be providing assistance to the Maldives in controlling the Coconut Hispid beetle issue which has damaged coconut palms throughout the nation.
The agreement that was signed between the nations will see the development of a special laboratory to breed and multiply the parasitoid which would attack the beetle. According to the Ministry, four professors from the renowned Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences (CATAS) arrived in the Maldives in order to conduct the latest studies on the construction of a natural enemy laboratory for the Coconut Hispid beetle control in Maldives, inspect the laboratory site, identify the work to be done there and prepare to start work as soon as possible.
