Malta continued to support the European Commission’s Blue Fin Tuna Recovery Programme during a meeting for Fisheries Ministers in Brussels on Monday but a decision could not be taken in view of the opposition of some member states, including France and Italy.

In a statement, the Environment and Rural Affairs Ministry said Environment Minister George Pullicino was present at the meeting during which Malta expressed its support for the plan as proposed by the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT).

Maltese fishermen are not expected to be drastically affected since the quota for tuna will increase to 355 tonnes in the first year and will then drop gradually to 280 tonnes by 2010.

The ministry said the proposal was discussed during the meeting which had to be postponed by the European Commission due to the opposition. The meeting was adjourned to next month.

The Commission said it was not pleased with the outcome of Monday’s meeting and warned that if the European Union member states did not reach a unanimous decision, it would have to impose drastic measures which would include a ban on tuna fishing until an agreement on the plan was reached.

Speaking during the meeting, Minister Pullicino said Malta was supporting the proposal because it aimed at protecting the tuna stocks, which were important for Maltese fishermen.

He said it was not fair that Maltese fishermen might have to suffer because a small number of countries were being intransigent.