On the 18th of December 2020, Dr. Demetris Kletou (Director the “Marine and Environmental Research (MER) Lab” and Scientific Coordinator of the “RELIONMED-Life” project) gave an interesting interview to the journalist Mrs. Rosie Charalambous on the “Cyprus News Digest” podcast that is presented in collaboration with the “Cyprus Mail”.
The discussion was about the lionfish invasion in the Mediterranean, the species’ characteristics that result in a negative impact on the area’s environment and socio-economy and the project’s actions to control this invasion. Some of the RELIONMED efforts presented include the lionfish removals with the assistance of the “Removal Action Teams (RATs)” of the project, the introduction of lionfish in the local market (in jewellery shops and restaurants) and the use of the “IUCN MedMIS” platform (or the “Lionfish Portal” included in it) for reporting lionfish sightings.
The project’s website (www.relionmed.eu) was promoted by the journalist who encouraged people to visit it and get informed about the project, to find the link from where to download the “MedMIS” application or to contact the project if needed. A big thank you to Mrs. Rosie Charalambous for this discussion on so many matters of the lionfish invasion and actions taken to control it and for hosting RELIONMED in her show. The interview is found in the second half part of the link below (all rights reserved by the journalist Mrs. Rosie Charalambous). Enjoy the interview! Spread the information. Everyone can help control the lionfish invasion in the Mediterranean Sea!