# Economic incentives contribute little to reducing agricultural damage from invasive non‐native species: evidence from raccoon management in Hokkaido, Japan

## TL;DR

Economic incentives for capturing raccoons in Japan did not significantly reduce agricultural damage, suggesting such schemes may not be effective for invasive species management.

## Contribution

This study provides evidence that economic incentives alone may not reduce agricultural damage from invasive species, highlighting the need for outcome-based management strategies.

## Key findings

- Economic incentives for capturing raccoons did not significantly reduce crop damage.
- Increased raccoon captures under the incentive scheme did not lead to measurable reductions in agricultural damage.

## Abstract

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.

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.

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.

This study reveals the nonsignificant effects of economic incentives reducing crop damage by raccoons. Our results also show that while these incentives increase the number of captured raccoons, the additional captures fail to result in measurable reductions in agricultural damage.