Malta is being implicated in illegal activity connected to the bluefin tuna industry in the Mediterranean but the government has strongly rejected the allegations.
According to a report just published by the World Wildlife Fund and discussed in the European Parliament, Malta is allowing illegal flights by spotter planes and is receiving fish caught illegally, particularly in Libyan waters.
During a hearing on the bluefin tuna industry held by the fisheries committee of the European Parliament, experts from WWF levelled accusations at Malta.
Sergi Tuleda, head of the fisheries programmes within the WWF Mediterranean programme office, alleged that last June, illegal flights of bluefin tuna spotter aircraft left Malta to Lampedusa, Pantelleria, Tripoli and Mitiga in Libya. According to international rules such flights are illegal as tuna spotting is prohibited in June.
According to WWF studies, certain fishing boats are illegally double registered in order to make it impossible for the authorities to check their activities, Dr Tuleda said.
He warned that the bluefin tuna stocks in the Mediterranean are being heavily depleted and will soon become almost extinct. There is almost no more bluefin tuna to be caught in some of the oldest fishing grounds, especially in the West Mediterranean.
"Around Spain's Balearic islands, catches of bluefin tuna are down to only 15 per cent of what they were a decade ago. Today's data on the 2006 fishing season reveal that bluefin tuna farms, which would usually be filling up by this time of the year, have experienced a substantial decline. From this year's catches of wild Mediterranean tuna, some 22,520 tonnes have been put in captivity and farmed, a 25 per cent reduction compared to 30,000 tonnes farmed last year."
Asked to comment about the situation in Malta and the allegations being made, Gemma Parks, WWF spokesman, said Malta increased its bluefin tuna farming capacity to nearly 10,000 tonnes early this year. It has not, however, increased its production in relation to previous years since the transfer of caught bluefin tuna to farms during this year was around 5,000 tonnes, the same amount estimated for last year.
"Non-operating farms and empty cages in active ones were observed during the 2006 season. Malta has a much reduced fishing capacity for bluefin tuna, with most of the fish transferred to farms being caught by other European fleets, namely French and Italian and by Libya."
Ms Parks said most of the fish in Malta's tuna ranches is coming from Libyan waters where overfishing and underreporting are the rule. "Malta, as one of the two countries with the highest ranching capacity in the Mediterranean, has a strong responsibility in the recovery of the bluefin tuna stock, and should strictly comply with its obligation to ensure that all tuna transferred into cages has been legally caught," she said.
"The Libyan origin of most of the tuna caged in Malta raises serious doubts about this issue. We strongly urge Malta to cease illegal tuna spotting flights from Luqa airport, an activity that supports the fishing fleet during the month of June when it is strictly forbidden by the International Conference For The Conservation Of Atlantic Tuna (ICCAT). The role of Malta in promoting a strict recovery plan for the species is essential."
A senior government official however described the allegations as "the usual sensationalism by WWF".
The WWF report was being studied by officials from the Fisheries Department and a counter-report would soon be completed.
The official rejected the allegation that tuna-spotting planes were conducting illegal operations from Malta and said that this had already been checked by the civil aviation authorities.
All the fish coming from Libya for Maltese tuna farms was certified and caught under legal licences, he insisted.
WWF is insisting with the European Commission to support a strict recovery plan for bluefin tuna stocks in the Mediterranean which will include a closure of industrial fishing during the spawning season to save the last reproducing fish.