The recent upsurge in the edible insect market has seen
industrialisation and intensification without adequate regulatory policy
guidelines in place. The species being reared and sold are often
non-native, in rearing centres not equipped to contain the species, and
in areas without regional or national pre-entry regulations, post-entry
monitoring guidelines and early response programs to address escapee
species. Such unregulated transport, trade and rearing of species,
compounded by the policy and implementation loopholes at the regional,
national and international levels will most likely lead to new
biological invasions, as has been witnessed with other unregulated trade
practices. To avoid this, it is necessary to monitor and regulate the
species to be reared, to improve the quarantine guidelines of the
rearing centres, and to be more stringent about the policies and
practices that allow movements of non-native species across
international borders.