Videos of a strange fish with human-like teeth biting through cans are spreading online in Greece, and the government is now paying fishermen to catch the toxic species.
What happened?
The silver-cheeked toadfish has an unusual look, but it can be dangerous: the pufferfish relative carries a powerful neurotoxin in both its skin and organs.
Greece has started paying fishermen about $2.75 per pound to catch the fish after it appeared near Crete and several other Greek islands, according to the Associated Press.
The AP said authorities think warmer waters drew the species through the Suez Canal and into the Mediterranean.
For fishing crews, the toll is already being felt. The fish are known to chew through nets and eat valuable catches. Giorgos Kyriakakis, of a Cretan fishermen's association, told Greek public broadcaster ERT, "It's got to the point where we might go out fishing one day and then spend the next three days fixing our nets."
Why does it matter?
In this case, fishermen are losing both time and money to damaged equipment, while officials try to keep a dangerous species out of the food chain.
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Under the program, the fish will be stored frozen and then incinerated at local government facilities, the AP reported.
As warming oceans and ecosystems continue to change, communities are being forced to adapt in real time.
Invasive species like these also pose serious issues; they can outcompete local species for resources and breed quickly because they lack natural predators in the ecosystem, leading to a cascading effect.
What are people saying?
Agriculture Minister Margaritis Schinas, a former European Commission vice president, said, "It's the first time that such a measure has been taken in Greece."
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At the same time, 16 medical and tourism associations on Crete urged calm, saying: "There is, however, no 'invisible' or imminent danger to bathers. Marine predators do not threaten the safety of visitors and residents."
They added, "Exaggeration is often a feature of public debate."
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