Evaluating the Potential Efficacy of Invasive Lionfish (Pterois volitans) Removals

Abstract

The lionfish, Pterois volitans (Linnaeus) and Pterois miles (Bennett), invasion of the Western Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico has the potential to alter aquatic communities and represents a legitimate ecological concern. Several local removal programs have been initiated to control this invasion, but it is not known whether removal efforts can substantially reduce lionfish numbers to ameliorate these concerns. We used an age-structured population model to evaluate the potential efficacy of lionfish removal programs and identified critical data gaps for future studies. We used high and low estimates for uncertain parameters including: length at 50% vulnerability to harvest (Lvul), instantaneous natural mortality (M), and the Goodyear compensation ratio (CR). The model predicted an annual exploitation rate between 35 and 65% would be required to cause recruitment overfishing on lionfish populations for our baseline parameter estimates for M and CR (0.5 and 15). Lionfish quickly recovered from high removal rates, reaching 90% of unfished biomass six years after a 50-year simulated removal program. Quantifying lionfish natural mortality and the size-selective vulnerability to harvest are the most important knowledge gaps for future research. We suggest complete eradication of lionfish through fishing is unlikely, and substantial reduction of adult abundance will require a long-term commitment and may be feasible only in small, localized areas where annual exploitation can be intense over multiple consecutive years.

Coping with the Lionfish Invasion: Can Targeted Removals Yield Beneficial Effects?

“…In contrast to models predicting that lionfish numbers in the region will be controlled only by extremely intensive and sustained fishing mortality (Arias- González et al, 2011;Barbour et al, 2011;Morris et al, 2011a), these initial results strongly suggest that targeted removals represent useful management tools. Focused and repeated removals may be needed to constrain numbers and sizes of lionfish to levels that significantly decrease predation, especially on key species of reef fish, but also on other ecologically important organisms, such as shrimp, that serve as important prey for other predatory species.…”

“…Moreover, recent modeling indicates that lionfish populations probably are highly resilient, with extremely high levels of sustained fishing mortality predicted to be necessary for effective, widespread control (Barbour et al, 2011;Morris et al, 2011a). Nevertheless, spatially restricted harvesting or culling of lionfish could represent efficient removal and control strategies in key locations (Morris and Whitfield, 2009;Barbour et al, 2011).…”

Controversies and consensus on the lionfish invasion in the Western Atlantic Ocean

“…Scientists have focused on seeking optimum removal rates through modeling and field studies, acknowledging that high levels of uncertainty due to data gaps make generalized predictions difficult. Whereas total eradication has been deemed unfeasible (Arias-González et al 2011, Barbour et al 2011) because of lionfish high reproduction, efficient larval dispersal, and depth constraints, a few studies provide data that substantiate claims that local control efforts yield positive results in terms of decreased lionfish biomass (Frazer et al 2012, de León et al 2013.…”

Growth and mortality of red lionfish, Pterois volitans (Actinopterygii: Scorpaeniformes: Scorpaenidae), in the Parque Nacional Arrecife Alacranes, southern Gulf of Mexico, as determined by size-frequency analysis

“…Thus, it is crucial to obtain as much biological information as possible of P. volitans for better elucidating how it is impacting the invaded marine environment (Barbour et al 2011).…”