Greece Is Paying Fishermen to Catch Toxic Toadfish Invading the Warming Mediterranean
The government is offering 5.33 euros per kilogram as the toxic fish damage nets and prompt a wider response across Greek waters.
- Starting Friday, Greece's government is offering 5.33 euros per kilogram to fishermen catching invasive, toxic toadfish in the Mediterranean Sea to reduce the population.
- Attracted by warming waters, the silver-cheeked toadfish traveled through the Suez Canal into the Mediterranean, prompting Cyprus to launch a similar catch program earlier this year.
- The silver-cheeked toadfish possesses a deadly neurotoxin and humanlike teeth that shred fishing nets, causing damage Giorgos Kyriakakis of a Cretan fishermen's association called "very costly."
- On Friday, 16 medical and tourism associations on Crete issued a statement asserting "marine predators do not threaten the safety of visitors and residents" at island resorts.
- Agriculture Minister Margaritis Schinas said caught fish will be frozen and incinerated at government facilities, with the program likely expanding from affected islands to all Greek waters.
24 Articles
24 Articles
Toxic fish with razor sharp teeth are invading Greece
A silver-cheeked toadfish after being caught by fishermen on the southern Greek island of Crete (Picture: INTIME NEWS via AP) Toxic fish with human-like teeth are invading Greece just as tourist season gets into full swing. The silver-cheeked toadfish is a torpedo-shaped species with prominent, razor sharp teeth. As well as having a vicious bite, it contains a powerful neurotoxin called tetrodotoxin, which can cause heart and lung failure, makin…
Catching Toxic Toadfish Driven Into Mediterranean Nets Cash
Fishermen in Greece can receive cash payments for catching toxic fish migrating north into the Mediterranean Sea because of climate change. The silver-cheeked toadfish is a torpedo-shaped species with prominent, humanlike teeth. Its skin and organs contain a powerful neurotoxin that can cause heart failure in humans if consumed. Authorities...
Associated Press News
Greece is paying fishermen to catch toxic toadfish invading the warming Mediterranean
Greece has launched a cash incentive for fishermen to catch toxic silver-cheeked toadfish as the invasive species spreads through the Mediterranean due to warming seas linked to climate change.
Athens, 27 June 2026 (AFP) – The Greek regions of the island of Crete and the Southern Aegean will be able to apply from Monday for the first bonus program for the capture of the balloon fish, an invasive species that threatens fishing and marine ecosystems, announced on Saturday Athens. The Greek government will offer 5.33 [...] Read more Greece: The government offers bonuses to fishermen capturing balloon fish appeared first on MARINE & OCEANS.
Toxic silver-cheeked toadfish invade Greece, prompting government catch initiative
The Greek government has introduced a cash incentive of €5.33 per kilogram for fishermen harvesting the invasive silver-cheeked toadfish, which poses a threat to local fisheries by damaging nets and consuming catches. This measure follows similar actions in Cyprus amid rising temperatures in the Mediterranean.
Sharp-Toothed Pufferfish in Greece: Between Reality and Internet Meme
Greece has found itself with an unusual summer scare: a sharp-toothed, toxic pufferfish, viral videos showing it biting through cans and wood, fishermen warning that it destroys their nets, and social media turning the species into a kind of Mediterranean sea monster. As usual, the truth is less cinematic than the meme, but serious enough to deserve public attention. The fish behind the story is the silver-cheeked toadfish, or Lagocephalus scele…
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