In the coming week, the government will sign an agreement with fishing cooperatives over duty-free diesel, said Fisheries Parliamentary Secretary Francis Agius.

Speaking at Marsaxlokk during the traditional blessing of the fishing boats prior to the start of the lampuki season, Dr Agius said the government is fulfilling yet another promise in the fisheries sector. He said the government has been holding constant discussions with both fishing cooperatives on the matter.

Dr Agius went over some statistics from last year’s lampuki season. A total of 559,098 kilograms of lampuki (Maltese for dorado or dolphin fish) were sold through the wholesale market (pixkerija) fetching the sum of Lm375,683 (EUR875,120).

The parliamentary secretary said the total catch was 112,000 kilograms in excess of the 2005 catch. He said he hopes that the same positive results, with all the financial benefits for Maltese fishermen, can be achieved also during this year.

During the 2006 season, 13,196 kilograms of pilot fish (fanfri) were brought in the market at a value of Lm14,369 (EUR33471).

Dr Agius referred also to the new EUR2 million hard-standing facility for fishing vessels at Marsaxlokk.

The 6,500 square-metre facility included land reclamation and the purchase of two cranes (a 50-ton and a 250-ton crane) to help fishermen pull their boats ashore.

Dr Agius said the facility has eliminated certain hardships for Maltese fishermen as they either had to wait for their turn to pull their boat ashore on a site which could house three medium-sized boats at a time, or else repair their vessels in Sicily, which was very inconvenient for fishermen. This meant a longer period without landing an income, paying for lodging, food and fuel as well as and leaving one’s families behind for almost a fortnight.

According to fishermen, this year’s lampuki season shows some promise. There have been reports that sizeable lampuki have already been seen, while fanfri seem to be scarce, same as last year. Fishermen said although a large number of lampuki have been caught last year, the shortage of fanfri is not desirable as this restricts consumer choice.

The sustained northwesterly winds throughout July have hindered fishermen, who always hope for a mild July that allows them to carry the most fishing trips possible. The winds that have hindered fishing have, to a certain extent, let lampuki grow bigger and fatter. This situation is similar to that of last year.

They also affirmed that last season was a long running one, as some continued catching lampuki up to April.