Malta emphasised the need for a level playing field in fisheries control amongst countries, "whereby all vessels operating in the same waters should be subject to equal levels of sustainability and transparency, regardless of whether they are from the European Union or from third countries," Parliamentary Secretary for Fisheries, Aquaculture and Animal Rights, Alicia Bugeja Said, said.

"In fact, the work and inspections carried out by the European Fisheries Control Agency, have already proven successful in the Mediterranean."

 She was addressing the opening of the Mediterranean Advisory Council (MEDAC) meeting, which is being held in Malta.

This meeting brings together experts, representatives from EU Member States, and members from regional organisations to discuss the challenges and opportunities within the Mediterranean fisheries sector.

 Parliamentary Secretary Bugeja Said spoke about the critical role of the Mediterranean, not only as an ecological and social region but also as one under significant pressure from challenges such as overfishing, illegal fishing, climate change, and biodiversity loss.

"Malta, as a small island with limited resources, is taking concrete steps to increase surveillance and modernise its systems. For control to be effective across the region, burden-sharing and capacity-building must be at the centre of EU fisheries governance. This will help us ensure more level playing field across the Mediterranean waters," the Parliamentary Secretary stated.

During her speech, she also highlighted the importance of a broad representation for fishers. She noted that Malta has recently carried out a reform of the National Fisheries Board to make it more inclusive and to better reflect the voice of fishers. The Parliamentary Secretary also emphasised the need for fisheries policy to be based on social justice and effective marine spatial planning, while thanking MEDAC for consistently being the voice of the fishers.