Understanding the barriers and supports for managing invasive lionfish with human consumption

Venomous Pacific red lionfish (Pterois volitans) have invaded reefs across the Caribbean. In Belize, the invasion has raised concerns about deleterious impacts on the barrier reef, as well as on the fishing and tourism... [ view full abstract ]

Venomous Pacific red lionfish (Pterois volitans) have invaded reefs across the Caribbean. In Belize, the invasion has raised concerns about deleterious impacts on the barrier reef, as well as on the fishing and tourism industries that form the core of the nation’s economy. Although a growing body of research exists on the ecological impacts of the lionfish invasion, little is known about the human dimensions of lionfish management. The development of a lionfish market has been proposed as the most promising way to control the invasion. We present findings from standardized surveys of the Belizean public (n=400) and international tourists (n=386) designed to understand the potential of human consumption as a management strategy. Using the diffusion of innovation theory, we found that Belize almost possesses a critical mass of Belizean lionfish consumers (~11%) who can aid in increasing lionfish consumption locally. However, obstacles exist to reliable Belizean lionfish consumption, including market competition and misinformation concerning safeness of consumption. Tourists and Belizeans expressed willingness to consume lionfish, indicating that access to fish may be the critical barrier to address. Through participatory methods and semi-structured interviews (n=46), we found that fishers possessed substantial knowledge about lionfish but the lack of a consistent market is a major barrier to hunting. We suggest interventions aimed at increasing lionfish consumption, including segmentation for social marketing campaigns, and outreach to tackle consumer misinformation. Similar human dimensions research is needed across the geographic range of the invasive lionfish to increase potential for controlling impacts on biodiversity.