International Aspects of Invasive Species Management: A Research Agenda

Abstract

We propose a research agenda for studying six basic questions about the impacts of alternate international invasive species control mechanisms on economic agents in a nation such as the USA. The six questions are as follows. First, when can one justify a trade ban as an effective regulatory policy? Second, what are the properties of control rules that vary by port of entry and whether a shipment is viewed as a routine or as a first-time entry? Third, when should a port manager in the USA use information about the dollar value of the products being transported by ships from two exporting firms and the expected time it takes to inspect ships from these two firms to grant preferential treatment to one or the other firm? Fourth, what are some reasonable measures of the trade related risk from invasive species? Fifth, how useful is strategic trade policy as an invasive species management tool? Finally, when analyzing a biological invasion, is it more appropriate to focus on the likelihood of this event or, instead, on the magnitude of the event?