Juan Ameen
Tuna released from pen after boat exceeds quota
The operation to release the tuna into open waters under way. Photo: Jason Borg
Twenty tuna weighing a total of 2.5 tonnes with a market value of €50,000 were released into the open sea from a tuna pen off Delimara after the Moroccan vessel that had caught them was found to have overstepped its quota.
The live blue fin tuna, each weighing over 120 kilos, were set free by the Fisheries Control Department from a tuna pen to which the fish had been transferred from the Moroccan fishing vessel Le Marlin.
A routine inspection had revealed the vessel overstepped its 100-tonne quota of tuna.
The vessel had obtained authorisation from the Moroccan authorities to catch 100 tonnes of the fish and deposit them in the cages of Maltese tuna farm Fish and Fish situated off Delimara.
During a four-hour operation yesterday, the tuna were lifted and released into the sea. No legal action will be taken against the owner of the fish farm or the Moroccan vessel, a Resources Ministry spokesman said.
"There is no legal issue involved - the extra fish were removed. If anything, it should be taken up by the Moroccan authorities," he said. The value of the tuna would have hovered around €20,000 when caught a couple of months ago but their value would have climbed to around €50,000 if slaughtered and sold now, according to experts in the Fisheries Department.
Although the released tuna are fully grown, they can continue growing in size, even reaching monstrous proportions, well over 600 kilos.
The lucrative business of blue fin tuna fishing has been a cause for concern to environmental groups which have warned that the stocks of this magnificent fish could be depleted in just three years because of overfishing. The EU recently issued a number of directives to restrict fishing but leading lobby Greenpeace said the measures were not enough.
According to EU figures, last year the biggest chunk of the 7,165 tonnes of farmed fish produced in Malta was blue fin tuna, worth millions of euros and mostly exported to Japan.
Thousands of small tuna are brought to Malta in cages by foreign fishermen to be fattened at the many tuna ranches along the Maltese coastline and later exported to the Japanese sushi market.
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Joe Morana
Aug 7th 2009, 16:48
Why are there "...no legal issues" involved? The Moroccan fishing vessel OVERFISHED when it was not supposed to, and the fish farm Operator was party to the overfishing by accepting (and presumably paying for) more than the stipulated quota. In a few short years to come, the Maltese will wonder what live tuna actually looked like!
r cutajar
Aug 7th 2009, 16:21
may be in due time invariably everybody would be perplexed just wait for it No it does not include fish/farms rather
Dion Borg
Aug 7th 2009, 13:47
In the wake of the DCC scandal - where it seems that nobody is shouldering any responsibility - thus no one is going to be held liable for damages.
Now, when we consider fish farms and the damage and pollution they cause - are we going to end up in the same situation when finally it becomes undeniable that having these pens so close to the shore was an irresponsible decision?
Who will be liable?
The fish farm operators?
The experts who certify that the Impact on the environment is/was immaterial?
The fish farm operators' lawyers - who have come out again NGOs protesting against these polluting activities?
MEPA Board members? (they would have surely resigned by then)?
the Hon. George Pullicino and/or the Hon. Dr. Gonzi (personally) ?
The Director of Fisheries and/or his superiors (personally) ?
MEPA who is supposed to monitor the activities (i.e. the taxpayer)?
The Minsiter appointing Board Members or responsible for MEPA (i.e. taxpayer again)?
or as usual Mr. NOBODY??
My personal opinion, the ones who should shoulder the responsibility for all this is ME & YOU since we're not doing enough to get this whole mess addressed with urgency!
Richard Curmi
Aug 7th 2009, 12:14
Dear Nella,
Of course you are right, what about the Maltese?, however the government and powers that be have become passive towards it's own citizens needs and the environment they preach about, so mentioning the Tourist(source of income) might, just might spur it in doing something about these farms so close to shore. Everyone has a right to dream, yes, to dream how clean this coast was until some years back. Now it is one big fish soup unfortunately.
nella bencini
Aug 7th 2009, 11:34
Richard, forget the tourists .... what about us ... the Maltese?
Anyway, I think you are right, as they are quite close to shore, aren't the pens meant to be a certain distance out to sea?
J. Borg
Aug 7th 2009, 10:24
No legal action....no fines??
Where is the deterrent?
Who will cover the costs of the checks carried out by the Fisheries Division?
The taxpayer again, whilst the foreign owners get tax holidays whilst polluting our bays?
is vested interest the answer for all?
Dr Savior Tortell Pisani
Aug 7th 2009, 10:20
I can already imagine all the Maltese fishermen lined up in a row ready to re-catch and kill these fattened 125kg sea monsters...
At a €1000-€2500 a piece they don't stand a sporting chance of making it to old age!
Them poor things! It's a sad Tuna life!
Richard Curmi
Aug 7th 2009, 10:18
No wonder the sea at the delimara penisula has become one stinking fish soup. Look how close the shore is. Not even a kilomiter away. Crystal blue seas. VISIT MALTA.COM. Sacrilege.
And from the other end the power station spouting thick black smoke.
Just the kind of things tourists come for.
There was not a single day this summer when the sea was clear in this area. Always murky. What are we to do for the future,when will we learn what damage we are doing with these fish farms so close to shore.