Principles of pest management
Eight principles of pest management are provided in the Queensland weed and pest animal strategy to provide a common basis for the management of weeds and pest animals throughout Queensland.
The consideration of all these principles is critical to the success of any pest management activity, regardless of scope and scale.
The principles of pest management
The 8 principles of pest management are:
Integration
Weed and pest animal management is an integral part of managing natural resources and agricultural systems.Public awareness
Public awareness and knowledge of weed and pest animal must be raised to increase the capacity and willingness of individuals to participate in control.Commitment
Effective weed and pest animal management requires shared responsibility, capability, capacity and a long-term commitment by land owners/managers, the community, industry groups and government. Those that create the risks associated with pest species introduction or spread and those that benefit from the pest management should help to minimise the impacts of weeds and pest animals and contribute to the costs of management.Consultation and partnership
Consultation and partnership arrangements between land managers, local communities, industry groups, state government agencies and local governments must be established to achieve a collaborative and coordinated approach to management.Planning
Planning for weed and pest animal management should be based on risk management to ensure that resources target the priorities identified at local, regional, state and national levels.Prevention and early intervention
Preventive weed and pest animal management is generally more cost-effective than other strategies and is achieved by:- preventing the spread of pest species, and viable parts of these pests, especially by human activity
- early detection and intervention.
Best practice
Weed and pest animal management must be based on ecologically and socially responsible practices that protect the environment and the productive capacity of natural resources while minimising impacts on the community. It should balance feasibility, cost-effectiveness, sustainability, humaneness, community perceptions, emergency needs and public safety.Improvement (research, monitoring and evaluation)
Research about weeds and pest animals and regular monitoring and evaluation of control activities is needed to make evidence-based decisions and improve pest management practices.
The primary responsibility for management of weeds and pest animals rests with the land manager, but collective action using a nil-tenure approach is best practice, particularly for mobile species.