LARNACA, Cyprus (AP) — The calloused fingers of Photis Gaitanos deftly untie the poisonous spikes of a lionfish from a net, and toss the exotic-looking creature into a rubber container filled with ice along with other fish from the day’s catch.
Unlike a few years ago when he would catch the most local staples such as bret, mullet or sea bass, the veteran fisherman now hunts for invasive species that have made their way from the Red Sea to the warming waters of the Mediterranean,
The lionfish, with their red and orange stripes and antennae-like barbs that menacingly repel enemies, threaten to deplete native fish stocks, wreaking havoc on the livelihoods of around 150 professional fishermen in Cyprus.
The fin fish even made its way north to the Ionian Sea, where Italian authorities asked the public to photograph and report sightings.
The eastern Mediterranean has also seen another invasive Red Sea fish in the last decade: the silver-cheeked toadfish. Known as an eating machine whose powerful jaws tear through fishing nets, severing fishermen’s catch, it has no natural predators outside of Cyprus, causing its population to explode.
That toadfish also produces a lethal toxin, which makes it inedible.
Warmer waters are the culprit
Gaitanos, the 60-year-old fisherman, has been fishing for years in an area a few kilometers away from the coastal city of Larnaca, which was once famous for its fishing bounty. Now, he says, it’s been more than two years since he caught mullet, a consumer favorite.
“I have been practicing this profession for 40 years. Our income, especially since the appearance of these two foreign species, has become worse every year. Now it is a big problem (affecting) the future of fishing,” he said. “How can it be treated?”
The General European Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean says that with the warming of the sea about 20% faster than the global average, the presence of invasive species “is increasing progressively in the Western basin.”
Models show that warmer seas as a result of climate change could see lionfish inhabiting the entire Mediterranean by the end of the century. Warmer waters and an expanded Suez Canal have “opened the floodgates” for Indo-Pacific species in general, according to the Cyprus Fisheries Department.
European Union Fisheries Commissioner Costas Kadis, a Cypriot himself, told The Associated Press that more frequent and intense extreme weather, often linked to climate change, could make the Mediterranean more hospitable to invasive species.
And this is taking a toll on Europe’s fishing industry as fishermen’s catches decrease while their costs rise as a result of repairs to fishing gear damaged by heavy intruders.
“The native marine biodiversity of a specific region, as in the case of Cyprus, faces increased competition and pressure, with implications for local ecosystems and the industries that depend on them,” said Kadis.
The fishermen cry for help
Gaitanos, who inherited his father’s boat in 1986, is not sure that the fishermen’s complaints are being dealt with in a way that could stop the decline of the profession.
“We want to show the European Union that there is a big problem with the quantity of the catch as well as the type of fish caught, affected by the arrival of these invasive species and by climate change,” he said.
Some compensation programs funded by the EU have been enacted to help fishermen. The latest, enforced last year, pays fishermen about 4.73 euros ($5.5) per kilogram (2.2 pounds) to catch toadfish to control their numbers. The toadfish is then sent to the incinerators.
Another project, RELIONMED, which started in 2017, recruits around 100 scuba divers to hunt the lion around wrecks, reefs and marine protected areas. The Cyprus Fisheries Department says surveys show that frequent culls can buy time for native species to recover, but this is not a permanent solution.
Some try to eat the problem
What local fishermen are hoping to catch on with the fish-loving public is a new campaign to make lionfish a delicacy after its poisonous spines are carefully removed.
Kadis, the EU Fisheries Commissioner, said a social media campaign launched in 2021, #TasteTheOcean, had top European chefs and influencers promoting invasive species as a tasty alternative to more commonly consumed fish. Renowned Cypriot chef Stavris Georgiou has worked out his own lion recipe.
For most Cypriots, local tavernas with their rich meze menus featuring many different fish dishes is the way to go. Although lionfish food took a while to catch on, many taverns and fish restaurants began to introduce it as part of their menu.
The bonus is that lionfish is now competitively priced compared to more popular fish like sea bass. In the fish market of the port of Larnaca, lion fish costs less than half as much as more popular fish such as sea bass.
“By incorporating invasive species like the lion in our diet, we can turn this challenge into an opportunity for the fishing sector and at the same time help to limit the environmental threat caused by these species,” said Kadis.
Stephanos Mentonis, who runs a popular fish tavern in Larnaca, included lionfish in his meze menu as a way to introduce fish to a wider number of patrons.
Mentonis, 54, says most of his customers are unfamiliar with lionfish. But its flesh is fluffy and tender, and he says it can hold its own with perennial tavern favorites like the breat.
“When they try it, it’s no less tasty than any other fish,” he said.
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Associated Press writer Colleen Barry in Milan contributed to this report.