Updated 9.25pm, adds owner's reaction

A large quantity of tuna and other fish believed to be ready for sale on the black market have been seized by the health authorities following a raid at a location in Żabbar.

The fish, which is believed to be worth thousands of euros, were missing vital traceability documents which certify their origin. Some of the fish was also being stored in a room which does not meet environmental health standards.

Sources told Times of Malta that the haul ran to around 1,200 kilogrammes. 

The owner is, however, arguing, that there was nothing irregular with the consignment.

Raids of the location in Żabbar’s Ta’ Maġġi industrial zone took place over the past days and involved officers from the Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture with the involvement of the Directorate of Veterinary Regulations and the Directorate of Environmental Health.

In a statement, authorities said that the fish and tuna were sealed and confiscated and that the investigation was expected to continue in the coming days.

Representing the owner, lawyer Franco Debono said his client had acquired the fish legally and would be providing the authorities with the relevant relative receipts and documentation.

Moreover, the authorities were fully aware, that he had been waiting for clearance from the department for the consignment to be destroyed.

The seizure comes as Malta’s fishing enforcement is under scrutiny, following a high-profile court case in Spain in which prosecutors alleged that corruption in that country’s tuna farming sector stretched across the Mediterranean to Malta’s fisheries department.

The head of that department was suspended and replaced after Spanish media released transcripts of phone conversations in which she allegedly demanded payment from a major player in the sector. 

Sources had subsequently told Times of Malta that those claims were "just the tip of the iceberg". 

Two inquiries into the sector are currently under way.