A 15-year-old Greek student from Athens has won a fishing contest focused on catching toxic pufferfish, an invasive species that has increasingly alarmed swimmers and fishermen along Greece’s coastlines.
Giannis Tsouktouridis took first place in the children’s category of a pufferfish fishing competition held as part of a recent 10-day initiative. He received a fishing rod as his prize.
The contest targeted lagocephalus, a toxic invasive pufferfish that has spread through Greek waters and poses a growing threat to the marine environment.
Greek student says he caught 158 toxic pufferfish in one day
Tsouktouridis, who has been fishing since the age of nine, said he began catching pufferfish two years ago and that he already knew from a young age that the species harmed mediterranean nature.
He also revealed that during his latest fishing trip, he caught 158 pufferfish at the Nautical Club of Amfithea.
“The last time I went fishing, I caught 158 pufferfish,” he said.
The 15-year-old also addressed public concern over the fish’s toxicity, explaining that touching it does not automatically cause poisoning unless someone has an open wound.
Pufferfish fishing campaign to continue through August
Michalis Karpodinis, an amateur fisherman and chef from Rhodes who launched the initiative, said the campaign will continue until August 30.
Karpodinis said organizers are holding weekly raffles as part of the effort, which includes separate categories for shore fishing, boat fishing, and children’s participation.
Tsouktouridis’s win in the children’s category highlighted both the scale of the pufferfish problem in Greece and the growing public effort to limit the spread of the invasive species.
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