The sinking fortunes of aquaculture

In the media silence is rightly interpreted to be consent. Especially when it concerns government ministries.

Weeks ago (October 8) I asked the Minister for Resources and Rural Affairs whether he was aware of nine disturbing features of our aquaculture industry. No comment. Hence, presumably, agreement.

Recently we were handed by the NSO the industry's performance during 2008. As some of the statistical comparisons with 2007 show, it was nothing short of a disaster. Sadly, not even picked up by any reporter.

Gross output: a drop of 37.4 per cent;

Volume of fish: a drop of 21.7 per cent;

Sales: a drop of 9.2 per cent;

Purchases of live fish: a drop of 41.5 per cent;

Variable production costs: a drop of 13.1 per cent;

Volume of tuna bought from fishermen: a drop of 59.7 per cent;

Wages: a drop of 2.4 per cent;

Profits: a drop of €40.1 million from a profit of €22.2 million to a loss of €17.9 million.

I was heartened listening to the finance minister in his Budget speech promising to continue financially assisting the fishermen in their marketing endeavours and in modernising their fleets.

But what about fish farming, which today makes up 90 per cent of the whole industry? Not a word. Now that tuna catches by fishermen have been reduced by a further 40 per cent, how can the Minister for Resources and Rural Affairs remain, apparently, so supine in the face of the oncoming disaster to an industry which should be contributing at least 2.5 per cent of our GDP when it has now dropped to only 0.5 per cent?

What is the position regarding a serious hatchery project, an overdue innovation for Malta, that would surely redress considerably the consequences arising from the contraction caused by the tuna debacle?

It needs merely a site allocation which only the government can provide. Will silence reign again?