A public consultation document concerning investments amounting to €29 million, which Malta will benefit from through the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund, has been launched.
This is another document in a series of public consultation documents on Malta's proposals for investing the record allocation of €2.27 billion of European Union Funds for the years 2021-2027, Parliamentary Secretary Dr Stefan Zrinzo Azzopardi said.
During the launch of the public consultation, the Parliamentary Secretary said that although the Maltese fisheries sector is relatively small, it is still a very important one for the Maltese Islands. The proposed programme will address various challenges being faced by Maltese fishers, amongst them the lack of interest from young people in the sector, the Covid-19 repurcussions and an ageing fishing fleet. He added that through these funds, support will also be extended to the Aquaculture sector through investment in research and innovation with regards to the sustainabiity of the sector.
The programme also aims to address the impacts and pressures on the marine environment and Malta's coastal waters, with funds earmarked to address various challenges including measures to restore and maintain fish stocks, the protection of marine biodiversity and measures to address the impact of climate change on the maritime and coastal environment. The Parliamentary Secretary added that these funds will complement other interventions from Cohesion, Just Transition and European Regional Development Funds.
The first priority, with an indicative allocation of €25 million, aims at fostering sustainable fisheries and the conservation of aquatic biological resources. Zrinzo Azzopardi said that this allocation aims at enhancing fishing activities that are economically and socially sustainable while supporting cases of temporary cessation of fishing activities so as to enhance their living standard.
The second prioirity aims at fostering sustainable aquaculture activities and the processing and marketing of fisheries and aquaculture products with an indicative allocation of €4 million to enhance food security in the European Union. Funds will support marketing, quality and value added strategies for products and their processing, coming from fishing and aquaculture activities..
Zrinzo Azzopardi also said that investments proposed in this document are in line with the European Green Deal, with interventions aimed at the socio-economic and environmental sustainability of the fisheries and aquaculture sectors.
The general public and all stakeholders are urged to participate in this consultation process by submitting their comments and suggestions through email on [email protected] or writing to the Director General, Strategy and Implementation Division, EU Funds Section, 32, House of Catalunya, Marsmxett Road, Valletta by Friday 22nd October, 2021.