Proceedings of the Vertebrate Pest Conference

Principles contained in the 1993 publication “Managing Vertebrate Pests: Principles & Strategies” were developed during a review of past and current pest management practices. They were used to guide the development of a series of management guidelines for our major vertebrate pests – feral pigs, house mice, European rabbits, red fox, feral pigs, feral horses, wild dogs, and carp. The principles have been constantly refined through subsequent on ground experience in working with stakeholders to implement best practice management programs for pest animals. In this paper, we present what we now consider the seven principles that underpin best practice management of pest animals. They are: 1. A pest is human construct. 2. All key stakeholders need to be actively engaged and consulted. 3. Rarely can pests be eradicated. 4. Most pest management needs to focus on the outcome, reduction in damage, not just killing pests. 5. A whole-system approach is required for managing pest damage. 6. Most pest management occurs in ecosystems in which our knowledge is imperfect. 7. An effective monitoring and evaluation strategy is essential for all management interventions. Together, the principles comprise the strategic approach to pest management. We explain the rationale behind these principles and illustrate them with examples.