Dear All,
From the information provided, the weevil in the Caribbean is RPW.
We agree with the comments of Dr. Benedikt that landscapers in
several counties for the huge profits they make, often play down the
severity of the problem posed by RPW and convince authorities that
this can be handled with insecticides.

Our experience with date palm in the Middle-East indicates that 75%
of the infestations occur in the age group (in date palm) of palms 5-
15 years old, which is the group preferred by landscapers for
ornamental gardening to change the landscape view over night.

Often poor farmers get caught in the quarantine regulations as
several countries now impose regulations on the movement of date
palm offshoots (which are for farming) ignoring the activities of
the landscapers, who often not only move palms within countries, but
make international or even inter-continental shipments.

In our opinion international organizations, like EPPO, FAO etc
should step in to impress upon local Governments the threat posed by
RPW through such shipments and ensure proper certification of pest
free material before shipment.

Published reports indicate that RPW has moved to European countries
such as Spain, Turkey, Cyprus, Italy etc from Egypt and now the
Caribbean island of Curacao(Dutch Antilles)is the latest casualty.

Aziz,Khalid and Faleiro





--- In RPWgroup@yahoogroups.com, "bvonlaar" <laar@...> wrote:
>
> Dear Hugh!
> Yes, you understood right. It was also a surprise for me that they
> transport over such a long distance.
> A similiar case exist with a hotel complex at the West Coast of
> Mexico.
> Regarding your question "why", for profit and that new hotel
> complexes want to serve the tourists with Bahama feeling for
economy
> discount. It´s the same game like in southern Europe. The
customers
> need big palm trees and the price make the decision easy. Mostly
the
> importers have no knowledge about the risks, but if they are
> informed they fear for the loss of benefit and try to play with
> pesticides. They fail in general in due to limited informations
> regarding the capabilities of the Red Palm Weevil. So they keep
the
> ball low (like we in Germany say) and underestimate our six legs
> friend (enemy).
> Regarding your question "who", a landscape gardener with roots in
> Europe there I was wondering how he got a contact to Egypt.
> The kind of process you can watch also in a lot of regions in
> infestations regions in Europe. I got/get a lot of requests from
> German palm traders regarding the fact that they do every year
> shopping trips for importing palms to Germany (smaller ones there
> mostly only greenhouse and room cultivating is possible). When
they
> are in Spain or Italy like Almeria, Valencia or Catania (only
> examples, it´s valid for much more countries and regions) the
> distributors of the palms have never a problem with RPW. It´s ever
a
> guy in neighbour town :-).
> The feeding of the own mouth is closer than any responsibility to
> the society.
> I don´t know how to breakthrough such social defect. Like
everybody
> know here, the later economic damages for the community are much
> higher than any loss of a failed deal.
>
> Best regards,
> Benedikt
>
>
>
> --- In RPWgroup@yahoogroups.com, "Hugh Harries" <harrieshc@>
> wrote:
> >
> > Benedikt
> >
> > If I understand you correctly, someone sent thirty date palms
from
> > Egypt to Curacao?
> >
> > Why? Who?
> >
> > More details, please?
> >
> > Hugh
> >
> > --- In RPWgroup@yahoogroups.com, "bvonlaar" <laar@> wrote:
> > >
> > > Dear all!
> > > The chances for the presence of RPW are very high there I got
a
> > > request around 2 years ago from
> > > an importer of palms. They importet palms from Egypt because
> they
> > > are cheaper...(so far their arguments).
> > > If I remember right then the number of importet palms was 30.
> Some
> > > of them showed the presence of the
> > > blind passenger short after arriving/planting. I advised to
> remove
> > > this palms at once including a proper waste
> > > management and take the other into quarantine for observation.
> > > Also they should inform the officials/government about this
> > > potential risks.
> > > I never heared again something from this guy.
> > > Now I resume that they don´t followed the advise and now they
> have
> > > quite fine problem.
> > >
> > > Best regards,
> > > Benedikt von Laar
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > --- In RPWgroup@yahoogroups.com, "Hugh Harries" <harrieshc@>
> > > wrote:
> > > >
> > > > Dear Vidyasagar
> > > >
> > > > The picture posted in the Willemstad report appears to be
that
> of
> > > RPW
> > > > - but the photo was not from Curacao!
> > > >
> > > > A Google image search for Rhynchophorus ferrigineus
attributes
> the
> > > > same picture to www.palms.org where it is number one of ten
> > > pictures
> > > > in an article in the International Palm Scoiety journal
> > > > <http://www.palms.org/palmsjournal/2002/ferry_1.jpg>
> > > >
> > > > With all due respect to Gerard van Buurt, Head of the
Fisheries
> > > > Sector, Department of Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and
> Fisheries,
> > > > Curaçao, <gvbuurt@> we need to know made the
> > > > identification of the Curacao Rhynchophorus as ferriguneus
> [note
> > > > mispelling] before going any further.
> > > >
> > > > Hugh
> > > >
> > > > --- In RPWgroup@yahoogroups.com, "vidyasagar49"
> <vidyasagar49@>
> > > wrote:
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > Dear Dr. Hugh Harries,
> > > > > The vector of red ring disease caused by nematode,
> > > Bursaphelenchus
> > > > > cocophilus, is Palm weevil, Rhynchophorus palmarum. This
> species
> > > is
> > > > > known to occur in this region for a long time. However,
the
> > > report from
> > > > > Willemstad, Curacao is about Red Palm Weevil,
Rhynchophorus
> > > ferriguneus.
> > > > > The RPW is not implicated in transimission of nematode
> > > diseases. The
> > > > > picture posted in the Willemstad report appears to be that
> of
> > > RPW.
> > > > > Hence, it should be considered as the appearance of a new
> > > species in
> > > > > that region.
> > > > >
> > > > > Vidyasagar, PSPV
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > --- In RPWgroup@yahoogroups.com, "Hugh Harries"
<harrieshc@>
> > > wrote:
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Khalid
> > > > > >
> > > > > > The article is reporting palm weevil in Curacao but it
has
> > > been in the
> > > > > > Caribbean since the 1960s - in Trinidad, where it is
> > > implicated in the
> > > > > > spread of the nematode that causes red ring of coconut.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Hugh
> > > > > > Coconut Time Line http://cocos.arecaceae.com/
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > > --- In RPWgroup@yahoogroups.com, "Khalid" alhudaib2002@
> wrote:
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > Dear Members:
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > RPW in Caribbeanş, for more information please go to
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > >
> http://www.redpalmweevil.com/newlook/RPWReport/Caribbean.htm
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > Regard
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > Dr. Khalid Alhudaib
> > > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > >
> > > >
> > >
> >
>