Policy Challenges Relating To Integrated Pest Management Of Freshwater Aquatic Invasive Animals

Implementing integrated pest management (IPM) approaches to prevent invasion, contain and control established freshwater aquatic invasive animals (AIAs), and mitigate the impacts of those species has been limited, in part, because of policy-related challenges. Scientific tools are being developed and tested that are designed to enhance IPM effectiveness and efficiency for managing AIAs. However, policy challenges may limit the near-term use of IPM at the international and U.S. national, regional, state, and local levels. Policy challenges include unmet needs for authorities, governance, environmental compliance, funding, and decision support. Policy challenges can be addressed by improvements in legislative authorities, establishing needed governance, proactively meeting environmental compliance requirements, and funding IPM for species commensurate with benefits of programs in comparison with present and projected ecological, social, and economic impacts. Decision support tools are needed to evaluate which species, invasional stages, IPM program elements, and locations are priorities for allocating scarce resources and for justifying additional resources. Addressing those challenges could be either comprehensive and holistic (e.g., all freshwater aquatic animals in the USA) or species/taxon/geographically specific (e.g., Sea Lamprey Petromyzon marinus in the Great Lakes).