Can Belize control invasive lionfish by eating them?

Pacific red lionfish (Pterois volitans) were first reported in Belize in 2008, and have since invaded reefs nationwide, causing grave concerns about deleterious impacts on the Belize Barrier Reef, as well as on the fishing and... [ view full abstract ]

Pacific red lionfish (Pterois volitans) were first reported in Belize in 2008, and have since invaded reefs nationwide, causing grave concerns about deleterious impacts on the Belize 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, scant research exists on the human dimensions of lionfish management. In Belize, development of a lionfish market is proposed as the most promising way to control the invasion. However, the barriers against and supports for creating such a market are poorly understood. We ask two questions: i.) Is there potential market demand for lionfish in Belize? ii.) What are the barriers and supports for fishers to catch them? We present findings from standardized surveys of the Belizean public (n=400) and foreign tourists (n= 386) designed to understand the potential of human consumption as a management strategy. Discussing results in the context of the diffusion of innovation theory, we find that Belize possesses a critical mass of Belizean lionfish consumers (15%) who can act as key informants in increasing lionfish consumption locally. However, there exist notable obstacles to reliable Belizean lionfish consumption, including market competition and misinformation.  Tourists and Belizeans expressed a willingness to consume lionfish, indicating that access to fish alone may be a critical barrier to address. We also explored barriers and opportunities for hunting lionfish through semi-structured interviews (n=46) with fishermen, a barriers ranking exercise and seasonal calendars. Major barriers were found to be market-based, rather than knowledge-driven. We suggest interventions aimed at increasing lionfish catch in Belize, including segmentation for social marketing campaigns, and outreach to tackle misinformation, and explore potential for a supplemental market for lionfish. Similar approaches to human dimensions research are needed across the range of the invasive lionfish to increase the potential for controlling impacts on biodiversity.