A bag limit, restricting the amount and the size of fish that can be caught, has been imposed on recreational lampuki fishing, the fisheries commission announced on Tuesday.
Recreational fishermen will be only allowed to catch a daily bag limit of 10kg or five lampuki (dolphinfish) of any size, according to a new EU regulation.
The fishermen must also only catch lampuki which are 35cm or more in length, with it being forbidden to catch, retain or store any fish smaller than that.
Incidental catches will be allowed, as long as they do not exceed 5% of the limit by weight.
Lampuki fishing season will kick off on Santa Marija, August 15, and runs until the end of December.
Since 2021, amateur anglers have been allowed to participate in the lampuki season on the condition that their catch remains for personal consumption and is not sold.
Previously, there was no bag limit on how many of the vibrant green and dark blue fish could be caught, but the new regulation is part of a multiannual management plan for the sustainable fishing of lampuki in the Mediterranean Sea.
The regulations do not impact commercial fishermen.
Gilbert Balzan, the director of Fisheries said the new measure is part of a set of recommendations by the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM).
He said during negotiations, the EU recommended that recreational fishermen be allowed to catch one fish per person per day, but Malta and Italy refused the recommendation.
Following further discussions, it was established that the daily bag limit of recreational fishermen catching lampuki is set to 10kg or five fish of any size, per person per day.
Balzan explained that research shows that Italian recreational fishermen catch around 20kg of lampuki per day. In Malta, he said the average is 5 to 6kgs per day.
“It is important to note that the lampuki species are not in decline,” Balzan emphasised.
Applications for recreational fishing close on Monday 5 August, and there is no payment fee. The lampuki recreational authorisation will be issued from August 1 and be sent via email.
Fishermen can fish with a rixa (handline) or qasba (fishing rod) within eight miles from land on their authorised fishing aggregated devices (FADS).
Commercial fishermen, on the other hand, can catch their fish outside of the eight miles.
Recreational catch must be declared
Balzan said the directorate introduced a mobile app and online system for fishermen to register their catches.
It is understood that there will be no further enforcement to ensure the recreational fishermen abide by the new regulations, but Balzan emphasised the need for fishermen to register their catches for data which can be used in future negotiations.
"By declaring your catch, we can then use this data to show the EU that the bag limit is fair, and provides a level playing field for all fishermen," he said.
"Registering the catches also provides us data so that Malta can negotiate for the best fishing models and quotas."
He said the regulation will remain in place until 2026, and the following year, a scientific board will analyse the data and the number of catches every country has recorded.
Speaking during the press conference, Parliamentary Secretary for Fisheries Alicia Bugeja Said added that the new regulations will benefit some 600 registered recreational fishermen.
Fishing for lampuki has become a contested affair in recent years, with local fishermen accusing counterparts from neighbouring Tunisia of stealing fish from their fronds.