While congratulating Dr Joe Borg on his appointment as EU Commissioner responsible for fisheries and maritime affairs, AD urged the Maltese government to set an example by supporting sustainable fishing rather than unsustainable tuna penning. It called on the authorities to remove those fish farms that are too close to the coast and are harming tourism.

AD’s spokesman for the environment and rural affairs Mark Causon expressed AD’s concern over the proposed site. “The proposed site is on a reef where the sea is quite shallow. Therefore the impact on the marine environment, tourism and the quality of life of people living in the south east of Malta would be negative. In order to minimise pollution, fish farms should be grouped together further offshore than the proposed site, where the sea is much deeper.

“The depth and the prevailing currents would minimise pollution. A site in the same area that was previous used for depositing construction waste would be ideal for this purpose. If this is deemed technically impossible, the authorities should rethink the future of fish farming and tuna penning in Malta and Gozo. Phasing out these activities would probably be the wisest decision in a small island like Malta.

“The government should also consider the social impact of shifting even more unsustainable activities to the south of Malta which is already over burdened with polluting industries. The neglected tourism potential of the south should also be considered. Past mistakes in tourist zones in the north of Malta should not be compensated for by similar mistakes in the south,” added AD’s spokesman.

AD is supporting the four local councils from the south east of Malta and the fishermen’s associations who are opposing the proposed development.

The government should also start considering the threat posed by tuna penning to the livelihood of our fishermen, said AD.

“Tuna penning in particular is depleting fishing stocks and is a big threat to the livelihood of

fishermen who use sustainable fishing methods. Government should heed WWF concerns regarding blue-fin tuna stocks. More than half the world catch comes from the Mediterranean. With Dr Joe Borg’s appointment as Commissioner for maritime affairs and fisheries, the Maltese government should be setting an example rather than catering to the profits of a few while the marine resource suffers”, concluded Mr Causon.