The Mediterranean Sea faces an intrusion by a venomous pufferfish that poses a threat to both swimmers and fishing activities.
In response to sightings of the hazardous silver-cheeked toadfish throughout Greece, authorities have constructed extensive barriers in the sea to help protect beachgoers from these fish and jellyfish intrusions.
Recognizable by its razor-sharp teeth capable of ripping through bone, wood, and metal, this invasive species has prompted the Greek Red Cross to issue a dire warning about its presence.
Adding to its threat, the flesh and organs of the pufferfish harbor a potent neurotoxin, tetrodotoxin, which poses significant health dangers, including possible heart and lung paralysis if consumed.
Originally native to the Indian Ocean, these pufferfish are believed to have infiltrated the Mediterranean by following the warmer waters through the Suez Canal from the Red Sea.
Cypriot fishermen were first to spot that their catch and nets were being decimated below the water.
And while they have been in the Mediterranean since as early as 2003, their population has blossomed in recent years – especially in areas like top holiday destination Rhodes – and can be found as far west as Italy and Spain.
Their brutal bite has turned to humans, with increasing reports of attacks on swimmers – only last week, an elderly Greek woman was left needing stitches after the fish unexpectedly lunged at her in Varkiza, near Athens.
The dangerous silver-cheeked toadfish has been spotted across the Mediterranean, with fang-like teeth that can tear through bone, wood and metal
Fishermen have complained of the pufferfish decimating their catch and their nets, while reports of attacks on humans are becoming more common
And while they have been in the Mediterranean since as early as 2003, their population has blossomed in recent years, especially in areas like top holiday destination Rhodes (pictured)
‘If one of them bites you, it will simply cut off your finger. They destroy the sea. They don’t leave anything behind,’ a Greek fisherman, Alexis Charalampakis, reportedly said.
The Greek Red Cross have said that victims should seek emergency care if they are bitten as they can cause severe wounds.
Clean water and soap should be used to clean the wound and to apply heavy pressure with a piece of gauze or clean cloth, before seeking professional medical help.
Already, 2.5 kilometres of a floating barrier has been installed in some bays along Evia, Greece’s second largest island.
While the nets – the first floating barrier to be installed in Greece – were initially implemented to deal with the thick swarms of jellyfish that blighted the beaches last summer, the nets ‘killed two birds with one stone’, Chalkida’s vice mayor Antonis Spanis reportedly said.
‘Our duty and primary concern has to be the safety of our citizens,’ he was reported to have said, but added that they promised a ‘carefree summer’.
A further seven kilometres of floating barriers with thickly woven netting are set to be delivered from Athens and experts are hoping that this should be strong enough to deter the creatures.
Cypriot authorities first introduced financial incentives in 2024 to encourage fishermen to help support a government-backed eradication scheme by removing them from the waters.
Since its introduction, more than 100 tonnes of the pufferfish – which has no natural predators – has been destroyed.
Athens announced a similar scheme last week where £4.56 (€5.33) was up for grabs for every kilogram of the fish surrendered to authorities, who would later incinerate it.
Areas in the southern Aegean Sea and around Crete are also being offered fuel-subsidies as part of the EU-funded scheme.
Nota Peristeraki of the Hellenic Centre for Marine Research said that these pufferfish can contribute to £7,270 (€8,500) worth of damage and lost income, per France24.
However, the Initiative to Save Pufferfish has been reported criticising the eradication efforts, instead arguing that the fish require ‘protection and respect’, according to The Guardian.
Ioannis Batjakas, a marine biologist based in Lesbos, said the reports of attacks are exaggerated and that, like most fish, they would only lash out if provoked, per the newspaper.