Navigating the fiery debate: the role of scientific evidence in eliciting policy and management responses for contentious plants in northern Australia
Samantha A. Setterfield A B E , Natalie A. Rossiter-Rachor B and Vanessa M. Adams C DA School of Biological Sciences, M004, Crawley Campus, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia.
B National Environmental Science Program (NESP) Northern Hub, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, NT 0909, Australia.
C Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, 2105, Australia.
D College of Sciences and Engineering, University of Tasmania, Private Bag 78, Sandy Bay Campus, Hobart, Tas. 7001, Australia
E Corresponding author. Email: samantha.setterfield@uwa.edu.au
Pacific Conservation Biology 24(3) 318-328 https://doi.org/10.1071/PC18028
Submitted: 21 February 2018 Accepted: 22 July 2018 Published: 9 August 2018
Abstract
Australia’s vast tropical savannas contain outstanding biodiversity and cultural values. The region supports many industries, with broad-scale pastoralism being the most widespread. Hundreds of plant species were introduced into northern Australia to support the pastoral industry; some species have since been termed ‘contentious’ or ‘conflict’ species due to their perceived positive value for industry but negative impacts on non-pastoral values when they invaded non-pastoral landscapes. Heated political and public debate ensued about the appropriate policy and management response to these species based on people’s perceptions of values being altered by invasion by these species, and conflicting views on what constituted appropriate management actions to control their use and spread. Here we share our insights into the role of scientific evidence in progressing this debate, by quantifying the impacts of species on environmental, socioeconomic and cultural values. We reflect on the importance of science for underpinning evidence-based risk management tools, the outputs of which supported policy response by politicians and other policy decision-makers. We also assess the gap in translation from policy to coordinated on-ground action at the national scale, and provide our insights into the contribution that science can make to bridging this gap.
Additional keywords: conservation biology, conservation policy, invasive species.
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