Through a bill that was tabled this week in Parliament, the Government is attempting to seize control of the Fisheries Board, as the bill proposes that almost all members of the board are to be chosen by the Minister responsible for the sector. 

In a press conference, Shadow Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries Toni Bezzina and Shadow Minister for the Self-Employed, Small Enterprises, and Cooperatives Robert Cutajar explained how through Bill Number 109, which amends the Fisheries Conservation and Management Act, the Government is attempting to take over the Fisheries Board. This Board’s function, among others, is to discuss and advise the Minister on various factors that directly affect the livelihood of fishermen.

 The Board handles a variety of issues such as the prescription regarding amounts, size, and weight of fish caught, kept, or traded; the specification of net hole sizes; the control and use of fishing gear; licences for all types of fishing; quotas for the capture of certain fish; authorisation given to the Director of Fisheries to allocate any quota; and the regulation of fish markets, control of fish auctions, and registration of fish buyers and traders.

“While the Government is trying to give the impression that it will increase the representation of various types of fishing on the Fisheries Board, the primary reason for presenting this bill is to change the way the members of this Board are selected,” the PN said. 

According to the original Act, the majority of members were nominated by the Fishermen’s Cooperatives and the various sectors related to fishing. Under this Act, however, almost all members of the Fisheries Board will now be chosen and directly appointed by the Minister, the party continued. 

“Unfortunately, we have a Government that, despite boasting about consultation, did not at any stage consult either the fishermen or their representatives when drafting this Bill,” the PN said. 

The party said that although this Bill will implement two substantive regulations specifying that at least one representative on the Fisheries Board must be under 40 years of age, and that at least one other representative must be female, “the fact remains that the Government is trying to hijack this Board by directly appointing almost all of its members.”

It continued that if the Government does not admit its mistake and make the necessary amendments so that the Fisheries Board truly represents the fishermen, with its members being chosen by the fishermen themselves, the existence of the fishing industry will be endangered.

 “Maltese and Gozitan fishermen deserve much better,” the party concluded.