Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1469874
14 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 5 JUNE 2022 NEWS Government, EU reach agreement over Lampuki vessel patrols KARL AZZOPARDI THE Maltese government has reached an agreement with fish- ing regulatory bodies to have a patrol boat inspecting Lampuki fishing grounds. The patrols will be carried out through a pilot project conduct- ed by the European Fisheries Control Agency (EFCA) under the auspices of the General Fish- eries Commission for the Medi- terranean (GFCM). Lampuki fishing traces its roots back to Roman times, whose fishing techniques are still used to this very day. Today, Malta's various licensed fishermen are allocated a loca- tion out at sea through a lottery system. There they can lay out their apparatus, called 'ċimi' – a palm tree branch knotted with a floating jablo raft – which is then anchored to the seabed. Lampuki fish proceed to seek shade under the large palm leaves, which is where fisher- men, moving from one raft to the other, spot the fish and lay out a large fishing net which surrounds the resting fish. The net is then pulled into the boat, and in the process the catch is hauled in. In 2019, MaltaToday had start- ed reporting on how Maltese lampuki fishers had seen their catches plundered by Tunisian counterparts in what was a ver- itable war on the high seas. The Maltese say they were threat- ened by the Tunisians wielding machetes, threatening to set their boats alight with Molotov cocktails. Fishers documented the pres- ence of a large, green Tunisian vessel, nicknamed 'the Bin Lad- en', which threatened to ram Maltese boats. Late last year, a group of Tu- nisian fishers were intercepted poaching Lampuki in Maltese waters. Both ship captains were fined €10,000 each, accused of failing to inform Maltese of- ficials of the amounts and de- scriptions of the fish aboard the vessel before entering Maltese fishing waters and failing to give three days prior notice of their plans to enter Malta. Despite the Tunisians claim- ing no wrongdoing, Maltese fishermen had insisted this was not true, as at around October lampuki fish move closer to shore, and are normally caught at around 40 nautical miles from land. The fisheries ministry said that the European Union had recog- nised the issue concerning Tuni- sian fishermen during the 2019 General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM) meeting, and gave its recom- mendations with regards to the lampuki netting (kannizzati). The Maltese government has since sent verified detailed re- ports provided by the fisher- men, and asked for the lampuki fishing to be part of the Joint Inspection Scheme by the Euro- pean Fisheries Control Agency (EFCA). Speaking to MaltaToday, a spokesperson for the fisheries ministry said the proposal to in- troduce the pilot project came after Malta's participation in the GFCM pressed for better en- forcement and control on such fishing. "The agreement was reached in the last Annual Meeting of GF- CM held in November 2021, fol- lowing internal discussion in the European Union and with other partners in the Mediterranean Sea, headed by the same Euro- pean Commission," the spokes- person said. "In fact, together with the EU in the GFCM, it will be Malta's position to work on a long-term management plan on dolphinfish fisheries in the cen- tral Mediterranean in the com- ing years." The ministry also said Malta is waiting for a positive confirma- tion response from EFCA to en- sure European Union Maritime Safety inspectors will be aboard the EFCA patrol vessel to con- duct the monitoring of fishing grounds and GFCM JDP (Joint Deployment Programme) in- spections at sea. Tunisian poachers arrested in Malta after being caught by a Maltese patrol vessel that accompanied lampuki fishers. Photo: Jams Bianchi/MaltaToday GONZALO Noel Sanchez, the man who on 21 May attacked patrons in a restau- rant in St Julian's with a knife and a glass bottle, was remanded in custody after pleading not guilty. During the incident, the 38-year-old Spaniard allegedly broke a glass bottle onto the head of a Swiss man. Two Italian men were also injured. Sanchez also damaged a car driven by a Pakistani man. A court yesterday heard that when the police arrived at the scene of the crime, Sanchez was detained on the ground by two civilians, and when they were ordered to release him, the accused remained ag- gressive, so much so that the police had to taser him. He was taken to Mater Dei Hospital, where a medical team sedated him, as he was still being aggressive. The prosecution explained that the ac- cused was taking medicine for his mental health at the time of the incident, but on the day, he also consumed alcohol and other drugs. His lawyer, David Bonello, did not re- quest bail and asked for the accused to remain under observation at Mount Car- mel hospital. Magistrate Gabriella Vella upheld the request. Sanchez was remanded in custody and the court demanded that the prosecution brings forward any witnesses as soon as possible. The prosecution was led by In- spector Jean Paul Attard. Man who attacked restaurant patrons with knife and glass bottle, remanded in custody