Marc Güell
Coordinator of the Translational Synthetic Biology research group and full professor at Pompeu Fabra University (UPF)
I find this a very interesting and timely reflection. We have increasingly robust tools for ecosystem engineering with growing precision. It is very important to advance the discussion on how to use these technologies responsibly.
Almost all of us are very proud of having eradicated smallpox. Obviously, this could be considered a loss of biodiversity. In any case, it is very important to carefully analyse the role of the specimen in the ecosystem and the corresponding impact. The cases of the livestock warthog worm (Cochliomyia hominivorax) and the Anopheles gambiae mosquito are discussed because of their negative impact on animal and human health, and it is concluded that forcing extinction seems justifiable. In contrast, only local extinction is seen as potentially justified for rats.
[Regarding possible limitations] This is a highly complex issue. It is not easy to predict the consequences for ecosystems, and it is clear that these interventions carry risks. However, the pressure of harm by omission is also very great and obvious in the case of malaria, which continues to kill so many people every year.