The government is attempting to hijack the fisheries' board through a bill presented in parliament, the PN said on Wednesday. 

Shadow minister for fisheries Toni Bezzina and shadow minister for cooperatives Robert Cutajar told a press conference that Bill 109, which amends the Fisheries Conservation and Management Act, will lead to almost all members being chosen by the minister responsible for fishing.

As things stand, the majority of members are nominated by the fishers' cooperatives and stakeholders.

The board, among others, discusses and advises the minister on issues that impact the livelihood of fishers. 

"While the government is trying to give the impression it will increase the representation of various types of fishing on the fisheries board, the primary reason for presenting this bill is to change the way the members of this board are selected," the PN spokespeople said.

"Unfortunately, we have a government that, despite boasting about consultation, did not at any stage consult either the fishers or their representatives when drafting this bill.

They noted that the bill will introduce the requirement of having at least one representative under 40 years of age and at least one other representative must be female.

However, "the fact remains that the government is trying to hijack this board by directly appointing almost all of its members," they said.

They warned that if the government did want to admit its mistake and make the necessary amendments so that the board truly represented fishers, with its members being chosen by the fishers themselves, the existence of the fishing industry would be endangered.