Fishermen who invested to upgrade their vessels last year following an increase in their allocated tuna quota are angry after discovering that the increase was only applicable for two years.

The National Fishing Cooperative last month requested Prime Minister Robert Abela’s intervention on the matter but the issue is still pending. In a letter sent to its members, the cooperative expressed its disappointment at the manner in which the government had handled the issue.

“We feel we have been betrayed. Had we known what was coming we would not have undertaken certain financial commitments,” the cooperative told its members.

The matter was also raised by Nationalist MEP candidate Peter Agius who in a Facebook post criticised the change in position, which he claimed was the result of Anton Refalo replacing Clint Camilleri as agriculture and fisheries minister.

Both Agius and the cooperative questioned why the tuna quota increase introduced in 2019 will only be extended to this year. This means that as from 2021, the old quota will be reverted to.

Fishermen complained that the only condition mentioned last year when the quota was raised, was that the new additional quotas could not be transferred. They said that following weeks of speculation, on February 28 they were notified by the authorities that the increase was only applicable for two years.

The ministry is insisting that the limitation was announced from the very beginning, a claim the cooperative denies.

In its letter, the cooperative told members that in a meeting held last February the ministry failed to show any documents to justify the two-year arrangement. 

Under the extension granted last year, 52 new operators with boats no longer than 12 metres were allowed to catch an additional 40.5 tonnes of tuna. 

At the time Clint Camilleri, who was the fisheries parliamentary secretary, said that the new quota system, which he had branded as an “unprecedented rise” was geared towards encouraging smaller operators to enter the game.

Ministry insists two-year timeframe was clear from offset

Replying to questions after the article was published in print, the Ministry for Fisheries insisted the cooperative had been made aware of the two-year arrangement from the very beginning.

It pointed out that the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas was expected to decide on the new quotas from 2021 on the strength of scientific advice about the status of the stock.

“It is expected that the bluefin tuna quota would continue to increase following the success of the recovery plan. In view of this, it was decided that new quota is given for two years and arrangements to be reviewed once new quota is adopted,” the ministry said when asked about the reasons behind the existing two-year arrangement.