Filenews 21 September 2021
The "invasion" of the seas of Cyprus by fish species, which until now were unknown in the Mediterranean and the challenges they pose to Cypriot fishing, is reported by the Daily Telegraph from Cape Greco.
The publication focuses on the poisonous harehead (or frogfish) and the also dangerous lionfish, with the note that the latter is delicious after carefully removing the poisonous fins and thorns.
The correspondent of the British newspaper speaks with fishermen who describe the advent of the harehead as a "disaster", as it is such an aggressive fish that it devours the fish inside the nets. As far as the lionfish is concerned, it is noted that if the perception changes and the world focuses on its palatability, it could develop into an advantage for Cyprus, which suffers from overfishing of native fish species.
As experts point out, the marine fauna in Cyprus and gradually in the rest of the Mediterranean has changed, with more and more tropical fish appearing and dominating.
This is attributed to the fact that the temperature of the Mediterranean, of which Cyprus is described as the "threshold", is rising by 20% faster than the global average temperature increase. In fact, according to the Global Fund for Nature, the Mediterranean is actually turning into a tropical sea, which is a reminder of the danger of climate change.
At the same time, the widening of the Suez Canal has changed the salt content of the waters of the Mediterranean, no longer preventing the migration of such fish species.
As a representative of the Cyprus Fisheries Department reports, some fishermen in Cyprus now report that all the fish they catch are foreign species. He adds that these species can no longer be eliminated, but what can be done is a management plan of the new data that is being created.
