The Coconut Rhinoceros Beetle (CRB) has now spread to four new hotspot areas on Santo, according to ground officer Mr. Bong James, who is overseeing local CRB operations.

The new areas where the pest is rapidly emerging include Fanafo Hydro area, Solway VCCE Plantation, and West Malo. CRB control efforts expanded to Malo Island starting last week.

“The CRB has now spread up to Fanafo at Hydro and as far as Malo. At Solway Plantation, we’ve identified another hotspot. The spread is happening very fast, and we’re calling on everyone to stand together and help stop it,” Mr. James said.

Mr. Bill Garea, Acting Northern Border Control Officer for CRB, said the pest had been contained to manageable levels over the past year, and the damage remained less severe than what was seen in Port Vila. While that is a good sign, maintaining that control has become a major challenge.

“If an individual plantation owner in Santo steps up to help with sanitation, the Department can support with trapping and other resources. But it’s a big challenge — every plantation owner needs to clean their own land,” he said.

Mr. Garea also revealed that over 20 million vatu had already been spent sanitizing just two plantations — funds that came from the MVAT Project, which officially ended in May this year.

“Our operational budget is very small. Last year’s support came from MVAT, but that project ended in May. Now, we don’t have any operational funds,” he explained.

He stressed that Santo remains a key region for Vanuatu’s copra production, making it crucial to protect local plantations from further infestation. CRB teams are currently focusing their sanitation work on Solway VCCE Plantation and West Malo, where the beetles are actively spreading.