The total co-financed public expenditure of the pilot management program for the silver-cheeked toadfish amounts to 1.5 million euros, starting today, as announced by the Ministry of Rural Development and Food.
The program concerns the Regions of the South Aegean and Crete, which are invited to submit a joint proposal for the inclusion and financing of the action. Proposals will be submitted exclusively electronically through the OPS, until September 30, 2026, at 14:00.
The compensation of participating professional fishers may reach up to 5.33 euros (net) per kilo of caught silver-cheeked toadfish, while the program also separately provides for the necessary expenses for the collection, temporary storage, transport, and management of the caught quantities, as well as the required equipment.
Among other things, the program provides for:
- Targeted fishing of the silver-cheeked toadfish with the active participation of professional coastal fishers.
- Financial compensation for participating fishers, which may reach up to 5.33 euros per kilo of caught silver-cheeked toadfish.
- Scientific monitoring of the action.
- Recording, evaluation, and presentation of the results.
- Provision for the necessary infrastructure for collection, temporary storage, recording, weighing, and management of the caught quantities.
- Publicity and public information actions.
The pilot phase of the program focuses geographically on the Region of Crete, where the most significant concentration of the silver-cheeked toadfish population in Greece is recorded, as well as on the Region of the South Aegean.
Finally, according to the Ministry of Rural Development and Food, the silver-cheeked toadfish is one of the most problematic invasive alien species in the Greek seas. Its spread causes serious impacts on marine ecosystems, as it competes with or preys on native species, causes damage to fishing activity, and requires special handling due to its toxicity.