Magistrate lets fish hawkers off the hook

Fish hawkers yesterday packed a courtroom outraged that they had been brought to court repeatedly for over three years because health inspectors kept finding that their fish were not kept at eight degrees Celsius in the market place.

The 17 hawkers, led by one in particular, Julian Attard, told Magistrate Jacqueline Padovani it was ridiculous that the Health Department was asking them to keep the fish at that temperature especially since they were kept outside.

"A friend of mine was even charged because a live octopus was not kept at that temperature," Mr Attard said. The magistrate clearly understood the fishermen's point and turned to the health official saying that the fish brought ashore were fresh and not brought in after days spent on the high seas, as was done abroad.

When they heard her speak this way they let out cries of appreciation "prosit, prosit" (well done, well done).

The court had previously made a suggestion to the fishermen to band together and form an association in order to confront the health department about the law that prohibits the temperature from being higher than 8 degrees Celsius.

Mr Attard spoke passionately about their plight, saying their association had met the health department officials more than 20 times but nothing had come of it and they had not received any guidelines on what to do.

He said the hawkers used ice on the fish liberally and it did not make sense to buy an ice-making machine as they sold the fish fresh.

The magistrate told the fishermen that although she understood their problems her hands were tied as regards the law, referring to a legal notice passed in 2002.

She offered them a deferment of the cases against them until an amicable deal is reached between the fishermen, the health department and the Malta Standards Authority.