Malta has, over the past few months, been participating actively at an EU level in the intense negotiations on the European Commission’s proposal for a new fund for the EU’s maritime and fisheries policies for the period 2014-2020 (the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund – EMFF).

This fund is intended as the main tool to drive the implementation of the reformed Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) to foster Europe’s fishery’s transition to sustainability. The fund is required to reflect the Union’s social, economic and environmental ambitions for the fisheries sector. Moreover, in addition to the promotion of sustainable practices and the fostering of the implementation of the reformed Common Fisheries Policy, the fund needs to sustain growth; food supply and employment.

Malta strongly insists that resources should be channelled to where they are most required, and more importantly, where they can be most effective in attaining the required higher levels of sustainability.

Malta did not support the general approach adopted at the Agriculture and Fisheries Council of this week (22-23 October 2012) as this general approach does not include the allocation criteria. These will now be discussed at a later stage. In this regard Malta’s position is clear and consistent. Malta believes that the criteria should support the ambition of the Common Fisheries position for higher sustainability, and it insisted on 3 important points at the Council meeting

1. Small Scale Artisanal Fishermen as the Union’s Main Priority The Union’s ambition to aim at higher sustainability levels implies that the small scale artisanal fisheries sector must be the Union’s main priority. In this regard, Malta welcomes the Commission’s approach which is also insisting that small-scale coastal fleets remain the lifeblood of the economy of many coastal communities and that the aid to support them will be intensified.

Small scale artisanal fisheries engage in the most sustainable fishing practices and their prioritisation will put the reformed Common Fisheries Policy at an advantaged position to attain its goals. In fact, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) identifies various advantages of small scale artisanal fisheries including: a) Lower running costs and fuel consumption; b) Lower ecological impacts; c) Higher employment opportunities; d) Higher versatility; e) Lower construction costs; and f) Less expensive technology.

2. Aquaculture as another Main Criterion Aquaculture is a key tool to meet the growing demand for fisheries products and to reduce pressure on wild fish stocks. The EU is increasingly dependent on imports and in 2009 it imported €15.5 billion worth of fish and fishery products (accounting for more than 60% of its fish consumption). Aquaculture has the potential to reverse this trend.

3. Focusing on the Core Activities of the Common Fisheries Policy The proposed fund, while having substantial potential, has financial limitations. Activities that do not impact on the state of fishery stocks should not be included as a criterion for fund allocation. The inclusion of the processing industry will dilute the Union’s sustainability strategy. Such an inclusion could also imply that EMFF funds could be indirectly sustaining unsustainable fishing practices outside the Union’s confines. The processing industry, like the tourist and catering industries, generates substantial levels of employment and facilitates the consumption of fish. However, it does not infer on the sustainability of the fishery, and even worse it may increase the Unions reliance on imported fish.

Malta will continue to defend this position with the aim to ensure that resources are channelled to areas that generate employment, guarantee the required growth and at the same time the increased sustainability of the Union’s fishery, especially through the prioritisation of the small scale artisanal sector.

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