Din l-Art Helwa said that it notes with disappointment that Government intends opposing the EU commission’s plans to to further cut Bluefin tuna fishing quotas for 2011.

Scientists have made it abundantly clear, says the organisation, that unless drastic reductions in catches are made, bluefin tuna will be an extinct species in a few years’ time.

Government’s pretext of protecting the livelihood of fishermen is merely a red herring because there is no issue with them. The real issue is the unsustainable tuna ranches from which the fishermen gain nothing. Notwithstanding this, Malta’s Government persists in supporting the lucrative tuna ranching industry that will benefit only a few industrialists to the detriment of others, Din l-Art-Helwa said.

The NGO went on to say that Malta’s reputation in the environmental field has been tarnished over the years by rampant over development, hunting and trapping issues, air pollution and tuna ranching.

Din l-Art Helwa said that it therefore appeals to the Malta Government to work to rectify these mistakes and it can start by reversing its position on tuna ranching and to transfer its focus on preserving our threatened biodiversity.

Permalink: Din l-Art-Helwa slams government over Bluefin tuna quotas