Lionfish invasions in Caribbean and Atlantic waters cause significant ecological harm, and removal programs raise welfare questions about killing methods.
Lionfish removal programs present a genuine welfare dilemma: the fish being killed have morally relevant experiences and cause immense harm to native ecosystems and the welfare of the prey species they consume. The ecological case for removal is strong — lionfish are devastating reef ecosystems that support thousands of other species. Welfare considerations suggest that removal methods should cause the most rapid death possible, and that spearfishing when accurate achieves this more humanely than some alternative methods. The welfare harm to removed lionfish must be weighed against the welfare of countless native fish protected by ecosystem restoration.