Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/621909
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 3 JANUARY 2016 15 fish…" Bearing in mind that traditionally, most fishing was done within sight of land… this has radically jacked up the expenses (not least, diesel) involved. "At the same time, however – also 'by exception' – an industrial trawler up to 24 metres can now trawl in the same zone. So artisanal fishermen who have hardly any impact have been kicked out; but large industrial vessels which wreak havoc on the seabed – smashing through everything just to catch a few shrimps or red mullet – those are allowed. A boat twice the size of another, that can no longer fish in Maltese waters, is allowed to prac- tise a destructive fishing method that was previously banned." The government's justification, then, was that trawling would only be permitted in 'restricted areas'. "Now, everyone in the world wants to protect the whale. But we all know that the Japanese still hunt it, on the pretext that it is 'for scien- tific purposes'. It's a loophole. The same thing is happening locally. If you look at these 'restricted areas', you will see that they are actually the prime fishing areas in Maltese waters." This, he argues, is not only short- sighted and unwise; it also runs counter to Malta's official targets as an EU member state. Caruana rattles off the relevant paragraph from the acquis by heart: "The Common Fisheries Policy of the EU is based on the concept of conservation and sustainability by restricting fishing effort in the most sensitive part of Community waters and preserving traditional fishing activities on which the social and economic development of certain coastal communities is highly de- pendent." He pauses for a clarification. "By 'fishing effort', it means the capac- ity and activity of all fishing vessels. This was supposed to remain the same, according to the EU's policies. But it has not remained the same: Malta's fishing effort has grown… we have licensed more trawlers, and we have allowed them to fish in the conservation zone." Curtailing the environmental im- pact of fishing, he adds, is an indis- pensable to the conservation effort. "The fact that many artisanal fisher- men could not make ends meets is proof enough that local fish stocks have been in a steady decline since the re-introduction of industrial fishing within the zone." Enforcement, on the other hand, has apparently grown more lax. "I have lost count of the number of times I have contacted the Fisheries Department to report IUU (illegal, undeclared, unregulated) activities. Some time ago I reported a large trawler, Tobago-flagged, which was circulating aimlessly in Maltese waters. It is larger than 24 metres. What is it doing?" Eventually, the answer came back that they 'had lost an anchor'. Caru- ana reckons this anchor must be worth a lot. "They've been wander- ing around looking for it for over a week, and they're still there now…" He shrugs. "There will always be an excuse. Another time I reported an Italian trawler at night within sight of land – no lights, nothing – and I was told that it was all right, because they were fishing for 'scien- tific purposes'. Fact is, reporting al- leged infringements to the Fisheries Department is simply ineffective." Matters are further complicated by the existence of different licence categories, including 'MFC3' – the licence for leisure fishing. "On paper, there are limits to 'leisure fishing'. The Fisheries De- partment, which is responsible for the registration of fishing vessels, declares that 'category MFC vessels are vessels that cannot commercial- ise their catch and that they are also restricted in the gears that can be used'. In reality, however, things are very different…" Fishing under this category is of- ten unregulated, undeclared and illegally commercialized. "I see this out at sea a lot. A boat would come along, equipped with long-lines and power-winches – often with as much gear as an industrial boat. They will be 'leisure fishermen'. Yet they are better equipped, and fish over a larger territory than I do… though I have a professional fisher- man's licence." The impact of this phenomenon is "huge", he goes on, and is directly affecting the livelihood of artisanal fishermen. "Yet when you report it, nothing happens. It's like they're not even interested." Caruana questions whether there is still the political will to ensure the survival of Malta's tiny artisanal in- dustry. "What the future will bring I don't know, but what I can say is this. If, in years gone by, there was a sauce- pan from which 50 people would eat roughly the same amount… now, more than half that saucepan has been gobbled up between two or three, while the rest keep getting less and less on their plate." Interview Are traditional Maltese fishermen being muscled out of existence by an aggressive new marine order? For MARTIN CARUANA, professional fisherman from Marsaxlokk, the future looks bleak waters PHOTOGRAPHY BY CHRIS MANGION