Greece Pays Fishermen 5.33 Euros a Kilogram to Catch Toxic Toadfish as Barriers Go Up
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Aug 1
Greece Pays Fishermen 5.33 Euros a Kilogram to Catch Toxic Toadfish as Barriers Go Up
3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Aug 1
Summary
Greece is offering fishermen 5.33 euros per kilogram to catch invasive silver-cheeked toadfish, while municipalities along the Gulf of Euboea install floating nets to protect swimmers.
2.5 kilometers of barrier will be set in bays around Chalkida, where local officials say the measures are meant to keep bathing areas safe even though authorities report no sightings at Greek island resort beaches.
The fish entered the Mediterranean through the Suez Canal and has spread with warmer seas; its flesh and organs contain tetrodotoxin, and its beak-like jaws can shred nets and cause serious bite injuries.
A 2024 study logged 198 human-health incidents across the eastern Mediterranean from 2004 to 2023, including 28 physical attacks, 144 non-lethal poisonings and 27 deaths from eating the fish.
The species has few natural predators in the Mediterranean and has already damaged fishing gear off Crete and other Greek islands, turning it into both a public-safety and economic problem.