Pests: Sustained Harvest versus Eradication

In countries like New Zealand and Australia the native flora and fauna are both unique and highly susceptible to predation by immigrant species. Recognition of the value of retaining the native species has created a need to limit predation through pest management programs. One of the questions that often arises is whether the goal of pest management should be eradication or sustained harvesting of the predator. This paper presents a formal model of pest management which allows the selection of a program containing elements of both the sustained harvest and eradication alternatives. An economic model which maximizes the present value of net benefits selects the program. The economic model incorporates information from a model of the predator–prey system, and the particular program chosen depends upon characteristics of the predator–prey system such as “stability” and “non-vulnerability”.