Tuna farm. (Photo: MFF)

Govt. postpones decision on tuna farm permit revocation

MALTA
Wednesday, September 07, 2016, 02:50 (GMT + 9)

The Planning Authority (PA) has decided to postpone until September 22 the decision on whether to revoke the permits of four tuna farms. In this way, the operators of these centres will be given two weeks to reach an agreement with the authorities on how to address several illegalities at the sites.

The PA clarified that will reserve its right to revoke the permits if an agreement is not reached with these operators, who will also have have to move their fish farms further out to sea, The Independent reported.

This deal has to be reached with the PA, the Environment and Resources Authority (ERA) and the Fisheries Department and the PA may also impose a bank guarantee to ensure compliance.

The announcement on the decision postponement was known after these fish farm operators had claimed that revoking their extension permits could kill the industry and warned of the economic consequences, pointing out that the fish farm sector accounts for 1.5 per cent of GDP and that a revocation of the permits could cost them some EUR 150 million.

The Planning Authority issued an emergency enforcement order against these operators last week. This measure was adopted a short while after becoming aware of the fact that the slime that had appeared on the sea surface has been caused by the aquaculture industry, which is breeding more fish than it is allowed.

While they were not downplaying the inconvenience caused, operators argued that that damage was not irreparable and said they had stopped using the new feed once it became clear that it was the source of the slime.

The operators claimed they needed more time to relocate the cages, which they said would be done by June 2017, when the new season starts.

The fish farm operators were backed by opposition MP Ryan Callus, who argued that revoking the permits from one day to the next would be “extreme”.

“This all seems like a kneejerk reaction to public anger at the slime and at the PA’s lack of respect to the environmental shown in the past few weeks,” he pointed out.

Meanwhile, Environment and Resources Authority Chairman Victor Axiaq said the operators had had since 2005 to relocate the cages but had not done so for economic reasons.

In the official’s opinion, the sea slime was only “the tip of the iceberg” and that tuna farms have very specific environmental impacts which will only be addressed through relocation. 

Related articles:

- Polluting tuna farms forced to urgently tackle illegalities
- Aquaculture centre slime issue solution to take time, Govt. admits

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