The Importance of Dialogue Between Science and the Public Shown in the Invasive Bumblebee Problem

For ecologists, it is “common sense” to thoroughly regulate and control invasive species from the perspective of biodiversity conservation. However, this common sense does not necessarily apply to everyone in society. People in society have various positions and jobs, and there is no universal common sense or justice that applies to all. We scientists assess the risks based on scientific data and advocate for the necessity and methodology of risk management for invasive species. However, if these scientific processes are not accepted by society, the effectiveness of invasive species risk management will be lost. The European bumblebee, Bombus terrestris, has been imported as an agricultural pollinator and has greatly contributed to tomato production in Japan. However, at the same time, it has caused ecological impacts as an invasive species. We have scientifically clarified the actual ecological damage caused by this species and, in collaboration with stakeholders such as the government, citizens, and makers, devised methods to continue agricultural utilization while managing the risks caused by this species. Furthermore, when we were developing chemical control methods using insecticides for the naturalized populations of the European bumblebee, we were able to encourage efficacy testing by obtaining the cooperation of the public. However, during the implementation phase at the control sites, due to inadequate risk communication, we faced strong opposition from some local residents regarding the use of insecticides for chemical control. From this failure, we learned important points about risk communication in chemical control.