Economic incentives contribute little to reducing agricultural damage from invasive non‐native species: evidence from raccoon management in H okkaido, J apan

Journal article

BACKGROUND: An economic incentive scheme is utilized to enhance citizens' support for managing invasive non‐native species. However, the effectiveness of the incentive scheme in the outcomes of the management remains unclear. This study investigates the effectiveness of economic incentives in managing invasive non‐native species, focusing on their impact on reducing crop damage. Using data from raccoon management in Hokkaido, Japan, and the Japanese agricultural census, our analysis applies an inverse probability‐weighted regression adjustment to evaluate the outcomes. RESULTS: The findings reveal that economic incentives for capturing raccoons do not significantly reduce crop damage. Additionally, although these incentives increase the number of captured raccoons, the additional captures do not result in measurable reductions in agricultural damage. CONCLUSION: The absence of positive results underscores the need to develop and evaluate evidence‐based management strategies for invasive non‐native species. This study recommends implementing outcome‐based incentive schemes that align rewards with measurable management goals. Additionally, testing and refining the design of incentive schemes based on their actual effects on management outcomes remain critical. Despite the null results, this study provides valuable insights into designing incentive schemes that garner citizen support while avoiding redundancy. These findings contribute to advancing effective management strategies for invasive species. © 2025 The Author(s). Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

Authors: Mameno, K; Suzuki, T; Yamaguchi, S; Ueno, M; Kubo, T

• Publication status: Published
• Peer review status: Peer reviewed
• Publisher: Wiley
• Journal: Pest Management Science
• Publication date: 2025-11-23
• Acceptance date: 2025-11-08
• DOI: 10.1002/ps.70397
• EISSN: 1526-4998
• ISSN: 1526498X, 1526-498X
• Language: English
• Keywords: agricultural damage; invasive non‐native species; citizen support; impact evaluation; null result