Din l-Art Helwa has welcomed guidelines issued by the Resources Ministry to amateur fishermen on the minimum size of catch for a great number of fish in order to protect against dwindling fish stock.
The guidelines provde that the Dusky Grouper (Cerna) must have a limited catch size of not less than 45cm, the White Sea Bream (Sargu) a minimum of 23cm, the Common Sea Bream (Pagru Komuni) a minimum of 18cm, the Common Pandora (Pagella) and the Horse Mackerel (Sawrella) both a minimum of 15cm.
Stanley Farrugia Randon, a volunteer and council member of Din L-Art Helwa, himself an amateur fisherman, admitted that many amateur fishermen were not happy to receive these guidelines, even though they were based on regulations issued in 1934.
He, however, regretted that the Ministry of Resources and Rural Affairs have omitted to mention other important fish such as the Saddled Bream (Kahlija), the Dentex (Denci) and the Grouper (Dott) although the regulations of 1934 stipulate a limit of 11.5 cm (Regulation No 35 – Minimum Size Limits). This minimum size limit should apply to any fish not mentioned, he said.
The register of catches reported at the Fish Market throughout the years shows a drastic decrease in the amount of Saddled Bream caught.
Dr Farrugia Randon said the presence of small size fish at fishmongers showed that the illegal practice of catching immature stock was persisting.
He said amateur fishermen should use larger hooks and carefully remove immature fish if these get caught.
"The practice of using small nets (parit), for the most times at the mouths of small bays, should be controlled and fines enforced. The great majority of fish thrown back immediately would survive," Dr. Farrugia Randon said.
He warned that if the practice of catching immature fish continued, the fishing industry would become unsustainable and this would have negative repercussions for Maltese and visitors, not only because food stock would continue to decrease, but the quality of the marine environment around the Maltese islands would deteriorate irreparably.