Lessons From the Western Atlantic Lionfish Invasion to Inform Management in the Mediterranean

Major invasions of Indo-Pacific lionfish ( Pterois volitans and P. miles ) are underway in the Western Atlantic Ocean Mediterranean Sea. While establishment is perhaps most well-studied marine fish invasion to date, rapidly expanding more recent has received less attention. Here we review synthesize successes failures from two decades management give policy recommendations for their Mediterranean. Two failed approaches that were attempted multiple times advise against (1) feeding native promote predation (2) implementing bounty programs incentivize harvest. Broadly, important lessons recommend include conducting routine removals by spearfishing with scuba, which can effectively suppress local abundances lionfish; encouraging development recreational commercial fisheries, long-term, sustainable population control; and, (3) engaging communities resource users (e.g., removal tournaments), concurrently achieve objectives promoting removals, market-development, research, public education. Managers often needed adapt current conservation policies enable areas where scuba was otherwise prohibited purposes. The risk abusing these mitigated through use gear restrictions, diver trainings, participatory integrated divers stakeholder organizations research management. Our practices Sea found many our recommended not being done indicate potential opportunities implement these. We expect fully work continues towards multinational cooperation facilitate regional coordination control, efforts respect invasion. As other major biological invasions, unconstrained political borders control will require rapid strategic broad among between governments stakeholders.