Source: Malta Independent
Following hot on the heels of a more eventful than usual summer fishing season, which has seen Maltese tuna ranch operators and the Armed Forces of Malta facing off against the likes of the Greenpeace and Sea Shepherd international environmental organizations, a hint was dropped last week that Malta is to face action from the European Commission this week over unsustainable fishing practices.
Without going into detail, an article in the Financial Times last week said that Malta, along with France, Greece, Italy and Spain, are to “each receive a reprimand next week from the European Commission for failing to curb unsustainable fishingâ€.
The allusion to EC action this week in the FT article, which dealt with the difficulties faced by Iceland in qualifying for EU membership, was in the context of the fact that to qualify for EU membership, Iceland would have to participate in the bloc’s common fisheries policy, which sets national quotas for how much of each species can be caught.
“Rule-bending is rampantâ€, the article notes, adding that “France, Greece, Italy, Malta and Spain will each receive a reprimand this week from the European Commission for failing to curb unsustainable fishing.†This would mainly refer to the involvement of these countries with bluefin tuna fishing.
