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Fitis Gaitanos’ gnarled fingers deftly untangled a lionfish’s stinger from a net and tossed the bizarre-looking creature into a rubber bin filled with ice cubes along with the others. fish Judging from the day’s catch.
Unlike a few years ago, when he mainly fished for local staples such as snapper, red mullet or bass, the experienced fisherman now hunts invasive species from the area. Red Sea to warm waters Mediterranean.
Lionfish, which have red and orange stripes and antennae-like barbs that menacingly ward off enemies, are threatening local fish populations, wreaking havoc on the livelihoods of around 150 professionals. fishermen in Cyprus.
The spiny fish has even spread as far north as the Ionian Sea, where Italian Authorities have asked the public to take photos and report sightings.
Another invasion also occurred in the Eastern Mediterranean Red Sea Fish of the decade: the silver-cheeked toad. Known as a feeding machine, its powerful jaws can cut through fishing nets, decimating fishermen’s catches. It has no natural predators near Cyprus, so its population has exploded.
The toad also produces a deadly toxin that makes it inedible.
The culprit is warming sea water
Mr Gaitanos has been fishing for years in an area a few kilometers from the coastal town of Larnaca, once famous for its rich fishing resources. Now, he said, he hasn’t caught the popular red mullet in more than two years.
“I’ve been in this profession for 40 years. Our income, especially since the arrival of these two alien species, has deteriorated every year. It is now a major issue (affecting) the future of the fishery,” he said. “How to deal with this?”
The European General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean said the presence of invasive species was “gradually increasing in the western basin” as waters warmed about 20% faster than the global average.
Models suggest that by the end of the century, lionfish could be sweeping across the Mediterranean as climate change causes oceans to warm. Seawater warming and area expansion suez canal The Cyprus Fisheries Ministry said the floodgates had “opened” for species in the Indo-Pacific region.
this European More frequent and severe extreme weather, often linked to climate change, could make the Mediterranean more hospitable to invasive species, said Kostas Kadis, a Cypriot and union fisheries commissioner.
This has dealt a heavy blow to European fisheries, as fishermen are seeing fewer catches and the costs of repairing fishing gear damaged by the powerful invaders are rising sharply.
“In the case of Cyprus, native marine biodiversity in specific areas faces intense competition and pressure, which has an impact on local ecosystems and the industries that rely on them,” Mr Caddis said.
cry for help
Mr. Gaitanos, who inherited his father’s boat in 1986, is not sure whether the fishermen’s grievances are being addressed properly to prevent the industry’s decline.
“What we want to show is European Union There’s a big problem with the amount of fish caught and the types of fish that are caught, both with the arrival of these invasive species and the impacts of climate change,” he said.
Several EU-funded compensation schemes have been enacted to help fishermen. The latest regulations, due to be implemented in 2024, pay fishermen around €4.73 (£4.13) per kilogram to catch the toads in an effort to control their numbers. The toads are then sent to the incinerator.
Another project, RELIONMED, launched in 2017, recruits about 100 scuba divers to cull lionfish around shipwrecks, coral reefs and marine reserves. The Cyprus Fisheries Ministry said surveys showed that frequent killings could buy time for native species to recover, but it was not a permanent solution.
The problem of eating
Local fishermen hope to launch a new activity in which lionfish will be carefully removed from their stings and served as a delicacy, which will be welcomed by fish lovers.
Mr Caddis said the social media campaign #TasteTheOcean, which began in 2021, attracted Europe’s top chefs and influencers to promote the invasive species as a tasty alternative to more common fish. The famous Cypriot chef Stavris Georgiou created his own lionfish recipe.
For most Cypriots, local taverns with extensive appetizer menus that include many different fish dishes are the best choice. Although eating lionfish has been slow to catch on, many taverns and fish restaurants have started to include it as part of their menus.
The upside is that lionfish are now priced more competitively than more popular fish like bass. At the Larnaca Port fish market, lionfish costs less than half the price of more popular fish such as seabass.
“By incorporating invasive species such as lionfish into our diets, we can turn this challenge into an opportunity for the fisheries sector while helping to limit the environmental threats posed by these species,” Mr Caddis said.
Stephanos Mentonis, who runs a popular fish tavern in Larnaca, has included lionfish on his appetizer menu as a way to introduce the fish to more customers.
Mr. Mentonis, 54, said most of his customers were unfamiliar with lionfish. But its meat is fluffy and tender, and he says it rivals perennial pub favorites like sea bream.
“When they tried it, they found it tasted no worse than any other fish,” he said.