Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi inaugurated a new service for the maintenance of fishing vessels yesterday evening at Marsaxlokk.

The EUR2 million facility included land reclamation and the purchase of two cranes to help fishermen pull their boats ashore.

The site enables 22 boats to be laid side by side so that fishermen can do maintenance on them.

Seventy-five per cent of the cost was borne by the EU under the Financial Instrument for Fisheries Guidance and 25 per cent by the Maltese government.