As one of the few islands in the European Union, it's no surprise that fishing plays a part in Malta's economy. From fishing tourism to industrial-scale, it has been at the heart of the country's culture for centuries and continues to be so to this day. In this article, we're going to take a look at the current state of the commercial and tourist industries and how the size of the sector compares to that of its European neighbours.
Fishing tourism in the archipelago
In recent decades, fishing as a tourist pursuit has increased globally. We can see this popularity in many forms of entertainment. For example, countless television series about life at sea captivate audiences, such as Wicked Tuna and Deadliest Catch, while the gambling industry now too offers plenty of fish-themed games for its players. Using a bingo app to play slots, bingo, and jackpots, users can gamble their money in games such as Fishin' Frenzy which replicate the feeling of being at sea in a slot format. This increased interest in fishing has had a positive effect on Malta
Tourists coming to the island can expect to find a range of fish that they can mostly fish freely on a catch-and-release basis. The tourist fishing industry has been running for decades, and as such, fishing shops are well-equipped with rods, bait, and anything else that tourists require. While one of the best things about fishing in Malta is the ease of shore fishing, many fish, such as tuna, come close to those fishers sitting patiently, whether it is at St Paul's or Miġra l-Ferħa.
The domestic fishing sector
On the commercial side, fishing as it's seen today in the archipelago only arrived relatively late in the 1980s due to the influx of foreign companies. As such, it grew without much legislation. This began to change in the 2000s, when a framework for more sustainable practices was created. These days, it's said that Malta catches over 1,300 metric tonnes each year, of which 1,000 are exported to Europe and Asia.
How Malta compares to Europe
Comparatively, the fishing sector is small when put side by side with other countries in Europe. According to figures, only 0.07 of the annual fish catch in the EU comes from Malta, a tiny percentage. Malta's neighbour pain, which has the largest industry in the EU, has over 8,000 km of coastline. Their fishing fleet is the third largest in Europe, but they produce just under one million metric tonnes of products each year.
Malta averages around 130,000 tourists per month, a number that has remained steady over the past few years. While it has many things to offer visitors, fishing remains high on the list of attractions. On the commercial side, according to ReportLinker, the Maltese fishing sector is expected to show more growth in the coming years. With sustainable fishing practices in place on the commercial side, the industry will continue to remain important in the near future.
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