It came from the (Red) Sea! Invasive fish spur creative responses in Cyprus.

Blue and white fishing boats cluster in a busy harbor in Cyprus, their decks covered in ropes, baskets, and fishing nets. Fishers in sun-bleached caps sluice down the decks as cats forage for scraps in the shade – a typical Mediterranean scene.

What is much less typical is the catch these boats are pulling up from the ocean depths.

Cypriot fishers are snagging fish from the Indian Ocean and Red Sea in place of calamari, sardines, and other traditional staples of beachside tavernas. Around 800 exotic species of marine life, from fish to urchins, have entered the Mediterranean through the Suez Canal, posing acute challenges for the Cypriot fishing industry.

The exotic fish, drawn into the Mediterranean

Culling the toadfishEating the aliens“Other countries will have time to prepare”