The relocation of tuna pens off Qawra should be tied to a bank guarantee that would make good for any potential pollution, the St Paul’s local council will insist to the planning authority.

This proposal is part of a list of other measures that the council is submitting by Monday, Qawra Mayor Graziella Galea told Times of Malta following a local council meeting.

The council met on Thursday evening to discuss an application by AJD Tuna for the relocation of tuna pens from Comino to a new site off Qawra.

Fish farm operators in Malta have been given until the end of next month to relocate their cages to an approved aquaculture zone after their permits were revoked by the planning authority last year because of environmental harm and illegalities.

AJD Tuna applied for the relocation of tuna pens from Comino to a new site off Qawra

But the only existing aquaculture zone, which is in the south, has already reached its full capacity. The Fisheries Department submitted an application for a new zone in the north to the Environment and Resources Authority, however it seems this new zone will not be approved in time.

In the meantime, AJD Tuna applied for the relocation of tuna pens from Comino to a new site off Qawra.

While this application is meant to be processed by July 26, the St Paul’s Bay local council held a meeting with the operator to understand its relocation plans.

During this meeting on Wednesday, members of the council and residents were assured by Mr Azzopardi that the operator will be changing the tuna feed, increase monitoring and invest in containment booms, Ms Galea explained.

Since submissions about AJD Tuna’s relocation have to be handed in by Monday, the council held a separate meeting on Thursday. The council has decided to file a representation listing a number of proposals, which were unanimously approved by the councillors, Ms Galea told Times of Malta.

These include granting permission for relocation against a bank guarantee, so that in cases of pollution, the funds can be used to clean up the area, and other ‘necessary enforcement tools’ in cases when the operators do not adhere to the list of conditions set out by the planning authority once it grants permission for relocation, the mayor said.

The council will also insist that if the pens at Comino are moved further out, off Qawra, those in St Paul’s Bay should follow suit and be relocated accordingly, Ms Galea added.

All necessary measures should be taken to ensure there will not be a repeat of the oily slime saga of last summer, Ms Galea insisted, adding that residents had the right to enjoy the locality’s bays and the surrounding environment.

If once all the necessary precautions are taken, the slime problem persisted, then the local council would object to the location of the northern aquaculture zone off Qawra, she noted.

The council will be listing precautionary measures in their representation, noting also that the May 31 deadline is kept.

In the meantime, studies about the northern aquaculture zone should be concluded as soon as possible, Ms Galea added.