MEP and former Prime Minister 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.

“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 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.

Maltese Version – DIRETTIVI TAL-UE JHEDDU L-FUTUR U L-GĦIXIEN TAS-SAJJIEDA MALTIN U GĦAWDXIN

Il-Kap tad-delegazzjoni Maltija Laburista fil-Parlament Ewropew Alfred Sant qal li direttivi tal-UE huma ta’ theddida għall-futur u l-għixien tas-sajjieda tradizzjonali Maltin u Għawdxin. Dan għaliex is-sajjieda ġarrbu restrizzjonijiet sproporzjonati fil-qbid tagħhom tat-tonn, daqt se jbatu restrizzjonijiet fuq il-pixxispad u warajhom deħlin ukoll restrizzjonijiet fuq il-lampuki.

“Direttivi tal-UE applikati fuq livell nazzjonali biex jitnaqqsu l-flotot tas-sajjieda aktar laqtu lis-sajjieda tradizzjonali milli l-intrapriżi l-kbar tas-sajd. L-informazzjoni li nġabret dwar kif sejjer l-andament tal-qbid tas-sajd spiċċa jxaqleb favur l-industriji l-kbar. Din hija inġustizzja,” qal Dr Sant fil-Parlament Ewropew waqt li spjega għala vvota kontra riżoluzzjoni dwar il-ġbir, l-immaniġjar u l-użu tal-informazzjoni fis-settur tas-sajd.
Dr Sant qal li s-sajjieda tradizzjonali jħarsu b’suspett lejn il-mod kif ħafna mill-informazzjoni tinġabar u tintuża biex tirregola l-industrija tagħhom. Dawn jemmnu li l-informazzjoni li nġabret tul iż-żmien serviet biex tgħatti l-impatt tal-operaturi l-kbar a skapitu tagħhom. Dan ġara fil-mod ta’ kif qed jiġu allokati l-kwoti kemm fl-Unjoni Ewropea u kemm fuq bażi nazzjonali biex ikunu mħarsa l-istokks tal-ħut.
“Ħafna sajjieda tradizzjonali joperaw bħala familja. Sa ftit ilu, la kellhom għarfien, la riżorsi u l-anqas ħin biex jifhmu kif l-industrija tagħhom, l-mod ta’ għajxien tagħhom, kienu qed jinbidlu. L-operaturi l-kbar ittrasformaw l-istruttura tal-industrija tas-sajd għax kienu jafu kif jimbottaw l-ideat tagħhom biex iżommu sehemhom fis-suq.” qal Dr Sant.

Ir-riżoluzzjoni ‘Qafas dwar il-ġbir, l-immaniġjar u l-użu tal-informazzjoni fis-settur tas-sajd’ kienet approvata b’535 vot favur, 38 vot kontra u 48 astenzjoni. Ir-riżoluzzjoni għandha l-għan li tkattar industrija dinamika tas-sajd u tiżgura livelli ta’ għixien ġusti għall-komunitajiet tas-sajjieda. Iżda, l-armonizzazzjoni ħafna drabi aktar taqdi lill-intrapriżi l-kbar milli lis-sajjieda tradizzjonali.

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