The Planning Authority Board said that it has today decided to postpone a decision to revoke a number of planning permits related to the structures and operations of tuna fish farms.

The Board gave the tuna fish farm operators up until the 22nd September 2016, to each draw up a holistic plan which will not only address the illegalities and complying fully with the enforcement orders handed down to them, but also ensure that within a specified time frame they relocate their tuna operations to the approved aquaculture zone in the south of Malta.

Each holistic plan, which will take the form of a method statement, needs to be agreed to by all the Authorities concerned, the Board said. "The plans need to address not only those illegalities concerning the fish farming of tuna but any other fish species that are breed within these fish farms."

The Planning Board said that it "reserves the right to proceed with revoking any planning permissions if an agreement is not reached or where it deems that the operators are not addressing the issue adequately and complying fully with the conditions imposed by the respective Authorities."

Last week, the operators of four tuna fish farms were served with an emergency enforcement order after the Environment and Resources Authority had informed the Planning Authority that the operations of the respective tuna farms were damaging the environment.

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