Fish farm operators will not rule out an appeal against the revocation of their permits but are committed to following steps agreed with the Planning Authority to address illegalities and relocate the farms.

“There is absolutely no question on the implementation of the method statement; we were ready to implement irrespective of the revocation of the permits,” John Refalo, one of the lawyers representing operators, told the Times of Malta yesterday.

However, Dr Refalo said that it was still too early to say whether operators would appeal the PA’s verdict, arguing that the revocation had left operators uncertain of their obligations, creating a “no-man’s land” even with regards the agreed-upon relocation of their farms.

The PA revoked 10 fish farm permits from four operators last Thursday after years of illegalities and harmful environmental practices, giving operators until the end of the year to move their farms to an approved aquaculture zone six kilometres off the coast in the south of Malta.

As the harvesting season will have closed by the deadline for relocation, it is understood that the revocation will have no immediate impact

Until then, operators are bound by strict conditions included in the method statement submitted to the PA detailing how illegalities would be addressed, failing which the authority will take direct enforcement action. During the PA hearing, the operators’ lawyers raised the possibility that they would consider the method statements void if the permits were revoked, but Dr Refalo confirmed yesterday that this position had now been taken off the table.

As the harvesting season will have closed by the deadline for operators to relocate their farms, it is understood that the revocation will have no immediate impact on the industry, which will have its farms in place for the start of next year’s season irrespective of the decision.

Fish farms have been at the centre of a storm of public outrage this summer after they were linked to widespread reports of oily slime around the island, which operators only recently admitted were caused by a new fish feed with higher fat content.

Environment and Resources Authority chairman Victor Axiak has since described the slime as merely the tip of the iceberg, and warned of more far-reaching effects unless the fish farms are immediately moved offshore.

Planning permits for the farms also included a condition prohibiting “work practices resulting in an undesirable environmental impact”, which the Enforcement Directorate argued had been breached by the slimy effluent.

The decision to revoke the permits has been welcomed by both the government and the Opposition, with both calling  on operators to immediately abide by  the conditions set out in their method statements.