The slime problem stemming from fish farms is only the 'tip of the iceberg' and there are other environmental issues which will not be successfully tackled unless these tuna farms are relocated further offshore, the chairman of the Environment Authority, Victor Axiak, has said.

Speaking in an interview with The Sunday Times of Malta, Prof Axiak said there was never a concerted effort between the  authorities – the PA and the ERA – along with the fisheries department to tackle this problem.  

The related environmental problems, he said, included the impact on the sea floor with uneaten feed that passes through the net being left to degrade on the bottom. It turns into high organic loading, in Maltese ħama [sludge]…

"There’s also the issue of water quality. We see, feel and touch the slime and we don’t like it, but there might also be other problems. These problems arise from a high loading of tuna farming close to shore, where the diffusive properties of the waters are less; and it’s obvious the way to go is not to lose the industry but for the industry to relocate outside to a more reasonable depth and distance away from the shore."

See the full interview at http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20160918/local/i-would-have-crawled-to-the-pa-hearing.625317