The Other, Politcally Correct Bug Release Industry that is 30 times bigger

[John R. Grehan]

>
>There are many arguments that could be made against these points (for 
>example, most biological
>control releases are made explicitly to correct a previous human blunder 
>or accident),

This might be true and it would be interesting to quantify, but what I have 
seen of introductions is that it is not so much previous human blunder and 
accident than perceived expediency. Introduction of a foreign organism may 
appear to represent a convenient solution to other management choices, such 
as pesticides, and one that lacks detrimental health effects. However, it 
appears that all to frequently biocontrols are introduced with either 
little regard or at best an inadequate or unrealistic regard for potential 
ecological or other biological consequences (such as competing with a 
native species, feeding on non-target organisms). Against such impacts is 
it possible that certain butterfly releases pale into insignificance?

John Grehan

John Grehan
Frost Entomological Museum
Pennsylvania State University
Department of Entomology
501 ASI Building
University Park, PA 16802. USA.

Phone: (814) 863-2865
Fax: (814) 865-3048

Frost Museum
http://www.ento.psu.edu/home/Frost/index.html


 
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