Regional Strategy for the Control of Invasive Lionfish in the Wider Caribbean: International Coral Reef Initiative - CEP Technical Report 76

The lionfish is the first reef fish invasive species to become established in the Wider Caribbean Region threatening coral reef ecosystems and associated ecological and economic benefits. Although eradication is now unlikely, control at selected sites can be successfully implemented. However, a good understanding of the lionfish issue across sectors, and coordination and collaboration among affected communities, research institutions, government bodies, and technicians are a prerequisite for success. This Strategy is intended to facilitate such collaboration by providing a framework to: i) Facilitate on-the-ground implementation of actions through regular exchanges of experiences, protocols, and tools; ii) Help reduce costs and avoid duplicative efforts by designing regional programs with pooled resources; iii) Enunciate roles and potential actions among different actors and sectors; iv) Guide researchers and donors by identifying projects that require action as top priority; and v) Ensure actions are consistent and complementary at all levels and across all sectors. As such, it constitutes a reference document for implementation of identified priority actions in the Caribbean.