Alfred Sant told the European Parliament that the rights and interests of traditional fishermen in member states especially in small island communities, as in Malta should be safeguarded. The former Prime Minister and MEP said the EU is not respecting the rights and interests of traditional fishermen both within and outside the EU.

Traditional fishermen rightly feel that they are being placed in an unsustainable position. Fishing quotas have been assigned to member states on a one-size-fits-all basis, as in the allocation of tuna quotas in the Mediterranean. Also in the way by which the quota system and the discards arrangements have been designed, small scale traditional fishermen were squeezed even harder, while incentives were implemented to encourage them to give up their work. The lifework of these fishermen, if it is maintained and encouraged, could in no way undermine the operations of the single market in the fisheries sector.

Dr. Sant voted with reservations in the EP in favour of a sustainable fisheries partnership agreement between the EU and the Republic of Senegal. He told the EP that it is important that fisheries agreements concluded by the EU with third countries from the developing world seek to safeguard the rights of traditional fishermen while allowing for modern development of the fisheries industry.

Maltese Version

L-UE GĦANDHA TĦARES IS-SAJJIEDA TRADIZZJONALI

Alfred Sant qal lill-Parlament Ewropew li d-drittijiet u l-interessi tas-sajjieda tradizzjonali fl-istati membri, speċjalment fil-komunitajiet tal-gżejjer żgħar, bħal Malta għandhom jiġu mħarsa. Huwa qal li arranġamenti sostenibbli tas-sajd kemm ġewwa kif ukoll barra l-UE għandhom jirrispettaw bis-sħiħ id-drittijiet u l-interessi tas-sajjieda tradizzjonali.
‘Dan mhux dejjem qed jiġri. Is-sajjieda tradizzjonali ġustament iħossu li qed jitqiegħdu f’sitwazzjoni insostenibbli. Kwoti tas-sajd ġew assenjati lill-istati membri ibbażati fuq il-kejl fejn daqs wieħed jgħodd għal kulħadd, bħal fl-allokazzjoni tal-kwoti tat-tonn fil-Mediterran. Il-mod li bih is-sistema tal-kwota u l-arranġamenti fuq ir-rimi lura ta’ ħut ġew mfassla qegħdin jgħassru aktar lis-sajjieda tradizzjonali li jaħdmu fuq skala żgħira, filwaqt li inċentivi jħeġġu lis-sajjieda sabiex jieqfu mix-xogħol tagħhom ġew implimentati.’ Sostna Sant.
Alfred Sant qal dan waqt li ivvota b’riserva favur mozzjoni dwar ilftehim bejn l-UE u s-Senegal dwar sajd sostenibbli. Sant qal li ftehim dwar is-sajd konkluż mill-UE ma’ pajjiżi terzi l-anqas żviluppati u dawk li qed jiżviluppaw għandhom ifittxu wkoll li jħarsu id-drittijiet tas-sajjieda tradizzjonali filwaqt li jippermettu l-iżvilupp modern tal-industrija tas-sajd.
Il-ħajja tax-xogħol ta’ dawn is-sajjieda, jekk tinżamm u tiġi mħeġġa, bl-ebda mod ma tista’ tipperikola l-operazzjonijiet tas-suq uniku fis-settur tas-sajd.

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