Greece Launches Bounty Program Against Invasive Silver-Cheeked Toadfish

As the Greek Minister for Rural Development and Food, Margaritis Schinas, explained to Greek media, the program is not about eradication: "Our goal is to create incentives, but to be honest we will not see any spectacular changes," he said. Schinas emphasized that it is rather about limiting the population, especially during the spawning season, and about supporting professional fishermen, according to the report.

The silver-cheeked toadfish originates from the Indian Ocean and the Pacific. It migrated into the Mediterranean through the Suez Canal, where it was first detected in 2003. Since then, it has reproduced rapidly, displacing native species. The rather inconspicuous fish, which is usually about 40 centimeters long and weighs 9 kilograms, also possesses very sharp, beak-like teeth.

Danger to Fishermen and Consumers

Fishermen repeatedly report severe bite wounds they have suffered, for example when cleaning nets, because it has very sharp, beak-like teeth. The fish empties their nets and chews them apart in the process. For swimmers, the Greek Centre for Marine Research (HCMR) classifies the risks as extremely low: only a single incident from the year 2022 is known so far, in which a swimmer was bitten. Injuries occur far more frequently, for example, from the native greater weever.

In addition to the mechanical risks, experts warn against consumption: The silver-cheeked toadfish contains the neurotoxin tetrodotoxin (TTX), which blocks nerve impulse transmission and is not destroyed by heating during cooking. This is why the species is poisonous and must not be eaten. Documented is a case of five foreign sailors who had caught and eaten the fish and were poisoned by it, but did not die from it.

As the HCMR emphasizes, according to the Greek Centre for Marine Research (HCMR) there are only few targeted studies on the impact of the silver-cheeked toadfish on biodiversity. Nevertheless, scientific models indicate that it has negative consequences. The species is adaptable and there are few natural predators, the HCMR says.

Experience from Turkey

The fishing associations welcome the program, as the toadfish has been causing problems for fishermen for years and disrupting the ecosystem. The bounties are intended to actively contain the unwanted population while simultaneously offering the affected professional fishermen compensation for damages incurred.

Greece is not alone in this step: In Turkish waters, where the fish became a problem years ago and where bounties for its catch also exist, around 290,000 silver-cheeked toadfish were caught last year according to the Turkish Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry. Estimates suggest that this prevented 22 million new individuals. The Greek program is now intended to show whether a similar effect can be achieved in the Aegean.