Invasive Species Control and Resolution of Wildlife Damage Conflicts: A Framework for Chemical and Genetically Based Management Methods

Vertebrate wildlife damage management relates to developing and employing methods to mitigate against damage caused by wildlife in the areas of food production, property damage, and animal or human health and safety. Of the many management tools available, chemical methods (e.g., toxicants) draw the most attention owing to issues related to environmental burden, species specificity, and humaneness. Research and development focusing on RNA interference and gene drives may be able to address the technical aspects of performance goals. However, there remain many questions about regulation, environmental risk, and societal acceptance for these emerging biological technologies. Here we focus on the development and use of these biological technologies for use in vertebrate pest management and conservation (e.g., management of wildlife diseases). We then discuss the regulatory framework and challenges these technologies present and conclude with a discussion on factors to consider for enabling these technologies for pest management and conservation applications under a commercially applied framework.