The government has announced a pilot scheme to pay a bounty for the lagocephalus in the Regions of Crete and the South Aegean. Professional fishermen will receive a reward of €5.33 per kg for helping to stem the dangerous spread of the foreign species in Greek waters. The targeted fishing scheme is an attempt to save the marine ecosystem and to provide practical support to the fishing sector.
On 25th June the Ministry of Rural Development and food announced a package of measures aimed at reducing the operating costs and protecting the incomes of fishermen, and creating a stable operational framework for the sector. Two measures were announced following consultations by the Minister of Rural Development and Food, Margaritis Schinas, with representatives of the fishing sector and officials of the services involved.
The first is a subsidy for the fuels used by professional fishermen. A contribution of €0.16 per litre will be paid initially for the months of April and May, and of €0.12 per litre for June. According to Mr Schinas, adjustments to the law will be needed in order to implement the measure.
A truckload of pufferfish awaiting disposal in Cyprus, where a compen-sation scheme has been in operation since 2024. Photo: Oceans-and-fisheries.ec.europa.eu.
The second measure is a pilot fishing programme in the Regions of Crete and the South Aegean, making use of European funds. The maximum net subsidy is set at €5.33 per kg, an amount which according to the Ministry is up to 52% higher than that in force in Cyprus.* The measure aims to supplement fishermen’s incomes, while at the same time restricting the spread of the invasive species. The scheme is only open to professional fishermen.
The program, funded through European resources at a cost of up to €1.5 million, will operate through regional authorities, which will designate ports for the delivery and weighing of catches. The Ministry said that operational costs, including special freezers and disposal by incineration, will be covered by the State. Additional support measures for affected fishermen are planned.
(Haniotika Nea, 26/06/26, eKathimerini)
Minister demands EU action on invasive species
The Greek Minister of Rural Development and Food, Margaritis Schinas, who is also a former Vice President of the European Commission, addresses the media as he arrives for a meeting of the EU Agriculture and Fisheries Council in Brussels, 23rd June. Photo: European Council.
The Greek government has requested emergency European Union intervention to combat the scourge of the silver-cheeked toadfish. Speaking at the EU Agriculture and Fisheries Council in Brussels, Greece underscored the need for a comprehensive European response to support the domestic maritime sectors.
The Greek Minister of Rural Development and Food, Margaritis Schinas, emphasised that fishing constitutes the economic backbone of the nation’s coastal and island regions. This vital sector is currently confronting intense, multi-layered pressures. High fuel costs have already grounded a significant portion of the Greek fishing fleet, a crisis now severely compounded by the ecological disruption caused by the invasive species.
Athens has urged the European Commission to deploy immediate countermeasures, noting that the biological invasion affects the wider Mediterranean basin. In parallel, Greek authorities are advancing local population-control initiatives while awaiting formal policy and funding approval from the European Union.
(Radiomoldova.md)
*Since the figure currently being paid by Cyprus is €4.73 per kg, it is not clear how this percentage is arrived at.