The surface long-line blue fin tuna fishery in 2004 landed in excess of 250 metric tons, a value which is similar to that of 2003. As usual during the 16-week fishing season, which extends from April to July, the peak month for catches was May during which more than 68 per cent of the total catches were obtained.
The average value per kilo for this species was on average 17 per cent less than that of 2003, obtaining the highest value of Lm2.25 per kilo during the month of May. However there was an increase in exports of almost nine per cent in terms of weight during 2004 over that exported in 2003. About 90 per cent of the total tuna landings were exported.
Moreover, the value for tuna in July was extremely low this year (Lm1.50 per kilo) leading fishermen to move to fishing for swordfish earlier than usual since the latter was obtaining a guaranteed minimum price of Lm3.05 per kilo.
It is interesting also to note that during the peak month of May the approximate size of individual fish landed has dropped quite drastically from 300 kilos to 180-200 kilos.
The Maltese fishermen are continuously facing tougher competition during their fishing operations as well as in the marketing of their catch. The central Mediterranean attracts fleets from several countries bordering the Mediterranean and other more distant nations which use large-scale methods for catching this valuable species.
The oceanographic and other physical conditions in this region of the Mediterranean induce the tuna to come up to the upper layers of the sea were they are more vulnerable to being caught, thus the shifting of fishing effort of these fleets to the waters once exploited exclusively by Malta and neighbouring countries.
At international level, the regulation of the exploitation of blue fin tuna is largely taken care of by the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT), of which Malta became a contracting party in 2003, in close collaboration with the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM). Over the last few years Malta has participated actively in scientific programmes related to the species and contributed to the scientific knowledge required for the effective and responsible management of this fishery throughout the region.
Of course the problem of Illegal Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing is a reality, which undermines any efforts to ensure the sustainability of all fisheries and it is evidently contributing to the over-fishing of this species. Malta is helping to combat IUU fishing within the framework of the international plan of action of the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO), addressing this issue.
The Maltese government will continue to commit itself in safeguarding the Maltese blue fin tuna fishery, which accounts for more than 30 per cent of the total annual landings, both in terms of weight and value.
Dr Agius is Parliamentary Secretary for Agriculture and Fisheries.