Historically in most countries, a permit from quarantine authorities was required
for importation of plant-feeding insects. Rules for issuing these permits
and enforcement of them varied greatly. The Hawaiian scientists worked for
the Department of Agriculture, and Australian scientists for the Prickly
Pear Commission or the Queensland Government. Both groups therefore had
official sanction. However, Dactylopius opuntiae on O. stricta
was introduced into Australia by a private individual in 1921 (Dodd 1940, p.68). In the USA, releases
were made by individuals in universities and elsewhere, and it is not
clear to what extent their views represented general scientific opinion
(e.g. D. opuntiae was introduced from Hawaii into California by H.S. Smith
in 1951 (Goeden et al.
1967)). IIBC (now CABI Bioscience) programs were generally requested by
the Department of Agriculture of the country concerned. In all these
cases, the rules governing release were usually unwritten, and depended on
a letter of approval from the Chief Entomologist or Chief Agricultural
Scientist of the country or state. Little or no consultation with other
groups may have taken place; however, no disasters occurred either.
Today biological control introductions in most countries are carried
out under the supervision of quarantine authorities (McFadyen
1998).
