New european socialists’ fisheries policy to address maltese fishermen’s concerns

The Malta Labour Party delegation at the European Parliament has made sure that the fishing policy of the Group of Socialists and Democrats at the European Parliament (S&D) includes features which take full account of the situation of Maltese and Gozitan fishermen. Dr. Alfred Sant, Head of the Labour Delegation at the European Parliament said that the S&D policy at the European Parliament on fisheries will now address Maltese and Gozitan fishermen’s concerns. The new policy will now insist that traditional family businesses, or those where the boss is also the fisherman, are given full support. It highlights the role of women in traditional fishing activities and the need to make the sector attractive to young people. All of these concerns are of vital interest to traditional Maltese and Gozitan fishermen who operate as families.
Dr. Sant said that the proposals being made by socialists and democrats in the European Parliament should be considered as the bare minimum to protect the occupations of traditional fishermen and ensure their contribution in the cohesion of the villages from where they operate. Moreover, the socialist policy document emphasizes the need for better training for young people in fisheries before they join the workforce, as well as the need to control more effectively pollution of the seas for this too is serving to decimate fish populations, such as with plastic debris and chemical pollution by ships.
Dr. Sant said that the European Union’s policy on fisheries is again coming under discussion and review. “Like other political families in the European Parliament, the group of socialists and democrats has been updating and finetuning its policy in this area. Conservation is still being seen in Europe as the top priority in Mediterranean and Atlantic fisheries since overfishing has continued to deplete stocks. However as conservation proceeds, full care should be taken that it does not lead to the elimination of traditional fishermen so that in the end, renewed fishing stocks will benefit only big business in the fishing industry.”said Dr. Sant.

Maltese Version – IL-POLITIKA TAS-SAJD TAS-SOĊJALISTI EWROPEJ SE TINDIRIZZA IT-TĦASSIB TAS-SAJJIEDA MALTIN

Id-delegazzjoni tal-Partit Laburista għamlet ħilitha biex il-politika ġdida tas-Soċjalisti u Demokratiċi Ewropej (S&D) fil-Parlament Ewropew tinkludi l-ħarsien tal-interessi tas-sajjieda Maltin u Għawdxin. Il-politika ġdida tal-Grupp S&D se tibda tagħti appoġġ sħiħ lin-negozji tradizzjonali tas-sajd tal-familji jew dawk fejn l-imgħallem ikun ukoll is-sajjied. L-S&D se jenfasizzaw ir-rwol tan-nisa fl-attivitajiet tas-sajd tradizzjonali u l-bżonn li s-settur tas-sajd jiġbed lejh liż-żgħażagħ. Dil-politika ġdida se tibda tindirizza t-tħassib tas-sajjieda tradizzjonali Maltin u Għawdxin li joperaw bħala familja.
Alfred Sant, Kap tad-Delegazzjoni Laburista fil-Parlament Ewropew, qal li l-proposti tas-Soċjalisti Ewropej huma pass żgħir biex nipproteġu l-ħidma tas-sajjieda tradizzjonali f’Malta u f’Għawdex u niżguraw li jkompli l-kontribut tagħhom fl-irħula żgħar minn fejn joperaw. Id-dokument tas-Soċjalisti Ewropej jenfasizza l-ħtieġa ta’ aktar taħriġ għaż-żgħażagħ qabel dawn jidħlu fl-industrija tas-sajd. Jenfasizza wkoll il-bżonn ta’ aktar kontrolli biex l-ibħra ma jiġux imniġġsa speċjalment bi fdalijiet tal-plastik u tniġġis kimiku mill-vapuri.
Dr. Sant qal li l-politika tal-Unjoni Ewropea dwar is-sajd qed tkun skrutinata u diskussa. “Bħall-gruppi politiċi oħra fil-Parlament Ewropew, il-grupp tas-Soċjalisti u Demokratiċi qed iġedded il-politika tas-Sajd. Fl-Ewropa l-konservazzjoni għadha l-priorita` għas-sajd fil-Mediterran u fl-Atlantiku biex il-qbid żejjed tal-ħut ma jnaqqasx il-popolazzjoni tal-ħut fil-baħar. Iżda waqt li tiġi mħarsa din il-konservazzjoni, għandu jkun żgurat li dan ma jeliminax lis-sajjieda tradizzjonali biex imbagħad igawdu biss in-negozji l-kbar tal-industrija tas-sajd”, saħaq Alfred Sant.