Partit Demoktratiku MP Godfrey Farrugia has called on Infrastructure Minister Ian Borg and Environment Minister Jose Herrera to investigate breaches by fish farmers who were supposed to have 12 cages in a temporary location, but he claims have 21.
Farrugia said that a visit to Sikka l-Bajda shows that instead of 12 tuna cages as agreed upon in a Planning Authority (PA) meeting, there are 21 cages set up, in flagrant breach of regulations. He delivered the adjournment speech on Tuesday evening in Parliament on the matter. He stressed that the site in question is part of a maritime protected area 12 times the size of Malta and Gozo.
The public saga with fish farmers began in August 2016 after various media reports showed Malta's beautiful coastlines marred by putrid sea slime. Bathers reported how difficult it was to get the sea slime off and the government promptly ordered a report into what was behind the cause of the contaminated seas.
It was found that high fat content in the feed being used by fish farmers was the main cause of the slime. Back then, it was also found that fish farmers had set up more cages than was permitted by their PA licences. It was argued by the fish farmers however, that the quota being farmed is below what is required at EU law, and different types of tune required separate cages to be used.
A series of meetings culminated in a decision that fish farms would have to be relocated "offshore" pending a series of studies to find a more suitable location. The relocation was to take place by May 2017.
Farrugia reminded the House that in the case of fish farms located in the Comino Channel, and off St Paul's Bay, these were relocated temporarily to Sikka l-Bajda. The temporary relocation was to cover a two-year period, while the relevant authorities were tasked with carrying out a number of studies to find a permanent location which would limit maritime contamination.
He quoted from minutes of a PA session on the matter, where it was said that "the new site will only be a temporary solution until the new north Aquaculture Zone being planned by the Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture is set up".
Farrugia said that "the PA gave a permit for 12 tuna cages to be set up in this temporary zone, while the authorities begin a series of studies and monitoring and evaluate if this area should be temporary or not".
In light of the 21 cages instead of the 12 cages as demanded by the authorities, Farrugia said that those same authorities are closing their eyes to abuse. He questioned how Parliament could rely on the PA's independent studies in light of this flagrant abuse they were supposed to be monitoring, and questioned whether the PA had the interest of the people at heart.
He made reference to a media report where it claimed that the same fish farmers applied for its 12 cage permit to be increased to 24. Farrugia questioned whether this site is temporary and whether studies are really being carried out. He pointed out the brazen actions of an application to increase cages in an area that is supposed to be temporary when the number of cages have already been increased despite not yet getting approval.
He accused the PA of not carrying out its responsibilities to the people, and pointed out that the same fish farmer has already committed similar abuses in the past.
from The Malta Independent http://ift.tt/2ns2gSi
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