Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/514194
maltatoday, WEDNESDAY, 20 MAY 2015 News MARTINA BORG IT'S no secret that global warm- ing can cause unwelcome chang- es in different regions of the world, with some species finding themselves comfortable in terri- tories that otherwise might not have been so hospitable to them in the past due to inconvenient temperatures. One such species is the toxic silver cheeked toadfish, which was first caught in Maltese wa- ters last summer. "The species originally and typically inhabits the consider- ably warmer Indian and Pacific Oceans, but its presence in the Mediterranean points to the possibility that these waters are becoming warm enough to host tropical fish," Alan Deidun, pro- fessor in physical oceanography at the University of Malta, told MaltaToday. Deidun explained that the sil- ver cheeked toadfish is not how- ever, the only species of its kind, with the Mediterranean holding over 1,000 so called alien marine species. "Little is, in fact, known about the possible consequences these species could have on existing ecosystems, or how they can be used profitably if caught." The identification process for the silver cheeked toadfish caught last year took so long be- cause there are some eight dif- ferent puffer fish species present in the Mediterranean, and al- though they are not all toxic, they all have very similar quali- ties. "The silver cheeked toadfish is actually only toxic if it is ingest- ed; but its strong neurotoxin can be fatal at times as it can lead to paralysis, and it always leads to hospitalisation," Deidun said. He explained that even in Ja- pan, where the fish is considered a delicacy, long and extensive training courses are required to learn exactly how the fish can be safely cooked and eaten. The fish has been present in the Mediterranean since 2004, and it has spread considerably throughout the area, after hav- ing accessed the waters through the Suez Canal. "The fish has spread so much it was also sighted in Spanish wa- ters recently, and although there is no official research on the fish's presence in local waters, I suspect there is a small popula- tion," Deidun said, explaining that in other countries like Tuni- sia and Italy, the presence of one fish was followed by many others like it being caught in quick suc- cession. Deidun stressed that it was important to carry out research into the topic and raise aware- ness both with fishermen and consumers. "Countries like Italy and Tuni- sia are currently running public awareness campaigns to warn the public about the dangers this fish could pose, but there is nothing of the sort on a local level yet." Deidun said that since not a lot of research had been done to look into these fairly recent additions in the Mediterranean ecosystem, few of the species were known to be particularly damaging, but little to nothing was known about others. "The nomadic jellyfish is an ex- ample of an alien species which came to the Mediterranean in the 70's. This jellyfish is very common in the Eastern Mediter- ranean countries and it has been known to close off beaches and clog fishing nets, as well as water pipe systems in power stations in Israel for instance," Deidun explained. He added that around two spec- imens of the species had been seen in Malta, but there was no evidence that it was present in large quantities. "This species in particular can have a strong socio-economic impact, and although the effect of all alien species is not known, one thing is indisputable; they are competing for the same re- sources that other intrinsic spe- cies could need," he added ex- plaining that around one sixth of the fish in the Mediterranean were thought to be alien species. "Furthermore, Maltese con- sumers are not yet aware of how these 'newer' species can be cooked if they end up being caught by fishermen," Deidun said. Starting from €9,695 For more information contact: Michael Debono Limited 0GLQD5RDGĽHEEXã 7HO VDOHV#WR\RWDFRPPW ZZZWR\RWDFRPPW Toyota Gozo Showroom 0ãDUU5RDG ;HZNLMD;:.*R]R 7HO JJV#WR\RWDFRPPW Toyota Malta 5 year WARRANTY DEBONO F I N A N C E ONLY 5.5% VARIABLE RATE OVER 6 YEARS New alien marine species in the Med may pose threat to intrinsic species