By Anny Castro

Tegucigalpa, Dec 14 (EFE).– Science, technology and awareness are required to control a plague of southern pine beetles, known as “gorgojos,” that has spread over hundreds of thousands of hectares of Honduran woods and threatens plantations, experts said in Tegucigalpa.

To contain the spread of the beetles (Dendoctronus frontalis), more rigorous controls and a higher level of awareness about the magnitude of the problem are necessary, Croplife Latin America director for Central America and the Caribbean Martin Zuñiga told EFE.

The beetles have devastated more than 400,000 hectares (988,000 acres) of pine woods in Honduras this year, causing losses estimated at 5 billion lempiras ($223.4 million), the state-run Forest Conservation Institute, or ICF, said.

Controlling this plague and the impact of climate change are among mankind’s “main challenges,” requiring “comprehensive action using science and technology,” Zuñiga said, adding that the beetles can destroy an entire forest in a few years.

Spain “is a great source” of technology to fight the plague, whose impact “is enormous” since it damages the environment and causes economic losses, the expert said.

These plagues “require attention because they not only are a threat to the forest but also to the population’s food supply,” Zuñiga said.

It is necessary to “apply science” to battle the plague because “it will not be exterminated, but it can be controlled,” Zuñiga said.

Even more important than raising public awareness about the problem “is making it a priority” to use science to fight the plague, ICF deputy executive director Angel Matute said.

Matute said in a statement that it was a concern that the Central American country had “a hole” in the use of science and did not have “an early warning system” to deal with these plagues.

In August, the Honduran government created an inter-agency commission with international support to eradicate the southern pine beetle plague, Matute said. EFE