HILO » A Hawaii County Council bill to make researching or growing genetically engineered taro or coffee a criminal violation drew testimony all day and into the night from more than 100 people from Hilo, Kona and Waimea yesterday.

The bill would impose a fine of up to $1,000 but no jail time.

The Council will continue consideration of the measure today.

The bill was introduced by Kona Councilman Angel Pilago, a candidate for mayor.

Supporters of genetic engineering called the proposal “;anti-science.”; Opponents said permitting genetic engineering could lead to a drop in the value of coffee from Kona and other parts of the island.

Mayor Harry Kim took a middle position in testimony to the Council. He said the concerns of opponents of genetic engineering are “;very valid,”; but the bill itself is “;causing dissension and divisiveness.”;

Kim called for an organization sponsored by the University of Hawaii at Hilo to study the issues involved.

If the Council passes the bill, Kim could veto it. But the bill has already passed first reading on a 6-3 vote, which means a two-thirds majority is available to override a veto unless a Council member changes position.

University researcher Susan Miyasaka said the Alomae-Bobone viral complex has already wiped out 95 percent of the taro in the Solomon Islands.

Although the same could happen in Hawaii, Miyasaka performed genetic engineering only on a variety of Chinese taro, not on any Hawaiian taro. The research consists of inserting wheat, rice, and grape genes, which block the virus.

Some opponents warned of “;genetic drift”; from engineered plants to nonengineered plants. That takes place through pollination of plants, but taro is not grown from pollinated seeds.

University researcher Hector Valenzuela, urging caution with engineering, noted that coffee does grow from pollinated seeds.

Eden Marie Peart of the Hawaii Farmers Union called for a moratorium on the patenting and licensing of genetically engineered plants and animals “;until the broader legal, ethical and economic questions are resolved.”;

Barbara Hastings, president of the Hawaii Island Chamber of Commerce, said, “;This bill is just the beginning of an anti-science agenda and will see attempts to add other crops.”;

Mayor Kim suggested the bill could halt some research at the federal Pacific Basin Agricultural Research Center, which opened in Hilo last year with the protection of food supplies as one of its goals.