Southern EU state may raise fish production

Malta, which farms 84 percent of all the fish it produces, could raise production as the EU unveiled a strategy to boost the aquaculture industry on Wednesday (Apr 8).

EU Fisheries Commissioner Joe Borg said the European Commission (EC) wanted to give political thrust and leadership to the industry in order to exploit its potential by encouraging more research and development.

According to EU figures, last year the biggest amount of the 7,165 tonnes of farmed fish produced was bluefin tuna, worth millions of euros and mostly exported to Japan.

Borg said the EU's initiative centred on strategic objectives to which a number of actions were linked and which public authorities could take to unleash the potential of the sector.

According to the official reports, these included making the EU aquaculture more competitive by ensuring the sector had access to the space and water it required for its production, ensuring sustainable growth and high animal health and welfare standards, among others.

The goals were geared to improve the sector's image by ensuring a level playing field, cutting red tape, encouraging the dissemination of factual information to the public and involving stakeholders in policy-making and adequately monitoring the sector.