The holiday season is a special time of year for many among us. It is a time for reflection on these past 12 months, our highs and our troughs. It also gives us the time to look forward to the future, to aspire, to hope.
For some of us, however, the daily routine does not take a back seat during the festive period. Notwithstanding the choppy weather, our fishers still continue to face the elements, delivering food that our families enjoy wholeheartedly on their dinner tables. Their unwavering commitment remains unabated and the entire Maltese community remains thankful and appreciative.
This year, the month of December brought with it exciting and positive developments for our fishing industry. A few days ago, in the final European Council Meeting for Fisheries and Aquaculture, our country managed to obtain a substantial increase in its tuna fishing quota for the next three years. This 44-tonne increase represents an 11 per cent jump from the same quota last year.
For the past few weeks and months, the Maltese representatives in Europe shared one voice with other European member states in appealing to the Council in favour of such an adjustment. The plea did not materialise out of nowhere:
indeed, the last statistics published by the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Blue-Fin Tuna had presented scientific evidence that showed a substantial increase in the oceanic bluefin stocks.
The Maltese position on this was clear: the quotas put forward by the Commission had to be ones that reflected the latest scientific evidence. Moreover, small-scale fishers facing the brunt of ecological and maritime degradation, such as the ones here in Malta, had suffered the most for the longest period of time, and, thus, they had to reap the fruits of their sacrifice.
This important development is indeed a huge step forward for Maltese fishers, who are among the most under threat by the effects of climate change, dwindling fish stocks that have been overfished in the past years, and other structural problems.
Indeed, this increase in quota is the first of its type in three years, in a sub-section of our local fishing sector which truly represents the ecological importance and the significant value that it brings to our shores.
After all, tuna fishing has been a predominant part of Maltese fishing for centuries. The earliest historical records date back to the times of Knights of St John, with successive administrations maintaining records on different catchments as far back as the 1920s.
We are committed to transformative change of our fishing industry- Alicia Bugeja Said
Notwithstanding this important development, we are keenly aware of the obstacles that our fishers continue to face. The impact of climate change is already well-documented, and, yet, the exponential threat that it poses continues to loom large.
Other issues, however, are more economic and structural. On both a global and local scale, the tuna fish industry has developed from an artisanal sector to a predominantly industrial modus operandi. This has meant that small-scale tuna fisheries in Malta have had to compete on unequal footing within a transnational market, subject to the same mass-scale global policymaking.
Unfortunately, more often than not, such regional policymaking fails to sufficiently address the individual and specific needs of small fishing communities.
This amalgamative effect, while synonymous in different global industries, hit fishing industries the hardest. At a time where local food sustainability is at the top of the political agenda, many fishers have been unwittingly driven out of the industry and made to seek out other sectors of employment.
In this light, this government has already been planning to address as much as possible some of the local structural deficiencies. Through our Young Fishers Scheme, we will facilitate the retention of decades of experience from one generation of fishers to the next. During 2023, we will also step up our efforts in promoting locally sourced products by engaging directly with both private establishments and the public.
We are also committed to transformative change of our fishing industry. For this reason, we have scheduled no less than 43 consultation meetings with fishers from all backgrounds. Their opinions, daily experience and aspirations will be the necessary bedrock for any future changes that we have promised to undertake, starting from 2023.
The road ahead is long and the obstacles that we face are indeed voluminous. Together, however, we can enact the necessary changes needed.
On a concluding note, I would like to once again express my thanks to all the fishers and their families, those involved in the seafood chain, researchers, scientists, public officials and stakeholders. Thank you to all those who engage on a daily, if not hourly basis, with the fishing, acquaculture, animal welfare and agriculture sectors.
It has been a privilege serving you for the very first time during these past eight months and I look forward to many more months of fruitful work.
Our work is far from done. Indeed, our vision for this country requires that we maintain our course for further innovation and change with the same momentum that we’ve displayed in the first few months.
Wishing all readers and their families a Happy New Year.
Alicia Bugeja Said is Parliamentary Secretary for Fisheries and Aquaculture.