In recent years, the Caribbean has been facing several new and resurgent pest problems brought on by rapid means of transport and increased intra and extra regional trade. These have been a threat to both agricultural production and die environment. For most alien pests, classical biological control is often the solution. The application of biological control has been evolving to address new concerns, particularly those regarding the safety of introduced natural enemies. The recent successful introduction of exotic natural enemies against the hibiscus or pink mealybug, Maconellicoccus hirsutus, has heightened public awareness of biological control and opened up opportunities for developing integrated pest management (IPM) programmes. This paper examines two separate but related issues: safety of biological control and prospects for IPM in the Caribbean.