Preliminary studies on the proposed Marsaxlokk breakwater have been completed and the development application will go before the Planning Authority next month, the parliamentary secretary responsible for fisheries, Roderick Galdes, said in parliament this evening.  

Introducing the second reading of the Fisheries Conservation and Management (Amendment) Bill, Mr Galdes said that the project would cost between €20 million and €25 million. Once the project gets the PA approval, work would start in September or October.

The studies also took into consideration the power station and the freeport.

He said the government rejected calls for a yacht marina in Marsaxlokk because it did not want to oust the professional fishermen and endanger their livelihood. He said the government was prepared to invest to alleviate the fishermen’s hardship.

The Bill provides for the formation of the Fisheries and Aquaculture Consultative Council and a number of amendments to the principal Act.

Turning to the swordfish quotas, Mr Galdes said the issue should not be turned into a political football because depleting stocks in the Mediterranean was endangering the species.

In agreement with the fishermen’s cooperatives, the quotas would be fixed according to three categories of fishermen: those who abided by the law and declared all their catches, those who declared smaller catches and those who, despite having a licence, did not go out to fish or did not catch anything. Of the 290 affected fishermen, 60 fall into the last category. 

He also announced that a system of fish traceability had been introduced in the fishmarket and thus one could see whether one was eating local or imported fish.