Preparations are underway for the practical implementation of a pilot programme launched by the Ministry of Rural Development and Food to manage the toxic pufferfish, known in Greek as lagokefalos and identified as the silver-cheeked toadfish (Lagocephalus sceleratus), an invasive species spreading through Greek waters.

The regions of Crete and South Aegean have been asked to specify how fishermen will take part, where catches will be delivered, how quantities will be certified, and how compensation will be paid.

Spyros Protopsaltis, Secretary General of Rural Development and Food, told the Athenian-Macedonian News Agency (AMNA) that the scheme marks a shift “from identifying the problem to its organised management.” He described the pufferfish as a species that “threatens marine biodiversity, causes damage to fishing activities, and, due to its toxicity, requires absolutely safe handling.”

Addressing professional fishermen directly, Protopsaltis clarified that the projected net payment of 5.33 euros per kilogram applies only to pufferfish that is caught, delivered, recorded, and certified under the approved procedure, and that coordination, transport, storage, preservation, management, and disposal costs are not borne by the fisherman, but organised and covered by the regions as beneficiaries.

He added that the initiative has been in development since last autumn and is launching as a pilot in Crete and the South Aegean, where the problem is most acute, with the goal of supporting fishermen, protecting marine ecosystems, and building a scientifically grounded management model for future expansion.

Below are the 22 questions and answers on the ministry’s pilot programme for pufferfish management.

1. Why is a programme for the pufferfish being implemented?
The pufferfish is an invasive alien species that has spread throughout Greek waters. Its presence threatens marine biodiversity, native species, fishing gear, and the income of commercial fishermen. Because it is toxic, it cannot be treated as ordinary catch: it requires special handling, safe storage, controlled transport, and final disposal that meets public health standards.

2. What exactly does the regulation stipulate?
It covers the targeted catch of pufferfish by commercial fishermen, collection of caught quantities at specific locations, recording and weighing, temporary safe storage, transport, and final disposal or destruction. Scientific monitoring will run alongside the scheme to evaluate its effectiveness in managing the population and protecting biodiversity.

3. In which regions will it be implemented?
The first phase will run on a pilot basis in Crete and the South Aegean, chosen because they have the highest concentration of pufferfish in Greece.

4. Who are the beneficiaries of the programme?
The Region of Crete and the Region of the South Aegean, submitting a joint proposal. They will handle planning, coordination, implementation, drop-off points, the recording procedure, inspections, management of caught quantities, and payments to fishermen.

5. What is the role of commercial fishermen?
They will take part in targeted pufferfish fishing, catching, unloading, and delivering catches to locations designated by the regions under the approved plan. Quantities per fisherman will be recorded, weighed, and certified on delivery, forming the basis for compensation.

6. Where will the pufferfish be delivered?
Only at specific unloading and collection points designated by the two regions, where an organised procedure for receiving, recording, weighing, certifying, and temporarily storing catches must be in place until transport for final disposal.

7. Will there be refrigerators or temporary storage areas?
The regions’ proposal must provide the necessary infrastructure for safe collection and temporary storage, potentially including refrigerated areas, depending on the approved plan. Quantities will not be left unmonitored or moved without being recorded; the procedure will be set by the regions and approved by the ministry.

8. How much will fishermen be paid?
5.33 euros for every kilogram of pufferfish delivered, recorded, and certified under the prescribed procedure, applying only to quantities actually caught and delivered to approved collection points.

9. Is the 5.33 euros per kilogram a net amount for the fisherman?
Yes. It is not intended to cover the fisherman’s operational costs. The fisherman does not pay, out of this compensation, for transport, temporary storage, refrigeration, maintenance, management, incineration, or any other lawful disposal process.

10. Who covers the costs of transportation, storage, and disposal?
Coordination, transport, maintenance, management, and disposal costs are eligible project expenses organised by the regions through the approved plan. The fisherman is paid solely for the certified quantity delivered; organising the supply chain is not his responsibility.

11. What other expenses are funded by the programme?
Beyond fishermen’s compensation, funding also covers remuneration for the project team and scientific monitoring, external contractor services to the regions, management, transport, preservation and incineration or other lawful disposal costs, necessary equipment, supplies, travel, and publicity. The 5.33 euro rate is therefore not reduced by these other costs, which are covered separately as eligible expenses.

12. What will the process be like after delivery?
Quantities will be recorded, weighed, and certified at the designated locations, then temporarily stored safely and hygienically until transported to appropriate facilities for final disposal. The full procedure, including protocols, documentation, and controls, will be detailed in the regions’ proposal.

13. What will ultimately happen to the pufferfish?
Caught pufferfish will not be sold or used for consumption. They will be managed as material requiring special handling due to toxicity, with final disposal carried out lawfully and hygienically, typically involving incineration or another legally approved method, with sanitary landfilling permitted in specific cases under the approved plan.

14. Who will conduct the inspections?
The regions, as beneficiaries, will determine drop-off points, the recording procedure, weighing, certification, and inspections, specifying where and how deliveries take place and who is responsible for receiving and certifying quantities. Scientific monitoring by a competent scientific body will run in parallel to evaluate results.

15. How will it be verified how many kilograms each fisherman delivered?
Quantities will be recorded per fisherman at the delivery points. Payment is based strictly on quantities delivered, weighed, recorded, and certified; without this documentation, payment cannot be calculated.

16. Can a fisherman deliver pufferfish wherever he wants?
No. Deliveries can only be made at locations designated by the regions, under specific conditions to ensure control, safety, record-keeping, and the ability to make payments. Protopsaltis stressed this is an organised pilot programme with a specific plan, not an unregulated process.

17. What applies to recreational fishermen?
The initiative applies only to commercial fishermen participating in an organised manner. There is no general compensation process for recreational fishermen, and pufferfish must not be consumed under any circumstances.

18. What about pufferfish caught in other areas?
The pilot applies only to Crete and the South Aegean; there is no general compensated delivery procedure elsewhere under this call for proposals, though the programme may expand to other regions if the pilot is evaluated positively. Pufferfish caught incidentally elsewhere must not be consumed or sold, and the instructions of the competent authorities must be followed.

19. Why can’t the pufferfish be utilised in any other way?
Managing the species is particularly difficult, as its flesh and internal organs are toxic due to tetrodotoxin, requiring special handling during preservation, transport, and management, and significantly limiting further processing or disposal options. Earlier studies explored possible commercial uses, but these have not attracted investor interest, so the initiative focuses on targeted harvesting, safe collection, documentation, and final management rather than commercial exploitation.

20. Should the initiative have started earlier?
Previous years saw funding for scientific studies and research initiatives on the pufferfish, examining fishing gear impacts, economic, environmental, and social effects, and data on population abundance and seasonal variation. The current pilot builds on this knowledge, moving to organised implementation involving commercial fishermen, operational planning by the regions, and scientific monitoring.

21. When will implementation begin?
The call for proposals has been posted, with a joint submission deadline of September 30, 2026, for the Regions of Crete and the South Aegean, though it is expected to be submitted well before then. Practical implementation for fishermen will begin once the project has been submitted, evaluated, and approved, and delivery points, infrastructure, procedures, controls, and payment methods finalised.

22. What is the ultimate goal of the programme?
The goal is threefold: reducing the pressure the pufferfish exerts on marine ecosystems, supporting commercial fishermen affected by its spread, and creating an organised, scientifically evaluated management model for a serious problem facing Greek waters. The pilot in Crete and the South Aegean will provide the data needed to evaluate its effectiveness and plan next steps.