Thirty fishermen yesterday received €73,000 in compensation from the government after last year's swordfish season was closed two months early.

The season was closed earlier on the recommendation of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas, ICCAT, to give swordfish shoals a chance to re-generate and grow to a larger size. Each fisherman received around €2,400 yesterday from Resources Minister George Pullicino.

The money given to fishermen came out of local funds in line with a choice given to EU countries to award compensation.

Speaking in front of the hard-standing facility in Marsaxlokk, Mr Pullicino said the government would still argue against an EU ban on bluefin tuna fishing.

"The government believes in sustainability but we don't believe in a measure that would stop all trade on tuna," he said.

Last week, the European Commission announced it would back an initiative by Monaco to ban international trade of the fish by including bluefin tuna on a list of endangered species protected under a UN convention.

If implemented, this initiative would put an end to Malta's €100 million industry of trade in tuna, especially with Japan.

Mr Pullicino pointed out that the Maltese government had accepted ICCAT's decision to close the swordfish season earlier in 2008 and 2009 - without any pressure from the EU.

He said government was still in favour of ICCAT's fishing management that would regulate the fishing, but without imposing a total ban. "However, for it to be sustainable, it has to be imposed on all countries," Mr Pullicino said.