Lionfish are invasive in the Caribbean and Atlantic, and management programs raise welfare questions about how best to control this damaging species.
Lionfish management through spearfishing causes immediate death in skilled hands but wounding and delayed death in less skilled removals. Their venomous spines make them dangerous to handle, incentivizing fast but not necessarily humane killing. As fish with pain systems, they suffer during capture and improper killing. The ecological necessity of control must be balanced with humane killing methods. Education programs for divers should include humane dispatch techniques.