The Maltese Federation for Aquacultural Products announced on Wednesday that it had reached an agreement with four out of the five fish farm operators to regularise their procedures between August and the end of October so to have cleaner seas for all.
The federation said that it had reached this agreement after noting people's complaints and the challenge that the government has to keep a general balance between the industry and the public.
The agreement makes several considerations that the operators must follow and adopt to make sure that the environment around them is treated well and with full respect.
The stipulations include that each operator has to place booms around each cage to stop any oils that emerge from the feed used for the fish; that each operator should have a boat dedicated to going round the cages and picking up any waste that is generated; that the feed should be transported and processed in accordance with the best environmental practices and that there should be an independent person appointed by the federation to assess and report on the practices that the signatory operators are utilising.
Furthermore, the agreement stipulates that two vessels should patrol the coast to pick up any waste thrown into the sea, including plastics and other materials that damage the Malta's eco-system.
The agreement also committed that a call centre that operates seven days a week be founded. The scope of this call centre is to receive any complaints from people about any inconvenience that they may come face to face with in the sea.
The operators which have signed on to this agreement are AJD Tuna Limited, Fish and Fish Limited, Malta Mariculture Limited and MFF Limited. Mare Blue Tuna Farm Limited, a subsidiary of a Spanish company, were the only operators to not sign this agreement, but the federation is still working for their signature, sources said.
from The Malta Independent https://ift.tt/2M6QKXz
via IFTTT
No comments:
Post a Comment