Late last month, a significant deal was struck between the European Parliament and the Council of Europe. While not immediately the focus of media attention, the plausible outcomes of these newly-introduced amendments may help preserve the future welfare of Maltese and European fishers for generations to come.

The European Union, as the world's third largest consumer of fish, has long been aware of the need for significant reform in existing fishing rules. There are a myriad of issues, both systemic and circumstantial, that require addressing in a unified and sustainable approach. Such cohesiveness, however, must take into consideration the different social, economic, political and cultural structures in which small-scale fishers, such as the ones in Malta, operate and prosper.

One of the more universal issues related to this sector, however, was that of overfishing. This new political development seeks to address this phenomenon. By making use of new technologies, while basing itself on existing protocols, these developments will ensure that all fishers, big or small, adhere to and operate within the laws.

Moreover, the revised rules will also affect non-EU countries, and their fishers that operate in European waters. This gives Maltese fishers an added piece of mind, ensuring that their access remains sustainable and not imperilled from the minority who operate in bad faith. This is what we believe is necessary for a level playing field.

The new regulations also seek to implement a digital system through which to register and electronically report their catch, something which Maltese fishers have already been accustomed to thanks to this government's €1m investment, and forward thinking.

These are developments which should be welcome to all. A stricter enforcement regime will benefit all operators within the European bloc. However, we must ensure parity of enforcement across seas which are shared by both EU and non-EU countries, such as the Mediterranean region.

We are the guardians of both our citizens' livelihoods and our children's future. We must ensure that, in all our policy and legislative decisions, the needs of the present are sustainably balanced. As legislators, both local and global, we must strive to preserve our environmental and ecological heritage for future generations.

Unrestricted overfishing threatens to upend this delicate balance, to the detriment of all. This phenomenon is a serious threat to existing fish stocks, which may cause irreversible damage to marine ecosystems all around the globe. When the rate of fishing exceeds the natural replenishment rate of fish populations, future fishers may bear the brunt of a depleted ecology, if not an outright collapse of existing fishing grounds. We already experienced this on a global level back in the early 2000s, when the bluefin tuna stocks were categorised as overfished and measures had to be adopted to curb such a challenge.

The effects from overfishing are not merely environmental however inevitably, our economic prospects may also face a downturn. The imbalance of ecosystems caused by overfishing can disrupt the balance between predators and prey, leading to cascading effects throughout the ecosystem. The lack of availability of many aquatic species, may in turn devastate local fishing communities and coastal economies heavily dependent on this sector for both livelihoods and sustenance.

With weighted decisions, and rigid enforcement, the European Community may be well on its way in averting such irreversible harm. The benefits far outweigh the immediate restrictions. Indeed, we have already seen the benefits of such managed conservation in action.

Earlier this year, we had announced how our country managed to obtain a significant increase in its tuna quota, welcome news for all Maltese and Gozitan fishers. When we announced that our fishers will benefit from an 11% increase over the 2022 allocation, we did so fully aware of the sacrifices that our fishing industry had to face over the previous years.

Indeed, it was thanks to this relentless perseverance, and our political emphasis on the latest scientific findings, that our government managed to achieve this breakthrough. With careful management, global stocks of blue-fin tuna increased significantly. These new quotas were the product of carefully enacted policies, put in place cohesively and with the coordination of multiple governments and agencies, working together for the common good.

The last legislative developments, therefore, are a welcome but necessary reprieve. If they follow the success that we managed to obtain in our bluefin tuna management, we have several reasons to be optimistic. Sustainability was, and remains, our primary goal in all decisions that we as legislators must seek to pursue. Let's ensure that together, we remain on track.

Alicia Bugeja Said is the Parliamentary Secretary for Fisheries, Aquaculture and Animal Welfare.