Greece is preparing a subsidy scheme for professional fishermen to catch the toxic invasive pufferfish spreading through Greek waters, as concern grows over its impact on fisheries, swimmers and the marine environment.

Spiros Protopsaltis, general secretary at Greece’s Ministry of Rural Development and Food, told Mega TV on Monday morning that the government has been working for months on a plan already submitted to the European Commission. The aim is to offer fishermen a payment above the €4.73 per kilo currently used in Cyprus, which Greek fishing representatives have said is not enough to offset rising fuel prices and operating costs. 

“The purpose is to give an incentive. It is more a form of financial support for fishermen,” Protopsaltis said, adding that the final price has not yet been announced.

The measure would focus on targeted fishing during breeding periods, in an effort to limit the population of the species. Protopsaltis stressed that the pufferfish cannot simply be caught and thrown away. Because it is toxic, it must be counted, stored in special refrigeration units and then taken for incineration under specific management rules.

The silver-cheeked toadfish, widely referred to in Greece as lagokefalos, is an invasive species that has spread through the Mediterranean after entering from the Red Sea via the Suez Canal. It contains tetrodotoxin, a powerful toxin, and is not suitable for consumption. Studies and fisheries reports have linked its spread to damage to nets, losses for small-scale fishermen and pressure on native marine species. 

Meanwhile in an extensive report, German newspaper Augsburger Allgemeine has warned holidaymakers in Greece not to ignore the risks posed by the toxic pufferfish, called lagokefalos in Greek, spreading through the Mediterranean, with particular concern over their growing presence around Crete.

The German paper said the summer holiday season had begun in Crete, where visitors can combine archaeological sites, mountain hikes, gorges and beaches with warm conditions for swimming and water sports. However, it said that even with “sun, sand and sea” at their most inviting, tourists should not underestimate the threat posed by the poisonous fish now appearing more frequently in Mediterranean waters.

The species, widely known in Greece as lagokefalos and identified as the silver-cheeked toadfish, is an invasive fish that reached the Mediterranean from the Indo-Pacific through the Suez Canal.

Recent news coverage has revealed widening map of recorded sightings and catches, based on data from ELNAIS, the Hellenic Centre for Marine Research network monitoring aquatic invasive species, with the fish now reported to be sighted around Crete and the Dodecanese and increasingly reported in the Cyclades, Attica, the Saronic Gulf and the Euboean Gulf. The issue has also moved beyond environmental concern, as fishermen describe heavy damage to nets and catches, while the Hellenic Red Cross has issued first-aid guidance following reports of bites. Experts have urged calm, stressing that the bite itself is not poisonous, although the fish’s strong jaws can cause deep injuries and heavy bleeding. The greater danger remains consumption, since the species can contain tetrodotoxin, a powerful neurotoxin that can cause severe, even fatal, poisoning.

Its presence has created problems for marine ecosystems and for the fishing industry. The fish is known for its strong jaws, which can damage nets, lines and other fishing equipment, while its expansion has added pressure to already vulnerable coastal fisheries.