We are shaped by our surroundings. Us as individuals, our communities, our nation: we are very much the product of the geographical and environmental landscape that can be found around us. The fostering of the most pivotal characteristics of our people, for generations on end, have nevertheless been influenced by the ecosystem in which we’re brought up in.
As Maltese, our concentrated but vibrant biodiversity, both on land and in our seas, indubitably have become our greatest asset, and our greatest luxury. Our forefathers, while utilizing the limited resources available, have created some of the underlying agricultural and fishing norms still predominant today.
The flip side, of course, is that that the consequences of any degradation to our biodiversity are numerous and dire. A partial ecosystem collapse will cause untold environmental and economic damage, on both a local and national scale. Access to local produce, local and foreign trade opportunities, and even fish stocks, could be disrupted by the slightest negative change to the Maltese natural kaleidoscope.
For our small-scale fishing industry, the threat posed by biodiversity degradation is ever more pertinent. The permeance of our fish stocks depend heavily on the environment in which they inhabit: When the seabed loses its biological vibrancy, the fish stocks either fail to replenish, or else move towards different areas.
Such a dwindling in aquatic population, leads to negative shocks in other sectors as well. The fishing industry leaves a mark on other socio-economic issues, such as wealth generation, food security, equal access to employment, and the well-being of entire communities. Any existential threat to their viability, will lead to a cascade of different economic issues that Governments all around the world, including our own, will have to deal with.
No wonder, then, that fishers around the world are among the pre-eminent advocates for ocean governance, on all levels of political dialogue. Indeed, the possible domino effect that biodiversity degradation has on the global population’s wellbeing has not gone unnoticed.
Last December, some of the most prominent economies in the world signed a truly historical document. The Kumming-Montreal Agreement, described by journalists as a once-in-a-decade agreement, took 4 years to finally come to fruition. Around 200 countries pledged in restoring and protecting at least 30% of Earth’s water and land ecology by the year 2030. A noble, but ultimately necessary goal.
The agreement is imperfect: countries like the United States, the foremost economic and political stakeholder, refused to sign the treaty. On the other hand, China, one of the main parties to this conference, used its looming influence to push forward changes which dampened the hopes of some observers. More poignantly, as the Economist pointed out, “lofty promises about preserving the world’s biodiversity have been made and broken numerous times before.”
Failure, however, no longer remains an option. The crisis is staring us in the face, and needs our immediate action.
The solutions to this existential crisis cannot be delivered piecemeal. They must form part of a transformative evolution. Interventions in these sectors must be carefully-designed. This unerring focus towards sustainability must underpin the day-to-day decisions of public and private entities alike.
Some of these sustainable practices can be observed in different initiatives which the Government has announced as of late. The Young Fishers’ Scheme, a mirror initiative to that already taking place with our farmers, ensures the automatic regeneration of these two sectors in both the short and long-term.
Our focus on technology and research will help propel our sustainability efforts further. The Aquaculture Research Laboratory in San Luċjan, for example, will help develop new tools, practices and feeding practices that maximise efficiency, without compromising the maritime ecological landscape. Moreover, this Government is engaging with private operators and the public in general on promoting the use of local produce. Aside from the obvious nutritional and financial value, the campaign towards local produce will limit waste, further diversify agricultural output, and fortify local food sustainability for future generations.
All of these proposals will leave a substantial mark; they are also, however, inefficient without a strong bedrock on which they can flourish. Hence, in the next few months, after a long, multi-faceted dialogue with all relevant stakeholders, this Government will present a Fishing Strategy which addresses the questions of today, while laying the grounwork for solving those of tomorrow.
This bottom-up approach will discuss all aspects of fishing within the scope of a sustainable, cohesive relationship with our marine biodiversity. The livelihoods of hundreds of fishers depends on a healthy marine ecology, one which is duly protected both on paper and in practice. This strategy will also support the use of the technologies and innovations at hand, while incentivising further developments at an exponential rate.
Protecting our biodiversity is not just a political slogan; it’s an imperative obligation. Our generation is tasked with preserving the global and local ecology, both on land and underwater. We must be successful; Both as an obligation to our forefathers, but to the next generation as well.
Alicia Bugeja Said is the parliamentary secretary for
Fisheries, Aquaculture and Animal Welfare