January 29, 2008

Malta caught in tuna controversy

Tuna fishing is the backbone of Malta's fish farming sector but it has come under fire by the World Wildlife Fund.

A recently published census on Fisheries by the National Office of Statistics said Malta has a total of 80 cages with a surface area of 78,773 square metres, the equivalent of 11 football pitches, to produce and farm fish.

According to the NSO, total production of farmed fish in 2005 amounted to 5100 tonnes with a value of US$70.9 million. Bluefin tuna accounted for 82.6 percent of the total weight of farmed fish, and they yielded a value of US$65 million.

Malta uses a penning system that fattens wild-caught tuna in cages and it has attracted concern from the World Wildlife Fund (WWF).

The WWF do not regard Malta's penning system as true aquaculture, whereby fish are bred and reared in captivity. It warns that over fishing of tuna in countries like Malta could lead to the fish's extinction. Last year, due to low stocks and a season of unprecedented illegal and uncontrolled fishing, there was a demand for an immediately three-year closure of the Mediterranean blue fin tuna fishery.