The Bluefin Tuna has undergone one of the most remarkable recoveries, with the sector now enjoying the most advanced system of management and control measures in the world. In this context, Malta is calling for a substantial increase in Bluefin Tuna quota.

This position was made clear by Parliamentary Secretary for Agriculture, Fisheries and Animal Rights Roderick Galdes, during the Agriculture and Fisheries council held in Luxembourg in the past days.

The Maltese delegation argued that the sector's recovery should now be used to give a strong signal that conservation measures do pay, and explained that these signals can only be given through an immediate, fair, and substantial increase in the Bluefin Tuna quota.

Galdes gave credit to the sector for the success of the Recovery Plan and invited the Green Lobby to now embark on more challenging tasks by focusing also on less charismatic species that deserve urgent attention and on which it is more difficult to mobilise public sympathy and involvement.

Malta also referred to the freshly published scientific advice and explained how this will allow the European Union to be ambitious in terms of negotiating an increase in the Bluefin Tuna quota.

Discussions will now intensify in Brussels in the coming weeks and a final decision on quota will be taken at the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas' (ICCAT) annual meeting which will be held in Genoa between 10 and 17 November 2014.

Roderick Galdes congratulated former EU Commissioner Maria Damanaki upon the attainment of this success, and augured that the next Commission will continue to build upon these results.