Officials warn beachgoers of invasive pufferfish capable of causing serious harm

Key Points:

• European Commission officials warn beachgoers in the Mediterranean, especially near Greece, about the invasive and highly poisonous pufferfish species Lagocephalus sceleratus, which poses a physical threat to swimmers and damages fishing equipment.
• The aggressive pufferfish has no natural predators, leading to significant ecological disruption by preying on native species and causing over €5,000 in annual damage to Greek fishermen's nets.
• The invasion of pufferfish negatively impacts the aquaculture industry, particularly in Greece, where limited fish-feed production plants struggle to meet demand.
• To address these challenges, the European Commission is promoting economic incentives by heat treating pufferfish to neutralize its toxin, making it safe for human consumption and creating a new market.
• Using processed pufferfish as part of fishmeal in aqua farms has shown positive effects on European sea bass growth, potentially reducing invasive populations while boosting economic growth in the fishing sector.