Fishery management responses to invasive lionfish in the context of climate change

Invasive lionfish (Pterois volitans and P. miles) have colonized a wide variety of marine habitats in the Western Atlantic and the Mediterranean Sea. Both invasions represent a major threat to biodiversity and ecosystem services, including marine fisheries and tourism. Given the generalist diet and broad physiological tolerances of lionfish, ocean warming is expected to drive continued range expansions in the Western Atlantic and the Mediterranean, and further warming could enable lionfish invasions along the Atlantic coasts of Europe and Africa; thus, strategic lionfish management requires international coordination and cooperation between governments and stakeholders. Overfishing has released invasive lionfish from predation and competition, so efforts to rebuild predator stocks may help control lionfish populations. Successful management approaches for lionfish have included encouraging spearfishing removals and engaging local stakeholder communities. Although concerns persist about allowing lionfish spearfishing with scuba gear, these can be mitigated with participatory management and gear restrictions, eg by conducting removals with short pole spears. Lionfish fisheries offer a market-based solution to control their densities while diversifying fisher livelihoods. Public education campaigns have promoted lionfish as a safe and environmentally friendly seafood choice, which has helped to raise the price of lionfish and encouraged commercial harvest. However, the labour-intensive nature of spearfishing is a challenge to profitable fishing, and the “bioeconomic paradox” of lionfish removals suggest that it will remain unclear whether …