The lionfish is an invasive species from the Indo-Pacific, now also found in the East Coast of the United States and in the Caribbean. An exceptional predator that reproduces year round, the lionfish has wreaked havoc on the natural ecosystem with a population more than 10 times higher than in its native environment. With a population so high, it is unlikely the extermination practices of any one person, or even any one organization could eliminate them, though eliminating them would benefit everyone. Therefore, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) launched a campaign highlighting how tasty lionfish are and presenting instructions on how to cook them. The NOAA's approach to solving this problem is best described as using the economics of:

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The NOAA is using the economics of private goods to solve a public goods free riding problem. By promoting the consumption of lionfish as a delicacy and providing instructions on how to cook them, the NOAA is hoping to increase the demand for lionfish and create a market for them, thus reducing their population in the wild. This is an example of using private goods (i.e. food products) to address a public goods problem (i.e. the overpopulation of an invasive species), by addressing the incentive problem of free riding.

The Lionfish Is an Invasive Species from the Indo-Pacific, Now