The alarming spread of the silver-cheeked toadfish in Greek waters — along with the overwhelming response to a nationwide species-tracking competition — was described by the initiative’s creator, Michalis Karpodinis, speaking on the “Morning Start” show on Parapolitika 90.1 with host Eri Panagou.
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The 11-year-old who caught 162 puffer fish
A highlight of the conversation was young Lefteris, just 11 years old, from Kastellorizo, who currently sits at the top of the competition’s junior category, having caught 162 puffer fish in just three to four days.
Mr. Karpodinis described the children’s participation as particularly moving, noting that more and more young anglers are joining the effort and helping document a serious environmental problem. “The younger age groups have started a healthy competition among themselves, and every day we see more entries,” he said.
The young competition leader will receive a fishing rod as his prize, while the organizers also sent him two fishing chairs — one for himself and one for his mother, who accompanies him on his fishing trips. The competition doesn’t only reward the biggest catches, either. Weekly prize draws are held for participants across all three categories — junior, shore fishing, and boat fishing — thanks to donations from businesses and private individuals who support the initiative.
720kg of puffer fish recorded in just six days
Mr. Karpodinis emphasized that data is being collected daily from fishermen across the entire country through the CCF Greece platform. As he revealed, within the first six days of the website’s operation, a staggering 720 kilograms of puffer fish had been logged — a figure that starkly illustrates the species’ overwhelming presence in Greek waters.
“In Rhodes and Crete the situation is particularly intense, but we are now receiving reports from areas such as Chios and Thasos, where until recently we did not expect to see them appearing in such large numbers,” he said.
Through the app, participants photograph their catch and the system automatically records data such as GPS location, water temperature, and other environmental parameters, so that the information can be utilized by the scientific community. The competition runs until August 30 and is open to participants from all over Greece.
“I’ve personally caught a puffer fish weighing 14kg”
Speaking about the size of the puffer fish being caught, Michalis Karpodinis revealed that the largest he has personally caught weighed 14 kilograms, in the waters between Karpathos and Kasos. Regarding the proposed government subsidy for catching puffer fish, he estimated that the measure is unlikely to be implemented within this year, as the necessary infrastructure for collecting and managing the catch still needs to be put in place.
He also clarified that the subsidy program is intended exclusively for professional fishermen.
“Many fishermen have abandoned the profession”
Particularly alarming was his account of the impact the puffer fish has had on professional fishermen. “In Rhodes and Crete, many professionals have handed in their licenses and stopped fishing altogether, as the damage the puffer fish causes to nets and equipment is enormous,” he stressed.
