The government announced in parliament this evening that it would be replacing the Fisheries Board with a consultative council for fisheries.
The Opposition asked if the government's intention to replace the fisheries board with a consultative council was simply a case of dismantling a board to build another.
“We look at the fisheries sector as one which was abandoned for years and the government intends addressing the sector.
“We are also planning to extend the hard-standing facility in Marsaxlokk where maintenance of fishing vessels is conducted,” Parliamentary Secretary for Fisheries Roderick Galdes said.
Minister Leo Brincat meanwhile said that a parliamentary secretariat for fisheries had been created, something that did not exist during the previous legislature.
He said that the fisheries management committee, comprising two cooperatives and a representative of the department of fisheries, has also been set up for the benefit of Marsaxlokk fishermen.
Mr Brincat pointed out that infrastructure in ports would be improved and a new fish market (pixxkerija) built.
Mr Galdes and Mr Brincat were replying to questions posed by the Opposition benches on how the government intends improving the fisheries sector and the measures it intends implementing.
Mr Galdes said it did not make sense that the fish market lay in close proximity to the abbatoir in Marsa.
Concerns about the proximity of the fish market to the abattoir had led the Mepa board to postpone a decision on whether the new site was suitable back in 2011.
The fish market had been mainly funded by the European Fisheries Fund.
Mr Galdes said that the location of the fish market had been harshly criticised by the fisheries cooperatives but the previous government had still gone ahead with its plans.
PN MP George Pullicino asked Mr Galdes if he knew how much fish is transported by boat to the fish market, which saw Mr Galdes reply in the negative, requesting Dr Pullicino to present his question in writing.
Mr Pullicino said that it did not make any sense that the government feels that the fish market should be in close proximity to the sea since 95% of fish is transported by vehicles to the market.
Mr Galdes earlier said that a fish market should be close to the sea in order to be close to the fishing boats bringing in the fish for convenience purposes after their daily catch.
Mr Pullicino pointed out that two years ago he presented a number of site plans in parliament which show that Sicily, for instance, didn't always resort to hosting fish markets close to the sea and advised Mr Galdes to review the plans to see for himself.