Cypriot fishermen battle invasive lionfish and turn them into a tavern delicacy

LARNACA, Cyprus (AP) — Photis Gaitanos’ tough fingers deftly untangle the venomous spines of a venomous animal lion fish He tosses the exotic-looking creature into an ice-filled plastic bin with other fish caught that day.

The experienced fisherman now catches, unlike a few years ago when he mostly caught local staples such as bream, red mullet or sea bass. invasive species Heading from the Red Sea to the warming waters of the Mediterranean,

lionfishWith its red and orange stripes and antenna-like spines that menacingly warn enemies away, it threatens to decimate native fish stocks and damage the livelihoods of around 150 professional fishermen in Cyprus.

The stickleback has moved as far north as the Ionian Sea, where Italian authorities are asking the public to photograph and report their sightings.

Another invasive Red Sea fish has also appeared in the Eastern Mediterranean in the last decade: the silver-cheeked frogfish. This machine, known as an eating machine whose powerful jaws cut fishing nets and reduce the amount of catch caught by fishermen, has no natural predators. Cyprusallowing its population to explode.

This frogfish also produces a lethal toxin, making it inedible.

Warmer waters are to blame

Gaitanos, a 60-year-old fisherman, has been fishing for years in an area a few kilometers from the coastal city of Larnaca, once famous for its fishing. He says it’s been more than two years since he caught pinto beans, a consumer favorite.

“I have been doing this job for 40 years. Our income has gotten worse every year, especially since the emergence of these two alien species. It has now become a big problem affecting the future of fishing.” “How to deal with this?”

Europe’s General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean says: sea ​​warming The presence of invasive species is “increasing in the western basin,” about 20% faster than the global average.

Models show that lionfish could flood the entire Mediterranean by the end of the century in warmer seas as a result of climate change. Warming waters and the widening Suez Canal have “opened the floodgates” to Indo-Pacific species in general, according to the Cyprus Fisheries Department.

Costas Kadis, the European Union’s Cypriot Fisheries Commissioner, told The Associated Press that more frequent and intense extreme weather conditions, often linked to climate change, could make the Mediterranean more hospitable to invasive species.

This is dealing a heavy blow to the European fishing industry, as fishermen’s catch decreases and costs skyrocket as a result of repairing fishing gear damaged by powerful intruders.

“The native marine biodiversity of a particular region is facing increasing competition and pressure, which has negative impacts on local ecosystems and their dependent industries, as in the case of Cyprus,” Kadis said.

Fishermen are crying for help

Gaitanos, who inherited his father’s boat in 1986, is not confident that fishermen’s complaints are being addressed in a way that will prevent the decline of the profession.

“We want to show the European Union that there is a big problem with the amount and type of fish caught, which is affected by the arrival of these invasive species and climate change,” he said.

A number of EU-funded compensation schemes have been put in place to assist fishermen. The latest regulation, implemented last year, pays fishermen about 4.73 euros ($5.5) per kilogram (2.2 pounds) to catch frogfish in a bid to control their numbers. The frogfish is then sent to incinerators.

RELIONMED, another project that started in 2017, is recruiting about 100 scuba divers to cull lionfish from wrecks, reefs and marine protected areas. The Cyprus Fisheries Department said surveys showed frequent culls could buy time for native species to recover, but it was not a permanent solution.

Some try to eat the problem

What local fishermen hope will spark the interest of the fish-loving public is a new campaign to present lionfish as a delicacy after their poisonous spines have been carefully removed.

EU Fisheries Commissioner Kadis said #TasteTheOcean, a social media campaign that started in 2021, saw European chefs and influencers highlight invasive species as a delicious alternative to more commonly consumed fish. Famous Cypriot chef Stavris Georgiou prepared his own lion fish recipe.

For most Cypriots, local taverns with extensive meze menus featuring many different types of fish are the way to go. Although eating lionfish has been slow to become widespread, many taverns and fish restaurants have begun to introduce it as part of their menus.

The advantage of this is that lionfish is now sold at a competitive price compared to more popular fish such as sea bass. At the fish market in Larnaca harbour, lionfish costs less than half that of more popular fish such as sea bass.

“By introducing invasive species like lionfish into our diet, we can turn this challenge into an opportunity for the fishing industry and at the same time help limit the environmental threat posed by these species,” Kadis said.

Stephanos Mentonis, who runs a popular fish tavern in Larnaca, included lionfish in his appetizer menu as a way to introduce the fish to more customers.

Mentonis, 54, says most of his customers are unfamiliar with lionfish. But the meat is tender and tender, and he says it can stand up to perennial pub favorites such as sea bream.

“When they try it, they see that it is no less delicious than other fish,” he said.

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Associated Press writer Colleen Barry in Milan contributed to this report.