Overview
- In late June the Greek government announced a pilot program that pays professional fishers 5.33 euros per kilogram for captured silver-cheeked toadfish in Crete and the southern Aegean.
- Officials framed the scheme as population control rather than eradication and said regional authorities will cover cooling and disposal expenses for collected fish.
- Fisheries groups praised the incentive but warned that catching the species requires special gear, that stocks are already large, and that removal is operationally difficult.
- The silver-cheeked toadfish carries tetrodotoxin that is not destroyed by cooking and has caused a small number of non-fatal poisonings and rare bite injuries, so authorities urge caution in handling and strict disposal.
- Turkey’s similar bounty, which removed roughly 290,000 fish last year, is cited as a reference point but Greek ministers say benefits are likely to be limited and focused on protecting nets and catches during spawning.