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Greece Offers Cash for Catches of Toxic Toadfish Spreading in Mediterranean
Greece began paying fishermen 5.33 euros per kilogram for silver-cheeked toadfish on Friday. The program targets an invasive species that damages nets and carries a neurotoxin. Officials said catches will be frozen and incinerated.
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Greece started a cash incentive program on Friday that pays fishermen 5.33 euros per kilogram for silver-cheeked toadfish. The species has damaged nets and eaten catch off Crete and other islands in recent weeks. The fish contain a neurotoxin in their skin and organs that can cause heart failure if eaten. Officials said the fish have not appeared in bathing areas at island resorts.
Catches will be frozen and incinerated at local government facilities. A similar catch program began earlier this year in Cyprus. The fish are believed to have entered the Mediterranean through the Suez Canal and moved north with warming waters.
Videos posted by fishing crews have shown the fish biting cans and wood. The Greek Red Cross issued a warning that outlined first-aid steps for bites and noted the toxin risk. Sixteen medical and tourism associations on Crete stated there is no imminent danger to bathers and urged against exaggeration.
