Fishermen across Greece are declaring “war” on the silver-cheeked toadfish, preparing to head out into Greek waters in an effort to clear, as far as possible, the Aegean Sea of the invasive species. Amateur and professional fishermen from around the country are joining forces against the fish, which has flooded Greek waters and threatens to disrupt the marine ecosystem.

Today, on the initiative of Rhodes-based amateur fisherman and chef Michalis Karpodinis, the first silver-cheeked toadfish fishing competition gets underway, with winners receiving fishing equipment and other prizes each week.

The competition will run for 10 days and, during this period until 30 June, participants hope to reduce the population of the invasive fish. So far, the response to the initiative has been enormous, with views of the competition’s page exceeding half a million and expressions of interest running into the tens of thousands. The initiative is also being closely monitored by local authorities in areas heavily affected by the species.

A characteristic example is Megisti, whose mayor, Nikolas Asvestis, intends to ask the municipal council to organise a similar campaign on Kastellorizo. As the silver-cheeked toadfish has altered its behaviour in recent months and attacks on swimmers are now being recorded, it has become clear that the invasive species poses a threat even to Greece’s “heavy industry” – tourism.

Meanwhile, as previously revealed by protothema.gr, the government is examining the possibility of subsidising the fishing of silver-cheeked toadfish, while also considering other solutions aimed at dramatically reducing the fish’s population and protecting both the ecosystem and Greece’s fishing industry.

Recognising the seriousness of the problem, fishermen have decided not to stand by and do nothing, but to take action themselves. As marine biology experts told protothema.gr, if immediate measures are not taken, silver-cheeked toadfish could wipe out the fish species and molluscs that Mediterranean populations have relied on for food for the past 3,000 years. Forget octopus, squid, gilthead seabream and many other fish species.

In the Jaws of the Silver-Cheeked Toadfish

The fish, which entered Greek waters following the opening of the Suez Canal and through ships that failed to comply with the necessary safety measures, has already caused enormous damage to ecosystems across entire regions.

It is devastating the livelihoods of fishermen because, in addition to consuming other species to the point of disappearance, it tears fishing nets and lines, steals catches and reproduces at an alarming rate. The species lays around one million eggs per year and has no natural predators in the local ecosystem.

According to research by the Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, the average annual loss suffered by a Greek fisherman due solely to damage to fishing gear and catches caused by silver-cheeked toadfish exceeds €6,000.

This is one of the main reasons why the government is seriously considering effectively placing a bounty on the species. The proposal would see fishermen subsidised at a rate of €6 per kilogram as an incentive to catch silver-cheeked toadfish and drive down their numbers. A pilot version of the programme has already been implemented in Crete.

Because of the toxic substance contained in its body, the fish is dangerous and potentially fatal if consumed. It should not be confused with the pufferfish eaten in Japan, as it is a different species of toadfish. As a result, it is unsuitable for human consumption.

Only a handful of species are immune to its poison: the garfish, leerfish, Mediterranean moray eel, loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta), and certain shark species.

According to scientists, however, the garfish and the loggerhead turtle show the greatest aggression towards silver-cheeked toadfish. For this reason, many scientific bodies have suggested to the government that, instead of subsidising the fishing of the species—as has been done in Cyprus using European funding and in Turkey, where universities are simultaneously researching possible uses for the toxin, as is also happening in Egypt—it should subsidise fishermen not to fish.

In other words, they propose introducing a moratorium on the fishing of species that are becoming predators of the silver-cheeked toadfish, such as garfish and leerfish, and allowing nature to take its course. Many recreational fishermen appear to agree, promoting the slogan: “Fill the seas with garfish so they can tear apart the silver-cheeked toadfish.”

Meanwhile, as the risk of irreversible damage to the Aegean ecosystem from invasive species continues to grow, research programmes are already underway in Greece through university-led projects aimed at producing fishmeal from silver-cheeked toadfish.

The innovative Greek research programme, based on the European Union-funded “Lagomeal” project, seeks to determine scientifically whether and how tetrodotoxin can be removed from the fish to produce animal feed. Scientists from the Hellenic Centre for Marine Research (HCMR), together with researchers from Demokritos and other collaborating institutions (IMBBC HCMR), have taken the EU’s Lagomeal project a step further, having already identified a method for producing safe fishmeal from silver-cheeked toadfish.

Nationwide Silver-Cheeked Toadfish Hunting Frenzy

Until the government decides how to proceed and whether to subsidise silver-cheeked toadfish fishing across Greece—as previously revealed by protothema.gr, this proposal remains under consideration alongside alternative recommendations from scientific bodies—fishermen are taking matters, or rather their fishing gear, into their own hands.

Over the next ten days, a nationwide silver-cheeked toadfish hunting effort involving both professional and amateur fishermen is expected to unfold across Greece.

The idea conceived and implemented independently by amateur fisherman Michalis Karpodinis is simple. From today until 30 June, anyone catching silver-cheeked toadfish can upload photographs and details of their catch—such as the location and, where applicable, characteristics including weight—to a dedicated Facebook page he created for the purpose, Sea Safe Greece.

Each week, sponsors, mainly from the fishing industry, will provide prizes to winners selected based on the largest or most impressive catches. According to Mr Karpodinis, the initiative will not only benefit the ecosystem but will also enable the Ministries of Shipping and Rural Development and Food to draw useful conclusions regarding silver-cheeked toadfish fishing.

“The silver-cheeked toadfish is not only a threat to fishermen,” Mr Karpodinis said.

“It is a threat to the entire economy connected to the sea. In the Dodecanese and Crete, the consequences are already visible. Populations of many species have declined significantly and, along with them, recreational fishermen, professional fishermen and, of course, fishing tackle shops have all been affected, watching the market shrink year after year.

“What is happening on our islands today could happen tomorrow in every coastal region of Greece. Mainland Greece is surrounded by the sea, and no one will remain unaffected if the problem continues to spread.

“That is why the 1st Panhellenic Silver-Cheeked Toadfish Fishing Competition is not simply a competition. It is an effort to inform and raise awareness, with the aim of protecting the future of our seas and everyone who lives or works around them.

“We are particularly appealing to fishing tackle retailers. Their support is not merely sponsorship. It is an investment in their own future. Because without fish, there is no fishing. And without fishing, sooner or later the entire sector will suffer.

“If we do not act today, tomorrow may be too late.”