Fishermen across Greece are demanding government help to combat an invasive species threatening their livelihoods: the pufferfish.
Stathis Evangelou, 29, who has fished Astypalaia’s waters since he was 9, says he catches up to 200 pufferfish daily, which destroy nets and gear while eating valuable catch.
The species, which migrated from the Red Sea, has spread along Greece’s coast since at least 2005.
The Hellenic Center for Marine Research says pufferfish harm ecosystems and carry tetrodotoxin, a potent neurotoxin with no known antidote, making the fish illegal for human consumption under EU law.
The Agriculture Ministry has drafted a pilot program, modeled on Cyprus’ approach, to subsidize targeted fishing of the species, pending EU approval.
