IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v13y2021i17p9621-d622801.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Insights from a Survey of Texas Gulf Coast Residents on the Social Factors Contributing to Willingness to Consume and Purchase Lionfish

Author

Listed:
  • Raven D. Blakeway

    (Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary, Contracted through CPC, Galveston, TX 77551, USA)

  • Ashley D. Ross

    (Department of Marine and Coastal Environmental Science, Texas A&M University at Galveston, Galveston, TX 77554, USA)

  • Glenn A. Jones

    (Department of Marine and Coastal Environmental Science, Texas A&M University at Galveston, Galveston, TX 77554, USA)

Abstract

Indo-Pacific lionfish ( Pterois volitans and P. miles ) are the first marine teleost to become established in the Western Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea, and Gulf of Mexico. Lionfish have been labeled a global conservation issue and pose major threats to local economies. To test whether commercial harvest of lionfish is a socially accepted management approach in Texas, we measured the components of an environmental behavior intention model with survey responses of Texas Gulf Coast residents (n = 420). Regression analyses of survey responses indicate that individuals were significantly more willing to consume lionfish if they had a high level of concern for the environmental problems posed by the invasive species and were more knowledgeable about the fish. Participation in an educational program that addresses lionfish was also found to be associated with greater willingness to consume lionfish among those who are moderately to highly concerned about the issue. The originality of this study is related to its contribution in identifying social factors that contribute to an individual’s willingness to consume lionfish. Insights from this study demonstrate the attitudinal and behavioral mechanisms that can be addressed to increase acceptance of using consumption as a sustainable management strategy to combat marine fish invasions.

Suggested Citation

  • Raven D. Blakeway & Ashley D. Ross & Glenn A. Jones, 2021. "Insights from a Survey of Texas Gulf Coast Residents on the Social Factors Contributing to Willingness to Consume and Purchase Lionfish," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(17), pages 1-16, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:17:p:9621-:d:622801
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/13/17/9621/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/13/17/9621/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Mónica Pérez-Ramírez & Marco A. Almendarez-Hernández & Gerzaín Avilés-Polanco & Luis F. Beltrán-Morales, 2015. "Consumer Acceptance of Eco-Labeled Fish: A Mexican Case Study," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 7(4), pages 1-18, April.
    2. Roberts, Michaela & Cresswell, Will & Hanley, Nick, 2018. "Prioritising Invasive Species Control Actions: Evaluating Effectiveness, Costs, Willingness to Pay and Social Acceptance," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 152(C), pages 1-8.
    3. Sigit Sudarmadi & Shosuke Suzuki & Tomoyuki Kawada & Herawati Netti & Soeharsono Soemantri & A. Tri Tugaswati, 2001. "A Survey of Perception, Knowledge, Awareness, and attitude in Regard to Environmental Problems in a Sample of two Different Social Groups in Jakarta, Indonesia," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 3(2), pages 169-183, June.
    4. Skyler Simnitt & Lisa House & Sherry L. Larkin & Jennifer Sweeney Tookes & Tracy Yandle, 2020. "Using Markets to Control Invasive Species: Lionfish in the US Virgin Islands," Marine Resource Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 35(4), pages 319-341.
    5. Pimentel, David & Zuniga, Rodolfo & Morrison, Doug, 2005. "Update on the environmental and economic costs associated with alien-invasive species in the United States," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 52(3), pages 273-288, February.
    6. Huth, William L. & McEvoy, David M. & Morgan, O. Ashton, 2018. "Controlling an Invasive Species through Consumption: The Case of Lionfish as an Impure Public Good," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 149(C), pages 74-79.
    7. Hernandez-Hernandez, Emilio & Adams, Charles, 2004. "The economic significance of the Gulf of Mexico related to population, income, employment, minerals, fisheries and shipping," MPRA Paper 38979, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Ceddia, M.G. & Bardsley, N.O. & Goodwin, R. & Holloway, G.J. & Nocella, G. & Stasi, A., 2013. "A complex system perspective on the emergence and spread of infectious diseases: Integrating economic and ecological aspects," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 90(C), pages 124-131.
    2. Auriel M. V. Fournier & R. Randy Wilson & Jeffrey S. Gleason & Evan M. Adams & Janell M. Brush & Robert J. Cooper & Stephen J. DeMaso & Melanie J. L. Driscoll & Peter C. Frederick & Patrick G. R. Jodi, 2023. "Structured Decision Making to Prioritize Regional Bird Monitoring Needs," Interfaces, INFORMS, vol. 53(3), pages 207-217, May.
    3. Aznarul Islam & Sanat Kumar Guchhait, 2017. "Search for social justice for the victims of erosion hazard along the banks of river Bhagirathi by hydraulic control: a case study of West Bengal, India," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 19(2), pages 433-459, April.
    4. Blackwood, Julie & Hastings, Alan & Costello, Christopher, 2010. "Cost-effective management of invasive species using linear-quadratic control," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 69(3), pages 519-527, January.
    5. Don Driscoll & Adam Felton & Philip Gibbons & Annika Felton & Nicola Munro & David Lindenmayer, 2012. "Priorities in policy and management when existing biodiversity stressors interact with climate-change," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 111(3), pages 533-557, April.
    6. Sinden, John Alfred & Griffith, Garry, 2007. "Combining economic and ecological arguments to value the environmental gains from control of 35 weeds in Australia," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 61(2-3), pages 396-408, March.
    7. Emily J. Kothe & Mathew Ling & Barbara A. Mullan & Joshua J. Rhee & Anna Klas, 2023. "Increasing intention to reduce fossil fuel use: a protection motivation theory-based experimental study," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 176(3), pages 1-20, March.
    8. Cook, David C., 2008. "Benefit cost analysis of an import access request," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 33(3), pages 277-285, June.
    9. Holmberg, Robert J. & Tlusty, Michael F. & Futoma, Elizabeth & Kaufman, Les & Morris, James A. & Rhyne, Andrew L., 2015. "The 800-Pound Grouper in the Room: Asymptotic Body Size and Invasiveness of Marine Aquarium Fishes," Marine Policy, Elsevier, vol. 53(C), pages 7-12.
    10. Rai, Rajesh Kumar & Scarborough, Helen, 2012. "Estimating the public benefits of mitigating damages caused by invasive plant species in a subsistence economy," 2012 Conference (56th), February 7-10, 2012, Fremantle, Australia 124421, Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society.
    11. Charles Perrings, 2016. "Options for managing the infectious animal and plant disease risks of international trade," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 8(1), pages 27-35, February.
    12. Aldrich, Preston R. & El-Zabet, Jermeen & Hassan, Seerat & Briguglio, Joseph & Aliaj, Enela & Radcliffe, Maria & Mirza, Taha & Comar, Timothy & Nadolski, Jeremy & Huebner, Cynthia D., 2015. "Monte Carlo tests of small-world architecture for coarse-grained networks of the United States railroad and highway transportation systems," Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, Elsevier, vol. 438(C), pages 32-39.
    13. Elofsson, Katarina & Bengtsson, Goran & Gren, Ing-Marie, 2011. "Optimal Management of Invasive Species with Different Reproduction and Survival Strategies," 2011 International Congress, August 30-September 2, 2011, Zurich, Switzerland 114343, European Association of Agricultural Economists.
    14. George Pipinos & Persa Fokiali, 2009. "An assessment of the attitudes of the inhabitants of Northern Karpathos, Greece: towards a framework for ecotourism development in environmentally sensitive areas," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 11(3), pages 655-675, June.
    15. repec:lib:0000of:v:2:y:2016:i:1:p:17-20 is not listed on IDEAS
    16. M-Mahdi Naddaf-Sh & Harley Myler & Hassan Zargarzadeh, 2018. "Design and Implementation of an Assistive Real-Time Red Lionfish Detection System for AUV/ROVs," Complexity, Hindawi, vol. 2018, pages 1-10, November.
    17. Costello, Christopher & Springborn, Michael & McAusland, Carol & Solow, Andrew, 2007. "Unintended biological invasions: Does risk vary by trading partner?," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 54(3), pages 262-276, November.
    18. Antonín Kouba & Francisco J Oficialdegui & Ross N Cuthbert & Melina Kourantidou & Josie South & Elena Tricarico & Rodolphe E Gozlan & Franck Courchamp & Phillip J Haubrock, 2022. "Identifying economic costs and knowledge gaps of invasive aquatic crustaceans," Post-Print hal-03860579, HAL.
    19. İ. Esra Büyüktahtakın & Robert G. Haight, 2018. "A review of operations research models in invasive species management: state of the art, challenges, and future directions," Annals of Operations Research, Springer, vol. 271(2), pages 357-403, December.
    20. Horsch, Eric J. & Lewis, David J., 2008. "The Effects of Aquatic Invasive Species on Property Values: Evidence from a Quasi-Random Experiment," Staff Papers 92216, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics.
    21. Alexander H DeGolia & Elizabeth H T Hiroyasu & Sarah E Anderson, 2019. "Economic losses or environmental gains? Framing effects on public support for environmental management," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 14(7), pages 1-17, July.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:17:p:9621-:d:622801. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.