Invasive insect species bring a host of health, social, ecological and economic consequences, including crop damage, food insecurity, biodiversity loss, ecosystem disruption, human disease transmission and rising allergy rates.
International trade, climate change, tourism and agricultural practices are accelerating the spread of invasive species. Our planet is under siege.
The annual economic cost of damage caused by invasive insects and pest control is estimated at $165 billion in recent years.
"The situation is urgent," said Jacques Brodeur, a professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at Université de Montréal and a researcher at the Institut de recherche en biologie végétale. Brodeur and his co-authors make a strong case for action in a recent article in One Earth, in which they discuss the potential risks and benefits of fighting invasive pests.
They argue that there is a critical need for a science-based, interdisciplinary approach to accurately weigh the costs and benefits of different methods of controlling invasive species. But most importantly, biological control needs some serious rebranding.
Setting the record straight
Biological pest control uses a species' natural enemies (predators, parasites, pathogens, viruses, bacteria, etc.) to prevent it from spreading and taking over a non-native environment.
Brodeur is an expert on biological control and believes it is our most effective and sustainable means of containing insect invasions. Unfortunately, 19th century proponents of biological control didn't fully understand the underlying mechanisms and ended up introducing species that also became invasive. Their failings sparked an international outcry against what came to be seen as a counterproductive practice.
"Today, biological control is a predictive science," Brodeur said. "It is governed by legislation and we know more about biological agents. Even so, many countries are still reluctant to use it. We need to burnish the image of biological pest control and show people that, when it's done right, it's a very attractive solution and our most powerful tool in the long run."
Pooling resources to increase awareness and understanding
There are also other ways of managing insect invasions. Pesticides are the most obvious, but they entail a never-ending cycle of application. Advances in molecular biology and genomics are yielding increasing numbers of new approaches that rely on genetic engineering. Another strategy is not intervening.
However, the risks, benefits, and economic impact of all these methods need further study. We simply don't have enough information yet. Brodeur is pushing for a science-based approach to quantifiably assess the effects of action and inaction, and to provide government agencies with reliable data on pest control.
"We'll need to enlist the help of biologists, ecologists and environmental scientists, as well as specialists in fields such as agronomy, public health, sociology and economics," he said. "It will take a multidisciplinary approach to build solid, evidence-based arguments that we can use to raise awareness within the government."
