The Democratic Party has called for the setting up of a task force to rectify and draw up a strategy for the blue-fin tuna industry.

The industry had "ridiculously low permit tariffs and poor to no enforcement", the party lamented. To make matters worse, the industry had an annual turnover of €120 million but left little return to Maltese coffers since it had negligible multiplier effect on the economy.

The Planning Authority was currently considering an application to double the number of tuna pens of AJD Tuna LTD, owned by Charles Azzopardi, from 12 to 24. But the ranch already had 27 pens, the PD noted.

Aerial shots published earlier in 2018 on The Shift News showed Azzopardi Fisheries had added tuna cages beyond its allocation at St Paul’s bay.

PD added Mr Azzopardi was already in default and was operating on a temporary basis at the maritime site - but no consideration had been given to this by the Planning Authority.

"It is apparent that this entity is not only immune to the Companies Register’s regulations, but seems to have the backing of both the Labour Party and the Nationalist Party. Why? Is it possibly due to party financing," PD asked.

The party also said the current five tuna ranches had "taken over the local fisheries agenda". They operated within an aquaculture strategy for the Maltese Islands - a misnomer, according to the party, since the country never had a holistic analysis of the ranches.

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