Overfishing has reduced competition for food, allowing jellyfish whose stings can cause pain and nausea, to thrive© PA Archive/PA PhotosMauve stingers ... a brush with these can cause pain, burning, nausea and muscle cramps.
Holidaymakers are being warned by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to take local advice in several Mediterranean countries as jellyfish numbers rise along coastlines popular with tourists in Greece, Spain and Malta. Jellyfish numbers have
been rising consistently in the Mediterranean, and researchers warn that the increase in numbers poses a hazard to swimmers, fishing and the marine environment.
The FCO said: "We have been alerted to large numbers of jellyfish in the Mediterranean this summer, especially in a number of key holiday destinations for UK tourists. We have updated our travel advice for a number of Mediterranean countries to reflect this issue."
Up to 150,000 people are treated for
jellyfish stings in the Mediterranean each year. The worst-hit coastlines this summer have been in Greece, Spain, Sardinia, Sicily, Malta, Israel and Lebanon. The FCO recommends that swimmers speak to local authorities and follow their advice on where and when to swim.
Barcelona Institute of Marine Sciences researcher Josep Marรญa Gili told the
Guardian in June that jellyfish represented a growing problem, both in the Mediterranean and across the world.