2005, Volume 13, Paper 11

ISSN: 1883-5675

The ‘Paradox of Thrips’: Identifying a Critical Level of Investment in Pest Exclusion Activities in Western Australia

David Cook – Research Economist, CSIRO Entomology, GPO Box 1700, Canberra ACT 2601, Australia.

Abstract

With increasing efficiency in human and freight transport fuelled by the creation of the global market place, pressure is mounting on quarantine administrators to target their
resources strategically. A managed approach to decision-making is therefore becoming an integral part of quarantine management since target species and/or entry
pathways must be identified and policed effectively. Using the example of Melon Thrips in Western Australia, this paper presents an economic framework that allows
decision-makers to prioritise exotic pests based on the damage and production cost increases they are capable of imposing on affected industries. In doing so it identifies a
critical level of expected damage associated with the pest that can then be used as a ceiling for incursion response expenditure.

Key words: quarantine, invertebrate pest, Western Australia

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