Using Markets to Control Invasive Species: Lionfish in the US Virgin Islands

Simnitt, Skyler; House, Lisa; Larkin, Sherry L.; Tookes, Jennifer Sweeney; Yandle, Tracy

doi:10.1086/710254

Cited by 12 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 38 publications

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“…The survey responses presented and analyzed in this study indicate that, similar to the Caribbean [30,33,35], there is considerable potential in Texas for social acceptance of a commercial fishery for lionfish. While only 8% of survey respondents reported ever eating lionfish, nearly 60% expressed willingness to buy and consume this invasive species.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 87%

“…Assessment of willingness to pay (WTP) for environmental protection determines if certain management strategies are economically feasible. This is critical when financial resources supporting environmental protection programs are scarce [37,38] and when economic viability determines the success of the strategy [35]. For example, WTP for lionfish must exceed the production costs of a commercial lionfish fishery to be economically viable, assuming that there is sufficient and sustained demand to create an ecological difference.…”

Section: Willingness To Pay For Environmental Managementmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Studies of WTP for environmental protection tend to focus on individual-level measures of socioeconomic status. A range of analyses have found individuals with higher incomes and education are more willing to pay for seaweed control in Ghana [38], protection of fish resources in coastal Italy [39], control of pine invasion in Chile [37], and lionfish as a seafood product in Florida and the United States Virgin Islands [34,35].…”

Section: Willingness To Pay For Environmental Managementmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…While WTP studies illuminate how much and which users are willing to contribute toward environmental protection and thus are important for the financing of specific management strategies, they often neglect the social dynamics at play. Determining that WTP for lionfish is comparable to other reef or white fish [34,35] offers critical information for assessing the economic viability of commercial lionfish fisheries. Nonetheless, it does not address the social factors associated with consumption management strategy that may be leveraged to improve the likelihood of successful implementation.…”

Section: Willingness To Pay For Environmental Managementmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The few studies that have been conducted on lionfish consumption found that there is a demand for lionfish where it has been introduced to the market in Aruba, Belize, and Mexico [30,32,33]. Other studies have calculated willingness to pay for lionfish among various consumer groups [34,35], finding that income, age, and education is positively associated with the purchase price individuals accept. While these studies are important for assessing the viability of commercial lionfish fisheries, they, similar to many studies of willingness to pay for environmental management, neglect the social factors associated with the behavior of consumption of lionfish.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Insights from a Survey of Texas Gulf Coast Residents on the Social Factors Contributing to Willingness to Consume and Purchase Lionfish

2021

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Indo-Pacific lionfish (Pterois volitans and P. miles) are the first marine teleost to become established in the Western Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea, and Gulf of Mexico. Lionfish have been labeled a global conservation issue and pose major threats to local economies. To test whether commercial harvest of lionfish is a socially accepted management approach in Texas, we measured the components of an environmental behavior intention model with survey responses of Texas Gulf Coast residents (n = 420). Regression analyses of survey responses indicate that individuals were significantly more willing to consume lionfish if they had a high level of concern for the environmental problems posed by the invasive species and were more knowledgeable about the fish. Participation in an educational program that addresses lionfish was also found to be associated with greater willingness to consume lionfish among those who are moderately to highly concerned about the issue. The originality of this study is related to its contribution in identifying social factors that contribute to an individual’s willingness to consume lionfish. Insights from this study demonstrate the attitudinal and behavioral mechanisms that can be addressed to increase acceptance of using consumption as a sustainable management strategy to combat marine fish invasions.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 87%

Section: Willingness To Pay For Environmental Managementmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Willingness To Pay For Environmental Managementmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Willingness To Pay For Environmental Managementmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Insights from a Survey of Texas Gulf Coast Residents on the Social Factors Contributing to Willingness to Consume and Purchase Lionfish

2021

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Serving conservation from reef to plate: Barriers and opportunities for invasive lionfish consumption in restaurants

Smith

Burgess

Clements

et al. 2023

Aquatic Conservation

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Invasive lionfish (Pterois volitans, Pterois miles), introduced to Florida in the 1980s, colonized coral reef ecosystems in the western Atlantic and have been documented beyond recreational diving depths. In addition to threatening coral reef ecosystems, invasive lionfish have been linked to economic damage in the form of reduced native fish yields for local fishers and high management costs incurred in the physical removal of lionfish. While few examples exist of successful management of marine invasive species, studies show that lionfish removal can mitigate their harmful impacts. One promising market‐based approach that offers benefits to both human livelihoods and marine ecosystems is increasing the demand for the consumption of lionfish. This study focuses on Florida's consumptive lionfish market and fills a gap in understanding of the lionfish supply chain for Florida's restaurant industry. Twenty culinary professionals in Florida were interviewed to determine their perceptions of barriers and opportunities for increasing their use of lionfish. The most commonly identified barriers were price and consistency of supply, while the most prominent opportunities were improved awareness and culinary potential. Conservation managers, culinary professionals and policymakers should leverage these findings to facilitate opportunities, address barriers and promote public education about invasive lionfish and their impacts.

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The bioeconomic paradox of market-based invasive species harvest: a case study of the commercial lionfish fishery

et al. 2023

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Using Markets to Control Invasive Species: Lionfish in the US Virgin Islands

Cited by 12 publications

References 38 publications

Insights from a Survey of Texas Gulf Coast Residents on the Social Factors Contributing to Willingness to Consume and Purchase Lionfish

Insights from a Survey of Texas Gulf Coast Residents on the Social Factors Contributing to Willingness to Consume and Purchase Lionfish

Serving conservation from reef to plate: Barriers and opportunities for invasive lionfish consumption in restaurants

The bioeconomic paradox of market-based invasive species harvest: a case study of the commercial lionfish fishery

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