Greece has declared an unusual war - and is offering money for it. The country will reward fishermen who catch a dangerous invasive fish known as the „rabbitfish," paying 5.33 euros per kilo. The scheme applies to professionals and amateurs alike.

Why all this effort over a single fish? Because the lagocephalus, known as the „rabbit fish," is both toxic and destructive. With its large, rabbit-like teeth, it tears through even the sturdiest fishing nets to reach its prey, causing serious damage to fishermen. And as an invasive species, it wreaks havoc on the local Aegean ecosystem.

The programme is first being rolled out in the southern Aegean and on Crete, as part of a broader package of measures to support Greek fishing. The idea is simple and clever: instead of just banning, you pay someone to solve the problem - and on top of that, you hand the fisherman a profit rather than a fine.

For us in the Balkans, this is an interesting model worth thinking about. Instead of the eternal bans and fines that nobody respects, here's an approach that turns the problem into an incentive. Would the same work here - paying for a solution instead of just fining for a violation? The Greeks, at least, are trying something different from the usual.