Sterile Insect Release Program seeking new opportunities outside Thompson-Okanagan

PENTICTON – The Sterile Insect Release Program is looking for new ways to make money at its Osoyoos facility.

Program acting general manager Melissa Tesche and Welch Consulting’s Allan Neilson completed a tour of regional districts on Thursday, June 21, seeking Regional District of Okanagan Similkameen’s approval of a recommendation to support efforts of the sterile insect release board to sell excess production of sterile codling moths to markets outside the Thompson and Okanagan regions.

The Sterile Insect Release Program was established to eradicate the codling moth and reduce the use of pesticides in the region. Once a major pest of Okanagan apple producers, the moth's larvae bore deep into the core of the fruit, and left uncontrolled can damage most of the fruit on the tree.

It’s mandate has since changed to one of control rather than eradication, and has been successful in reducing codling moth populations by 94 per cent while eliminating 96 per cent of pesticide use. The program is funded by the four regional districts in the Thompson-Okanagan.

Tesche said the program was seeking ways to capitalize on the unused production capacity of the facility. To that end, the program hired Allan Neilson of Welch Consulting to explore ways to do that.

Neilson told the board the sterile release program’s mandate, dating back to 1989, provided few ways for the release board to branch out economically.

He said the facility provided enough sterile codling moth production for the service area, with room to produce more, and it was the program’s desire to produce to maximum capacity without expanding beyond. The extra income would be used to help fund the program.

Neilson’s research revealed provincial legislation would be needed to further new initiatives such as controlling a new insect pest or to access funding for new opportunities, but provincial legislation would not be needed for the program to sell sterile moths for the purpose of raising money.

Regional board authorization would be needed, however, to incur liabilities stemming from the signing of multi-year contracts.

Supporting resolutions have already been acquired by the other regional districts participating in the sterile insect release program, including Central Okanagan, North Okanagan and Columbia-Shuswap.

The program is looking at potential new markets in Washington State and in Quebec, with interest also being generated in other parts of the world.

The board agreed to endorse the recommendation, that requested board support of efforts to sell sterile codling moths within total production existing at the facility today, recognizing the sterile insect board’s potential to incur liabilities by entering into multi-year sale contracts.

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