Overview
- The Greek Red Cross published official first‑aid advice in mid‑June after a rise in incidents involving the invasive hasenkopf pufferfish in shallow tourist waters.
- The fish can bite with strong, beak‑like jaws that cause deep, bleeding wounds but the bite itself is not poisonous; eating the flesh is life‑threatening because it contains tetrodotoxin.
- Regional authorities are offering monetary incentives to fishers—reports show payments of €4.80 per kilogram in some areas and the agriculture ministry is considering increasing the bounty to €6/kg.
- Fishermen report nets and bait damaged by the species and unusually large shallow‑water catches were recorded in early June, raising local safety and economic concerns for coastal communities.
- Marine scientists point to Suez Canal changes, ballast‑water transfer and decades of overfishing that reduced predators as drivers of the spread, while other experts say deliberate attacks on people are rare and may be overstated.