Species translocations are often used as a management solution for species with small populations and restricted populations. This is almost always a very expensive solution and the economic case for pursuing it is rarely analysed.
This was what me and colleagues from DICE and and the School of Economics, University of Kent tried to tackle in a neat paper currently in press in the Journal of Environmental Economics and Policy, using as a case study the Seychelles Paradise Flycatcher (SPF). To do this we first estimated the critical amenity value of the forest that currently supports the SPF. Results support the maintenance of the forest, which in turn implies that the existing population of SPF needs to be protected so as to achieve species conservation objectives. Next we conducted a benefit–cost analysis of the translocation, showing that the development of a second population yields net economic benefits. By employing the methodology presented we can conclude that our analysis indicates that current conservation and translocation actions to support the SPF are economically justified.