Abstract
Commercialized harvest for invasive species offers a compelling solution to control their abundances and reduce their impacts on ecosystems. However, reducing an invasive species’ population will reduce their catch rates and can make their harvest uneconomical. We examined this apparent paradox with a bioeconomic case study of invasive lionfish (Pterois volitans) on artificial reefs in the northeastern Gulf of Mexico (nGOM). Different methodological approaches provided the first estimates for the intrinsic growth rate (r) and environmental carrying capacity (K) of the nGOM lionfish population. With these estimated parameters, we calculated open access equilibrium (OAE) solutions for stock, yield, and effort, and then assessed what harvest levels would be needed to deplete the population beyond maximum sustainable yield (MSY). Overall, lionfish demonstrated strong compensation and were robust to fishing pressure. The r-values estimated suggest that lionfish densities may be hyperstable on artificial reefs, and the range of estimated K-values indicated uncertainty regarding the level of natural population control. Our models projected that a stable OAE fishery could develop, but that the potential profits in the fishery were relatively small. Under current market conditions, harvest at the estimated OAE solution produced annual yields slightly less than MSY. Alternative market scenarios simulated further decreases in lionfish biomass if the ex-vessel price was higher or fishing costs were lower, and we discuss private and public mechanisms that could incentivize fishing efforts via product marketing, value-added products, or subsidies. Collectively, these models provide estimates of life history parameters for understanding lionfish population dynamics and harvest, examine fundamental assumptions for commercialized invasive species harvest, and explore how economic strategies could support invasive species control.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
Data availability
All models and analyses are reproducible with the data and spreadsheets provided in “Appendix I” in the supplementary materials.
References
Ahrenholz DW, Morris JA (2010) Larval duration of the lionfish, Pterois volitans along the Bahamian Archipelago. Environ Biol Fishes 88:305–309. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10641-010-9647-4
Albins MA (2013) Effects of invasive Pacific red lionfish Pterois volitans versus a native predator on Bahamian coral-reef fish communities. Biol Invasions 15:29–43. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10530-012-0266-1
Allen MS, Ahrens RNM, Hansen MJ, Arlinghaus R (2013) Dynamic angling effort influences the value of minimum-length limits to prevent recruitment overfishing. Fish Manag Ecol 20:247–257. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2400.2012.00871.x
Allen MS, Hightower JE (2010) Fish population dynamics: mortality, growth, and recruitment. In: Inland fisheries management in North America, 3rd edn. American Fisheries Society, Bethesda, MD, pp 43–79
Alston JM (2010) The incidence of US Farm Programs. In: Ball V, Fanfani R, Gutierrez L (eds) The economic impact of public support to agriculture. Springer, New York, pp 81–105
Anderson LG, Seijo JC (2010) Fundamentals of fisheries bioeconomics. In: Anderson LG, Seijo JC (eds) Bioeconomics of fisheries management. John Wiley & Sons Ltd., Hoboken, NJ, pp 11–30
Andradi-Brown DA, Grey R, Hendrix A et al (2017a) Depth-dependent effects of culling—do mesophotic lionfish populations undermine current management? R Soc Open Sci 4:170027. https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.170027
Andradi-Brown DA, Vermeij MJA, Slattery M et al (2017b) Large-scale invasion of western Atlantic mesophotic reefs by lionfish potentially undermines culling-based management. Biol Invasions 19:939–954. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10530-016-1358-0
Arias-González JE, González-Gándara C, Luis Cabrera J, Christensen V (2011) Predicted impact of the invasive lionfish Pterois volitans on the food web of a Caribbean coral reef. Environ Res 111:917–925. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2011.07.008
Arnot C, Boxall PC, Cash SB (2006) Do ethical consumers care about price? A revealed preference analysis of fair trade coffee purchases. Can J Agric Econ 54:555–565. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1744-7976.2006.00066.x
Barbour AB, Allen MS, Frazer TK, Sherman KD (2011) Evaluating the potential efficacy of invasive lionfish (Pterois volitans) removals. PLoS ONE 6(5):019666. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0019666
Benkwitt CE (2013) Density-dependent growth in invasive lionfish (Pterois volitans). PLoS ONE 8:e66995. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0066995
Benkwitt CE (2015) Non-linear effects of invasive lionfish density on native coral-reef fish communities. Biol Invasions 17:1383–1395. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10530-014-0801-3
Blakeway RD, Ross AD (2021) Jones GA (2021) Insights from a survey of Texas Gulf coast residents on the social factors contributing to willingness to consume and purchase lionfish. Sustainability 13:9621. https://doi.org/10.3390/SU13179621
Blakeway RD, Jones GA, Boekhoudt B (2019) Controlling lionfishes (Pterois spp.) with consumption: survey data from Aruba demonstrate acceptance of non-native lionfishes on the menu and in seafood markets. Fish Manag Ecol 27(3):227–230. https://doi.org/10.1111/fme.12404
Bogdanoff AK, Shertzer KW, Layman CA et al (2020) Optimum lionfish yield: a non-traditional management concept for invasive lionfish (Pterois spp.) fisheries. Biol Invasions 23(3):1–16. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10530-020-02398-z
Bogdanoff AK, Akins JL, Morris JA (2013). Workgroup 2013 GCFI lionfish (2014) invasive lionfish in the marketplace: challenges and opportunities. In: Proceedings of the 66th Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute, 140–147
Cambray JA (2003) Impact on indigenous species biodiversity caused by the globalisation of alien recreational freshwater fisheries. Hydrobiologia 500:217–230. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1024648719995
Campbell MD, Pollack AG, Thompson K et al (2021) Rapid spatial expansion and population increase of invasive lionfish (Pterois spp.) observed on natural habitats in the Northern Gulf of Mexico. Biol Invasions 2021:1–13. https://doi.org/10.1007/S10530-021-02625-1
Castillo B, Travis J, Edwards K et al (2014) U.S. Virgin Islands Lionfish Response Management Plan
Chagaris D, Binion-Rock S, Bogdanoff A et al (2017) An ecosystem-based approach to evaluating impacts and management of invasive lionfish. Fisheries (bethesda) 42:421–431. https://doi.org/10.1080/03632415.2017.1340273
Chagaris DD, Patterson WFI, Allen MS (2020) Relative effects of multiple stressors on reef food webs in the northern Gulf of Mexico revealed via ecosystem modeling. Front Mar Sci 7:513. https://doi.org/10.3389/FMARS.2020.00513
Chapman JK, Anderson LG, Gough CLA, Harris AR (2016) Working up an appetite for lionfish: a market-based approach to manage the invasion of Pterois volitans in Belize. Mar Policy 73:256–262. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.MARPOL.2016.07.023
Chapman JK (2013) Obstacles and opportunities in developing commercial markets for invasive lionfish—lessons learnt from Belize. In: Proceedings of the 66th Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute. Corpus Cristi, TX, pp 1–4
Charles H, Dukes JS (2008) Impacts of invasive species on ecosystem services. In: Nentwig W (ed) Biological invasions. Springer, Berlin, pp 217–237
Clements KR, Karp P, Harris HE et al (2021) The role of citizen science in the research and management of invasive lionfish across the Western Atlantic. Diversity 13:673. https://doi.org/10.3390/D13120673
Côté IM, Smith NS (2018) The lionfish Pterois sp. invasion: has the worst-case scenario come to pass? J Fish Biol 92:660–689. https://doi.org/10.1111/jfb.13544
Côté IM, Green SJ, Hixon MA (2013a) Predatory fish invaders: insights from Indo-Pacific lionfish in the Western Atlantic and Caribbean. Biol Conserv 164:50–61. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2013.04.014
Côté IM, Green SJ, Morris JA et al (2013b) Diet richness of invasive Indo-Pacific lionfish revealed by DNA barcoding. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 472:249–256. https://doi.org/10.3354/meps09992
Dahl KA, Patterson WF (2014) Habitat-specific density and diet of rapidly expanding invasive red lionfish, Pterois volitans populations in the northern Gulf of Mexico. PLoS ONE 9:105852. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0105852
Dahl KA, Patterson WF III, Snyder RA (2016) Experimental assessment of lionfish removals to mitigate reef fish community shifts on northern Gulf of Mexico artificial reefs. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 558:207–221. https://doi.org/10.3354/meps11898
Dahl KA, Patterson WF III, Robertson A, Ortmann AC (2017) DNA barcoding significantly improves resolution of invasive lionfish diet in the northern Gulf of Mexico. Biol Invasions 19:1917–1933. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10530-017-1407-3
Dahl KA, Portnoy DS, Hogan JD et al (2018) Genotyping confirms significant cannibalism in northern Gulf of Mexico invasive red lionfish, Pterois volitans. Biol Invasions 20:3513–3526. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10530-018-1791-3
Dahl K, Edwards M, Patterson WF III (2019) Density-dependent condition and growth of invasive lionfish in the northern Gulf of Mexico. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 623:145–159. https://doi.org/10.3354/meps13028
Davis MA (2009) Invasion biology. Oxford University Press, New York
Denney NH, Jennings S, Reynolds JD (2002) Life–history correlates of maximum population growth rates in marine fishes. Proc R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 269:2229–2237. https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2002.2138
Devries DR, Frie RV (1996) Determination of age and growth. In: Murphy BR, Willis DW (eds) Fisheries techniques, 2nd edn. American Fisheries Society, Bethesda, MD, pp 483–512
Dixit A, Dixit R, Pindyck R (1994) Investment under uncertainty. Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ
Epanchin-Niell RS, Hastings A (2010) Controlling established invaders: integrating economics and spread dynamics to determine optimal management. Ecol Lett 13:528–541. https://doi.org/10.1111/J.1461-0248.2010.01440.X
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (2019) 2010–2018 Commercial fishery landings data through batch 1402. St. Petersburg, FL, USA
Fogg AQ, Brown-Peterson NJ, Peterson MS (2017) Reproductive life history characteristics of invasive red lionfish (Pterois volitans) in the northern Gulf of Mexico. Bull Mar Sci 93:791–813. https://doi.org/10.5343/bms.2016.1095
Frésard M, Boncoeur J (2006) Controlling the biological invasion of a commercial fishery by a space competitor: a bioeconomic model with reference to the Bay of St-Brieuc scallop fishery. Agric Resour Econ Rev. 35:78–97. https://doi.org/10.22004/AG.ECON.10169
Frésard M, Ropars-Collet C (2014) Sustainable harvest of a native species and control of an invasive species: a bioeconomic model of a commercial fishery invaded by a space competitor. Ecol Econ 106:1–11. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolecon.2014.06.020
Gardner PG, Frazer TK, Jacoby CA, Yanong RPE (2015) Reproductive biology of invasive lionfish (Pterois spp.). Front Mar Sci 2:7. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2015.00007
Garvey JE, Sass GG, Trushenski J et al (2012) Fishing down the bighead and silver carps: reducing the risk of invasion to the Great Lakes. Research Summary for the Invasive Carp Regional Coordinating Committee
Giglio VJ, Bender MG, Zapelini C, Ferreira CEL (2017) The end of the line? Rapid depletion of a large-sized grouper through spearfishing in a subtropical marginal reef. Perspect Ecol Conserv 15:115–118. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pecon.2017.03.006
Godoy N, Gelcich S, Vasquez JA, Castilla JC (2010) Spearfishing to depletion: evidence from temperate reef fishes in Chile. Ecol Appl 20:1504–1511. https://doi.org/10.1890/09-1806.1
González X, Pazó C (2008) Do public subsidies stimulate private R&D spending? Res Policy 37:371–389. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.respol.2007.10.009
Graham RE, Fanning LM (2017) A comparison of eight country plans for the invasive Indo-Pacific lionfish in the Wider Caribbean. Glob Ecol Conserv 12:253–262. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gecco.2017.12.001
Green SJ, Grosholz ED (2021) Functional eradication as a framework for invasive species control. Front Ecol Environ 19:98–107. https://doi.org/10.1002/fee.2277
Green SJ, Akins JL, Cote IM (2011) Foraging behaviour and prey consumption in the Indo-Pacific lionfish on Bahamian coral reefs. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 433:159–167. https://doi.org/10.3354/meps09208
Green SJ, Akins JL, Maljković A, Côté IM (2012) Invasive lionfish drive Atlantic coral reef fish declines. PLoS ONE 7:e32596. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0032596
Green SJ, Dulvy NK, Brooks AML et al (2014) Linking removal targets to the ecological effects of invaders: a predictive model and field test. Ecol Appl 24:1311–1322. https://doi.org/10.1890/13-0979.1
Grilly E, Reid K, Lenel S, Jabour J (2015) The price of fish: a global trade analysis of Patagonian (Dissostichus eleginoides) and Antarctic toothfish (Dissostichus mawsoni). Mar Policy 60:186–196. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpol.2015.06.006
Grosholz E, Ashton G, Bradley M et al (2021) Stage-specific overcompensation, the hydra effect, and the failure to eradicate an invasive predator. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 118(12):e2003955118. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2003955118
Halliday TR (1980) The extinction of the passenger pigeon Ectopistes migratorius and its relevance to contemporary conservation. Biol Conserv 17:157–162. https://doi.org/10.1016/0006-3207(80)90046-4
Harris HE, Patterson WF III, Ahrens RNM, Allen MS (2019) Detection and removal efficiency of invasive lionfish in the northern Gulf of Mexico. Fish Res 213:22–32. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fishres.2019.01.002
Harris HE, Fogg AQ, Allen MS et al (2020a) Precipitous declines in northern Gulf of Mexico invasive lionfish populations following the emergence of an ulcerative skin disease. Sci Rep 10:1–17. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-58886-8
Harris HE, Fogg AQ, Gittings SR et al (2020b) Testing the efficacy of lionfish traps in the northern Gulf of Mexico. PLoS ONE 15:e0230985. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0230985
Hilborn R, Mangle M (1997) The ecological detective: confronting models with data. Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ
Hilborn R, Walters CJ (1992) Quantitative fisheries stock assessment: choice, dynamics and uncertainty. Springer, New York
Hixon MA, Green SJ, Albins MA et al (2016) Lionfish: a major marine invasion. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 558:161–165. https://doi.org/10.3354/meps11909
Hunt CL, Kelly GR, Windmill H et al (2019) Aggregating behaviour in invasive Caribbean lionfish is driven by habitat complexity. Sci Rep 9(1):1–9. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-37459-w
Hutchings JA (2000) Collapse and recovery of marine fishes. Nature 406:882–885. https://doi.org/10.1038/35022565
Huth WL, McEvoy DM, Morgan OA (2018) Controlling an invasive species through consumption: the case of lionfish as an impure public good. Ecol Econ 149:74–79. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.ECOLECON.2018.02.019
Johnston MA, Gittings SR, Morris JA (2015) NOAA national marine sanctuaries lionfish response plan (2015–2018): responding, controlling, and adapting to an active marine invasion
Keevin TM, Garvey JE (2019) Using marketing to fish-down bigheaded carp (Hypophthalmichthys spp.) in the United States: eliminating the negative brand name, “carp.” J Appl Ichthyol 35:1141–1146. https://doi.org/10.1111/jai.13951
Keller R, Lodge D, Lewis M, Shogren J (2009) Bioeconomics of invasive species: integrating ecology, economics, policy, and management. Oxford University Press, New York
King CM, Innes JG, Gleeson D et al (2011) Reinvasion by ship rats (Rattus rattus) of forest fragments after eradication. Biol Invasions 13:2391–2408. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10530-011-0051-6
Kletou D, Hall-Spencer JM, Kleitou P (2016) A lionfish (Pterois miles) invasion has begun in the Mediterranean Sea. Mar Biodivers Rec 9:46. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41200-016-0065-y
Krebs CJ (2009) Ecology: the experimental analysis of distribution and abundance, 6th edn. Pearson Benjamin Cummings, San Francisco
Lambrinos JG (2004) How interactions between ecology and evolution influence contemporary invasion dynamics. Ecology 85:2061–2070. https://doi.org/10.1890/03-8013
Landers J (2012) Eating aliens: one man’s adventures hunting invasive animal species. Storey Publishing LLC, North Adams, MA
Liu S, Proctor W, Cook D (2010) Using an integrated fuzzy set and deliberative multi-criteria evaluation approach to facilitate decision-making in invasive species management. Ecol Econ 69:2374–2382. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolecon.2010.07.004
Lockwood JL, Hoopes MF, Marchetti MP (2013) Invasion ecology, 2nd edn. Wiley-Blackwell, New York
Lovell SJ, Stone SF, Fernandez L (2006) The economic impacts of aquatic invasive species: a review of the literature. Agric Resour Econ Rev 35:195–208. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1068280500010157
Mack RN, Simberloff D, Lonsdale WM et al (2000) Biotic invasions: causes, epidemiology, global consequences, and control. Ecol Appl 10:689–710. https://doi.org/10.1890/1051-0761(2000)010[0689:BICEGC]2.0.CO;2
Mazzotti FJ, Rochford M, Vinci J et al (2016) Implications of the 2013 python challenge for ecology and management of Python molorus bivittatus (Burmese Python) in Florida. Southeast Nat 15:63–74. https://doi.org/10.1656/058.015.sp807
McAllister MK, Pikitch EK, Babcock EA (2001) Using demographic methods to construct Bayesian priors for the intrinsic rate of increase in the Schaefer model and implications for stock rebuilding. Can J Fish Aquat Sci 58:1871–1890. https://doi.org/10.1139/f01-114
McGurk MD (1987) Natural mortality and spatial patchiness: reply to Gulland. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 39:201–206
Mendoza R, Bastiaensen J (2003) Fair trade and the coffee crisis in the Nicaraguan Segovias. Small Enterp Dev 14:36–47. https://doi.org/10.3362/0957-1329.2003.020
Morris JA, Thomas A, Andrew Rhyne JL et al (2011a) Nutritional properties of the invasive lionfish: a delicious and nutritious approach for controlling the invasion. Aquac Aquar Conserv Legis 4:21–26
Morris JA, Shertzer KW, Rice JA (2011b) A stage-based matrix population model of invasive lionfish with implications for control. Biol Invasions 13:7–12. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10530-010-9786-8
Morris JA, Akins JL, Green SJ et al (2012) Invasive lionfish: a guide to control and management. Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute Inc, Marathon, FL
Morris JA, Whitfield PE (2009) Biology, ecology, control and management of the invasive Indo-Pacific lionfish: an updated integrated assessment. NOAA Technical Memorandum NOS NCCOS. NOAA/National Ocean Service/Center for Coastal Fisheries and Habitat Research, p 57
Moyle PB, Marchetti MP (2006) Predicting invasion success: freshwater fishes in California as a model. Bioscience 56:515–524. https://doi.org/10.1641/0006-3568(2006)56[515:pisffi]2.0.co;2
Mueller GA (2011) Predatory fish removal and native fish recovery in the Colorado River mainstem. Wiley, New York. https://doi.org/10.1577/1548-8446(2005)30[10:PFRANF]2.0.CO;2. (changed publisher)
Myers N, Kent J (2001) Perverse subsidies: how tax dollars can undercut the environment and the economy. Island Press, Washington, DC
Myers JH, Savoie A, van Randen E (1998) Eradication and pest management. Annu Rev Entomol 43:471–491. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.ento.43.1.471
Myers RA, Bowen KG, Barrowman NJ (1999) Maximum reproductive rate of fish at low population sizes. Can J Fish Aquat Sci 56:2404–2419. https://doi.org/10.1139/f99-201
Myers JH, Simberloff D, Kuris AM, Carey JR (2000) Eradication revisited: dealing with exotic species. Trends Ecol Evol 15:316–320
Noll S, Davis B (2020) The invasive species diet: the ethics of eating lionfish as a wildlife management strategy. Ethics Policy Environ. https://doi.org/10.1080/21550085.2020.1848189
Nuñez MA, Kuebbing S, Dimarco RD, Simberloff D (2012) Invasive species: to eat or not to eat, that is the question. Conserv Lett 5:334–341. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1755-263X.2012.00250.x
Patterson III WF, Dance MA, Addis DT (2009) Development of a remotely operated vehicle based methodology to estimate fish community structure at artificial reef sites in the northern Gulf of Mexico. In: Proceedings of the 61st Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute, pp 263–270
Peake J, Bogdanoff AK, Layman CA et al (2018) Feeding ecology of invasive lionfish (Pterois volitans and Pterois miles) in the temperate and tropical Western Atlantic. Biol Invasions 20:2567–2597. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10530-018-1720-5
Pejchar L, Mooney HA (2009) Invasive species, ecosystem services and human well-being. Trends Ecol Evol 24:497–504. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tree.2009.03.016
Pianka ER (1970) On r-and K-selection. Am Nat 104:592–597. https://doi.org/10.1086/282697
Pimental D (2007) Environmental and economic costs of vertebrate species invasions into the United States. In: Witmer GW, Pitt WC, Fagerstone KA (eds) Managing vertebrate invasive species. University of Nebraska, Lincoln, pp 1–8
Rumlerová Z, Vilà M, Pergl J et al (2016) Scoring environmental and socioeconomic impacts of alien plants invasive in Europe. Biol Invasions 18:3697–3711. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10530-016-1259-2
Salimi PA, Creed JC, Esch MM et al (2021) A review of the diversity and impact of invasive non-native species in tropical marine ecosystems. Mar Biodivers Rec 14:11. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41200-021-00206-8
Scalera R (2010) How much is Europe spending on invasive alien species? Biol Invasions 12:173–177. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10530-009-9440-5
Scyphers SB, Powers SP, Akins JL et al (2015) The role of citizens in detecting and responding to a rapid marine invasion. Conserv Lett 8:242–250. https://doi.org/10.1111/conl.12127
Simberloff D, Gibbons L (2004) Now you see them, now you don’t!—population crashes of established introduced species. Biol Invasions 6:161–172. https://doi.org/10.1023/B:BINV.0000022133.49752.46
Simberloff D, Martin J-L, Genovesi P et al (2013) Impacts of biological invasions: what’s what and the way forward. Trends Ecol Evol 28:58–66. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.TREE.2012.07.013
Simnitt S, House L, Larkin SL et al (2020) Using markets to control invasive species: lionfish in the US Virgin Islands. Mar Resour Econ 35:319–341. https://doi.org/10.1086/710254
Sims C, Finnoff D, Shogren JF (2016) Bioeconomics of invasive species: using real options theory to integrate ecology, economics, and risk management. Food Secur 8:61–70. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12571-015-0530-1
Strayer DL, Eviner VT, Jeschke JM, Pace ML (2006) Understanding the long-term effects of species invasions. Trends Ecol Evol 21:645–651. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tree.2006.07.007
Strayer DL, D’Antonio CM, Essl F et al (2017) Boom-bust dynamics in biological invasions: towards an improved application of the concept. Ecol Lett 20:1337–1350. https://doi.org/10.1111/ele.12822
Sumaila UR, Lam V, Le Manach F et al (2016) Global fisheries subsidies: an updated estimate. Mar Policy 69:189–193. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpol.2015.12.026
Sutherland WJ, Clout M, Côté IM et al (2010) A horizon scan of global conservation issues for 2010. Trends Ecol Evol 25:1–7. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.TREE.2009.10.003
Sutherland WJ, Barnard P, Broad S et al (2017) A 2017 horizon scan of emerging issues for global conservation and biological diversity. Trends Ecol Evol 32:31–40. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tree.2018.11.001
Tsehaye I, Catalano M, Sass G et al (2013) Prospects for fishery-induced collapse of invasive Asian carp in the Illinois River. Fisheries (Bethesda) 38:445–454. https://doi.org/10.1080/03632415.2013.836501
Ulman A, Tunçer S, Kizilkaya IT et al (2020) The lionfish expansion in the Aegean Sea in Turkey: a looming potential ecological disaster. Reg Stud Mar Sci 36:101271
Ulman A, Harris HE, Doumpas N et al (2021) Low pufferfish and lionfish predation in their native and invaded ranges suggests human control mechanisms may be necessary to control their Mediterranean abundances. Front Mar Sci 8:868. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2021.670413
Ulman A, Ali FZ, Harris HE et al (2022) Lessons from the Western Atlantic lionfish invasion to inform management in the Mediterranean. Front Mar Sci 9:526. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2022.865162
Usseglio P, Selwyn JD, Downey-Wall AM, Hogan JD (2017) Effectiveness of removals of the invasive lionfish: how many dives are needed to deplete a reef? PeerJ 5:3043. https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.3043
Valdivia A, Bruno JF, Cox CE et al (2014) Re-examining the relationship between invasive lionfish and native grouper in the Caribbean. PeerJ 2:e348. https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.348
Valkila J, Haaparanta P, Niemi N (2010) Empowering coffee traders? The coffee value chain from Nicaraguan fair trade farmers to Finnish consumers. J Bus Ethics 97:257–270. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-010-0508-z
Walker RD, Jones GA (2018) Consumer-Driven Depletion of the Northern Diamondback Terrapin in Chesapeake Bay. Mar Coast Fish 10:132–143. https://doi.org/10.1002/MCF2.10009
Walters CJ, Martell SJD (2004) Fisheries Ecology and Management. Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ
Wang Y (2018) Remote operated vehicle for selectively harvesting target species. US patent WO2011005723A3
Wilcox CL, Hixon MA (2014) False positive tests for ciguatera may derail efforts to control invasive lionfish. Environ Biol Fishes. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10641-014-0313-0
Williamson MH (1996) Biological invasions. Chapman & Hall, London
Winemiller KO, Rose KA (1992) Patterns of life-history diversification in North American fishes: implications for population regulation. Can J Fish Aquat Sci 49:2196–2218. https://doi.org/10.1139/f92-242
Zavaleta ES, Hobbs RJ, Mooney HA (2001) Viewing invasive species removal in a whole-ecosystem context. Trends Ecol Evol 16:454–459. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0169-5347(01)02194-2
Zipkin EF, Sullivan PJ, Cooch EG et al (2008) Overcompensatory response of a smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu) population to harvest: release from competition? Can J Fish Aquat Sci 65:2279–2292. https://doi.org/10.1139/F08-133
Zipkin EF, Kraft CE, Cooch EG, Sullivan PJ (2009) When can efforts to control nuisance and invasive species backfire? Ecol Appl 19:1585–1595. https://doi.org/10.1890/08-1467.1
Acknowledgements
We thank Alex Fogg (Okaloosa County) for unpublished data and feedback, Kristen Dahl (NOAA) for data, and Alexandria Tucker (UF) for help with Mathematica and review. Long-term ROV lionfish surveys were conducted in part by Joe Tarnecki (UF) and Steve Garner (UF) with assistance from Jordan Bajema (UF), Jessica Van Vaerenbergh (USF), and Miaya Glabach (UF). Steve Brown (FWC) and Hanna Tillotson (Florida DEP) helped source data for commercial spearfishing landings. We thank the editors and anonymous referees of Biological Invasions for their rigorous reviews and guidance.
Funding
Support for H. Harris was provided in part by the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program (Grant Nos. DGE-1315138 and DGE-182473). Support for the long-term ROV surveys was made possible in part by the BP/Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative/C-IMAGE II, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (grant no. 16091), and the Florida RESTORE Act Centers of Excellence Program (Grant No. 4710-1126-00-A). Opinions, findings, or conclusions expressed in this document are from the authors alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of our employing or supporting organizations.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Contributions
HH conceived this study with help from SL and RA. WP and HH oversaw long-term ROV lionfish density survey data and management. HH developed the models with guidance from SL, MA, RA, and DC. HH produced the tables and figures. The manuscript was written by HH who oversaw revisions with input from co-authors. All authors reviewed and approved the paper, and they consent to its publication.
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Conflict of interest
The authors declare no competing interests. The State of Florida appropriations for lionfish programs referenced in the discussion has contributed to research funding for this and other studies by the authors.
Additional information
Publisher's Note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Supplementary Information
Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.
Rights and permissions
Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.
About this article
Cite this article
Harris, H.E., Patterson, W.F., Ahrens, R.N.M. et al. The bioeconomic paradox of market-based invasive species harvest: a case study of the commercial lionfish fishery. Biol Invasions 25, 1595–1612 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10530-023-02998-5
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10530-023-02998-5