Maltese MEP Alfred Sant said that EU Directives have curtailed the livelihood and the future of Maltese and Gozitan traditional fishermen whose catches were disproportionately restricted for tuna, shortly for swordfish and will soon be restricted for lampuki.
“EU directives applied at national level requiring a cull of fishermen’s fleets have further loaded the dice against traditional fishermen as contrasted to larger scale enterprises. Data relating to how catches were developing ended up skewed in favour of the larger scale enterprises. This is unfair,” Dr Sant told the European Parliament, when explaining why he voted against a resolution on the collection, management and use of data in the fisheries sector.
Dr Sant said traditional fishermen feel suspicious about the way by which to a large extent, data about the fisheries industry is collated and used to regulate their industry.
“They believe that the data collected over time served to screen the impact of the large operators, to their detriment when it came to allocating fishing quotas on a Union and on a national basis in order to preserve fish stocks,” he said.
“Many traditional fishermen operate on a family basis. Up to quite recently, they lacked the knowledge, resources or time to be able to understand how their industry, indeed their way of life, were changing. Larger scale operators transformed the structure of the fishing industry and knew how to lobby in defence of their market share,” remarked the Maltese MEP.
The resolution ‘Union framework for the collection, management and use of data in the fisheries sector’ was approved with 535 votes in favour, 38 against and 48 abstentions.
The MEP said that the resolution aims to foster a dynamic fishing industry and ensure a fair standard of living for fishing communities. “Yet, this harmonisation often serves larger scale enterprises over traditional fishermen.”