EU increases cap on fish for Maltese tuna farmers

Malta’s tuna farming sector has received a boost from Brussels after the European Commission agreed to increase the cap on the amount of fish local ranchers can breed this year.

The new limit will add 1.4 million tons to the existing cap, the Agriculture and Fisheries Ministry said, meaning local tuna farms will be allowed to accept up to a total of 10.26 million tons of the fish during the 2021 season.

Fisheries Minister Anton Refalo said he met with European Fisheries Commissioner Virginijus Sinkevicus this week and to thank him for the decision and promise him the full cooperation of Maltese authorities in efforts to ramp up controls on the tuna farming sector.

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Tuna farming was rocked by allegations of fraud some years ago, with operators revealed to have been allowed to continue operating despite breaching permit conditions and a massive criminal investigation in Spain reaching all the way to Maltese shores.

That case in Spain, which is still ongoing, triggered a local magisterial inquiry into the black market for fish.

In its statement announcing the increased cap for farmed tuna, the ministry said it would continue to work towards reforming the Fisheries Department to ensure compliance with EU control and enforcement standards.