Despite being an island, the Maltese eat far less fish then what is recommended. Experts recommend that in a year, one person should consume 10kg of fish, however the average Maltese eats about 6kg per year. In addition, a survey revealed that four out of ten Maltese do not eat fish whatsoever.

In Marsaxlokk this morning, parliamentary secretary for agriculture, fisheries and animal rights, Roderick Galdes, launched an awareness campaign about the nutritional value of fish and its importance in being included in the human diet. The campaign primarily aims at increasing fish consumption through education, knowledge building and diversification in consumption.

The parliamentary secretary noted that compared to other countries, the list of fish available in Malta is far less than the list of species which are edible, and this is because there is lack of demand for different species of fish.

Such a campaign does not only aim at helping the Maltese improve their diet, but to also strengthen the fishing industry, by improving demand across the whole year, and increasing consumption of species such as the European Hake, Atlantic Mackerel and Horse Mackerel.

Families will be receiving an informative booklet with recipes and cooking lessons and the campaign will extend across social media, television, radio and billboards. A number of activities will also be held.

Approximately half a million Euro is dedicated to this campaign, which is 70% funded by the European Union.