Benefit–risk assessment of biological control in wildlands

New Zealand has played a prominent role in conservation and especially in invasion management. The plethora of 19 th century animal and plant invasions led to much research, beginning in the early 20 th century, on their impacts and how to counteract them. New Zealand particularly became a leader in control and eradication of mammals and in biological control of pestiferous insects and plants. By hosting international conferences on eradicating invasions, and by mounting ambitious, inspirational projects with innovative technologies, New Zealand further increased its influence in this area. The nation has also inspired the world with vigorous, innovative attempts to rescue endemic animal species on the brink of extinction. An impressive New Zealand programme of reserves for conservation of marine species and ecosystems is threatened by the fact that conservation goals and those of commerce and recreation can never fully align. As in other nations with globally important biodiversity, New Zealand has seen disputes between its native inhabitants and European colonists and their descendants over conservation and customary use of this resource. Recognition of a rightful Māori role in these matters, both in the Treaty of Waitangi and recently, greatly surpasses deference given elsewhere to native peoples on related issues, but implementing this role remains challenging.

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Circumventing regulatory safeguards:Laricobiusspp. and biocontrol of the hemlock woolly adelgid

Leppanen

Frank

Simberloff

2018

Insect Conserv Diversity

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Biological control entails introducing non‐native natural enemies to control weeds and pests. Instances of poorly regulated biocontrol have had harmful consequences leading to significant efforts to improve risk assessment of agents before release. Laricobius naganoensis (Coleoptera: Derodontidae) was inadvertently imported to eastern North America with Laricobius osakensis, introduced from Japan to control the hemlock woolly adelgid Adelges tsugae (Hemiptera: Adelgidae). The United States Department of Agriculture (U.S.D.A.) subsequently permitted introduction of L. naganoensis as a biocontrol agent and contaminant, requiring no study or monitoring owing to difficulty of the effort required to distinguish it from L. osakensis. The Plant Protection Act of 2000 (7 U.S.C. § § 7701–7786) assigns U.S.D.A. responsibility for vetting and reducing risk from biocontrol agents while ensuring the process is transparent, accessible, and based on scientific evidence. Typically, release of a new agent involves a 30‐day period when the public may review and comment on an assessment of risk associated with the introduction, an Environmental Assessment (EA). No public review and comment period was allowed before L. naganoensis’ introduction, and the EA was not made public. Biocontrol practitioners and stakeholders agree that critical scientific evaluation of multiple lines of evidence is necessary to evaluate risk associated with new introductions. The importance of accurate agent identification and avoidance of contamination has long been recognised, and procedures to minimise risk are well known. While such processes might be difficult to implement, those challenges should not justify a release that circumvents regulatory safeguards.

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Benefit–risk assessment of biological control in wildlands

Cited by 3 publications

References 106 publications

Management Approaches for Biological Control of Invasive Species

Management Approaches for Biological Control of Invasive Species

New Zealand as a leader in conservation practice and invasion management

Circumventing regulatory safeguards:Laricobiusspp. and biocontrol of the hemlock woolly adelgid

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