Lionfish are becoming more common, their spread impossible to stop without organized fishing

The lionfish is an increasingly frequent guest of the Montenegrin seabed, and according to the words of a scientist at the Institute of Marine Biology, Dr. Aleksandar Joksimović, for Boje jutra on TV Vijesti, its spread can no longer be stopped without concrete measures from the state.

"A single female can produce up to two million eggs per year. We don't have time to wait any longer – we need an organized hunt," says Joksimović.

The first individual in the Adriatic was recorded in 2021, and today the Institute receives reports from fishermen, tourists, and citizens almost daily. The lionfish can most often be seen on the rocky bottom, but it is increasingly approaching the shore.

Although it is poisonous, Joksimović emphasizes that there is no reason to panic.

"It is dangerous, but not deadly. If a sting occurs, the site should be treated with warm water, never ice," he adds.

He believes that Montenegro should follow the example of Greece and launch a targeted fishing campaign, with incentives for fishermen, because lionfish can also be used in food after the poisonous spines are removed.

In addition to the lionfish, he also warns about a much more dangerous species – the four-toothed, known as the fugue fish. Speaking about changes in the Adriatic, Joksimović points out that the arrival of tropical species is a direct consequence of sea warming.

He also commented on the frequent posts about sharks in the Adriatic, saying that encounters with them are extremely rare.

"The sea is their habitat, not ours. Homo sapiens is a much more dangerous species for nature than sharks are for humans," the researcher explains.

Joksimović also spoke about a recent scientific expedition to Antarctica, where he and his colleagues spent two months exploring the marine world.

"Antarctica is a privilege for every scientist. There you realize how powerful nature is and how small man is," says Joksimović.

Yet, even the most remote continent did not remain untouched.

"We found plastic in Antarctica. That's perhaps the most powerful message of how much we impact the planet and how much it's time to start protecting it."