Genetically modified mosquitoes could be released in the Florida Keys as early as this spring, an official said, after voters in Monroe County, Florida, approved the experiment in a referendum on election day. Just 35% of Key Haven residents supported the measure, whereas 58% of voters supported it in Monroe County as a whole. He said the company, “is prepared to take the next steps with the Florida Keys Mosquito Control Board to trial its environmentally-friendly and non-persisting mosquito control solution”. Some opposition also came from the broader Florida Keys community. But during the election, the company took more drastic measures, funding a political committee called Florida Keys Safety Alliance to promote its product, Florida Keys News reported.

Source: The Guardian November 26, 2016 12:56 UTC