- Crete joined the opening meeting of the European Sea4Future project in Alicante.
- Focus on invasive species threatening Mediterranean fisheries.
- Targeted fishing tools proposed for lionfish and pufferfish.
- Goal: protect ecosystems and support fishermen’s income.
- Practical solutions, not theory, led the discussion.
I have spent enough early mornings near small harbors to know this: fishermen do not need grand speeches. They need tools that work.
That reality framed Crete’s participation in the opening meeting of the European Sea4Future project, held in Alicante. The Region of Crete arrived not with abstract concepts, but with a clear message from the water: invasive species are no longer a future problem. They are already here.
From Theory to Nets and Traps
Sea4Future focuses on a sustainable, ecosystem-based approach to fisheries, using technology to bridge the gap between environmental protection and everyday fishing reality. For Crete, that gap is painfully familiar.
At the meeting, Aliki Karoussou, Head of the Fisheries Department of the Region of Crete and coordinator of the Sea4Future project, outlined concrete actions targeting two invasive species that have reshaped Mediterranean fishing grounds: the Silver-cheeked toadfish (Lagocephalus sceleratus) — also widely known as Sennin-fugu — and the Lionfish (Pterois miles).
Both species have spread aggressively across the Mediterranean, disrupting marine ecosystems and directly affecting fishermen’s incomes and safety. Crete’s proposal focused on developing selective traps for lionfish (Pterois miles) and a specialized fishing tool for the Silver-cheeked toadfish (Lagocephalus sceleratus). These species are both ecologically destructive and toxic.
The idea is simple and realistic: if fishermen are given the right tools and incentives, controlling invasive species can become economically viable rather than another unpaid burden.
Fishing as Part of the Solution
What stood out during the discussions was a shared understanding that invasive species such as the Silver-cheeked toadfish (Lagocephalus sceleratus) and lionfish (Pterois miles) now represent one of the most serious challenges facing Mediterranean fisheries, with direct consequences for biodiversity, fishing safety, and the sustainability of coastal communities.
Crete’s position was clear. Limiting damage is not enough. Fishermen need a reason to engage — and that reason must make sense at the end of the day, when fuel is paid, and nets are repaired.
Why Cooperation Matters
The Region of Crete was also represented by Vasiliki Madoulka, Head of the Department of European and International Affairs and Cooperation Development, who highlighted the importance of interregional collaboration. Environmental problems at sea do not stop at borders, and neither should the response.
What emerged in Alicante was not optimism for optimism’s sake, but something more useful: alignment. Applied research, coordinated policy, and solutions that fishermen can actually use — now, not in five years.
For once, the conversation stayed close to the water.
