WWF urges Greece seafood fans to eat non-native species
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Greek fishermen are keen to market species that they currently throw overboard because consumers do not know they are perfectly edible.
PHOTO ILLUSTRATION: UNSPLASH
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ATHENS – The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) on April 22 urged seafood eaters in Greece to step up to the plate and help trim the ranks of more than a dozen invasive species that are increasingly threatening local fauna.
“There is a new reality on the market, especially in southern Greece and the Dodecanese islands, where there is a strong presence of non-native species,” WWF marine programme associate Panagiota Stappa told a news conference.
“Little by little, many more non-native fish species will appear on the market,” she said.
Greek fishermen are keen to market species that they currently throw overboard because consumers do not know they are perfectly edible, said WWF field fishery manager Michalis Margaritis.
He cited the case of one Greek island, where 400kg of spinefoot (Siganus luridus) had been discarded.
“People do not choose non-native species because they are afraid of them,” said chef Giorgos Tsoulis.
“It will take, I believe, many more years for us to achieve the goal,” he added.
Though particularly destructive to the seabed because of its voracious appetite, the spinefoot is nevertheless “incredibly rich” in fish oil and “very tasty”, Mr Margaritis said.
WWF’s responsible seafood guide, a revised version of which was unveiled on April 22, features more than 100 species available on the Greek market.
Among them are 13 invasive species that were not on the previous guide in 2015.
“Some may be already eating non-native species and not know it,” Mr Margaritis said.
“There are more than 13 species; we just listed the ones easiest to find,” he added.
He said that on his native island of Rhodes, three mullet species were crowding out the native red mullet.
The invaders include the Atlantic shrimp (Penaeus aztecus) and blue crab (Callinectes sapidus) in the northern Aegean Sea, and the lionfish (Pterois miles) in waters farther south.
According to “realistic estimates”, it is believed that 65 per cent of seafood consumed in Greece is imported, Mr Margaritis said.
According to fisheries sector data, Greeks consume 19.6kg of seafood per year, compared to an European Union average of 23.5kg, the organisation said. AFP
