Malta to get €8m for fisheries

Malta's fisheries sector is set to receive €8 million (Lm3.4 million) in EU funds between next year and 2013 following the approval of a new budget by European ministers.

The decision was taken late on Monday during a Fisheries Council meeting in Luxembourg. Malta was represented by Environment and Rural Affairs Minister George Pullicino.

The European Fisheries Fund is to have a budget of €3.8 billion for the seven-year period, replacing the arrangement launched in 2000 and due to expire at the end of the year.

EU Fisheries And Maritime Affairs Commissioner Joe Borg told a press conference following the agreement that the deal strikes the right balance between helping the sector regain its competitiveness and supporting sustainable and more environment-friendly fisheries and aquaculture.

Speaking to The Times, Mr Pullicino said Maltese fishermen will be able to tap EU funds to modernise their fishing boats, in particular to switch to more environment-friendly engines. This would bring about more efficiency and indirectly reduce costs, he added. All areas in the sector, including sea and inland fisheries, aquaculture businesses, processing and marketing would be able to benefit from the new funds.

The deal was yesterday also hailed by Nationalist MEP David Casa who had been pushing for an agreement over the past months as the European Parliament's rapporteur on this fund.

He said the agreement reached by ministers following years of discussion will guarantee sustainable fishing especially in the coastal areas and offer the possibility of more technical assistance for European fishermen.

In Malta, the funds would ensure that the sector will continue to grow and progress, he added.

Not everyone welcomed the deal however. Many environmental groups slammed the agreement, saying it would do little to encourage fishermen to cut down on the size of their catches or to persuade them to leave the sector.

WWF, the World Wildlife Fund, said it was not clear how the competitiveness of the fisheries industry could be sustained by subsidising activities that harm the marine environment.

The European Commission has been struggling to get EU member states to agree to cutting catch quotas of certain stocks and reducing fleet sizes. Species at risk in European waters include cod, whiting, flatfish and squid.