Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
MARINE POLICY, cilt.186, 2026 (SSCI, Scopus)
Invasive alien species (IAS) in the Mediterranean impose increasing ecological and economic burdens on key sectors such as fisheries, aquaculture, and tourism, yet management remains predominantly reactive. This study examines how economic and financial instruments can internalize invasion-related externalities and support preventive, cost-effective responses. A suite of tools, ranging from removal subsidies and compensation funds to Pigouvian taxes, tradable permits, and performance bonds, offers pathways to embed ecological risk into fiscal and policy frameworks. Examples from the region, including lionfish and pufferfish removal incentives and blue crab market valorization, demonstrate how targeted measures can simultaneously reduce IAS impacts and sustain local livelihoods. Compensation for IAS-driven stock declines underscores the importance of financial support for affected communities, while taxation and permit schemes can signal risks and discourage high-impact activities. Persistent challenges include limited valuation data, fragmented governance, and unequal feasibility between EU and non-EU countries. Strengthening green budgeting practices, public-private partnerships, and markets for IAS-derived products offers underexplored opportunities to align economic incentives with conservation goals. By reviewing existing applications and policy frameworks and identifying gaps, the paper proposes pathways to integrate economic instruments into regional action plans under the United Nations Environment Programme / Mediterranean Action Plan and the Barcelona Convention. Institutional diversity within the Mediterranean region presents both challenges and opportunities to advance financial innovation in IAS management and strengthen transboundary cooperation.