Malta is asking the EU for an increase in the quota of bluefin tuna catches, following a “remarkable recovery” of the species after new controls were put into place a few years ago.

A formal request for higher quotas was made by Parliamentary Secretary Roderick Galdes during a meeting of EU fisheries ministers in Luxembourg.

Mr Galdes told his colleagues that following the “remarkable recovery”, and with the sector now enjoying the most advanced system of management and control in the world, “Malta is calling for a substantial increase in bluefin tuna quota”.

Remarkable recovery of species after new controls were put in place

According to a government statement, the Maltese delegation argued that the sector’s recovery should now be used to give a strong signal that conservation measures pay.

These signals could only be given through an immediate, fair and substantial increase in bluefin tuna quotas.

According to the latest quota plan, Maltese fishermen are allowed to catch 160 tons of bluefin tuna a year.

Maltese fishermen and owners of tuna farms have been putting pressure on the government over the past years to make a case for increased quotas.

However, so far the European Union has not given in to demands and has kept its recovery plan intact.

A decision on next year’s quotas is expected to be made in November during the annual meeting of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas to be held in Genoa.

Bluefin tuna is one of the most lucrative fish caught by Maltese fishermen.

The majority of the catch is exported directly to Japan, where it fetches high prices.

The species is considered a delicacy in Japan and is used mainly for sushi and sashimi.