French Polynesia has decided to import mosquitoes carrying the wolbachia bacteria to help curb the spread of infectious diseases.
Females of the aedes aegypti mosquito become sterile if they contract this bacteria.
The government has authorised the Louis Malardé Institute to get such infected mosquitoes and to study how to use them most effectively.
It says this new method poses no risk to humans or the environment.
French Polynesia is among several Pacific Islands zones to have been affected by zika, dengue and chikungunya, which are all spread by mosquitoes.
The wolbachia bacteria is being used in Australia to fight the spread of mosquito-borne diseases.
