Invasive raccoon management systems and challenges in regions with active control
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ESEARCH ARTICLE
BMC Ecology Open Access
Invasive raccoon management systems and challenges in regions with active control Takaaki Suzuki1,2* and Tohru Ikeda1
Abstract Background: The raccoon (Procyon lotor) is an invasive, non-native species in Japan. Throughout the country, it causes significant agricultural damage and negatively affects native biodiversity. Most of the responsibility for raccoon management lies with local government, and there are still many challenges to be overcome. Although raccoon populations have not been eradicated, intensive control campaigns such as focus on the early stages of invasion have controlled raccoons in some regions. To improve the national management of raccoons, we conducted a survey on raccoon management systems in local government departments considered to solve the challenges recognized in many areas. During 2014 and 2015, we surveyed three different municipal departments about raccoon management measures. The semi-structured interview survey covered two topics: (1) the situation leading up to the current management system; (2) the current management system. Results: Our results describe the scope and methods used in raccoon management. The government staff managed raccoons using monitoring, employing a variety of methods, a range of budgets, and various role divisions. The management practices are similar in that they share a sense of taking precautions, collaborating with stakeholders, understanding that adequate methods must be used, and obtaining support from experts. Conclusions: Our case studies reveal the challenges in raccoon management faced by local government officers in regions with active control. The management systems and methods that we surveyed seemed to be effective in solving problems in both developed and undeveloped areas. Keywords: Biological invasion, Raccoon, Management, Biodiversity monitoring, Non-native species Introduction Invasive non-native species are recognized internationally as a significant threat to indigenous biodiversity [1–6]. Once invasive species have become established, they must be managed by sustained control programs or, if achievable, eradicated [5, 7]. Government-led invasive alien species (IAS) control programs have been initiated and critically evaluated in countries like Australia and New Zealand [8, 9]. In such programs, although the effects of management interventions (such as pest
*Correspondence: [email protected] 1 Graduate School of Letters, Hokkaido University, Kita 10 Nishi 7, Kita‑ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060‑0810, Japan Full list of author information is available at the end of the article
reduction) are usually monitored, the outcomes (such as increases in biodiversity), are not [8, 9]. Planning and implementing well-designed and well-monitored IAS programs is a global challenge [8–11]. In recent years, interdisciplinary research about invasive species has increased; however, many of these studies focus on ecological themes [12, 13]. Many of the studies that use social surveys address the psyc
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