The Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries, Food and Animal Rights Anton Refalo has announced an initiative where amateur fishermen will be allocated a number of lampuki floats and lines around the coast of Malta and Gozo. This initiative was carried out after a wide consultation with all stakeholders in the sector as well as after a meeting was held for all fisheries associations in which the proposals put forward were discussed and an agreement was reached for amateur fishermen to have the shoots and lampuki cords.
Every fisherman, both commercial and amateur, looks forward to the lampuki season which opens on 15 August and continues until the end of December.
Minister Anton Refalo said that years ago amateur fishermen enjoyed authorization so that they too could cast some lampuki ropes along the coasts of Malta and Gozo. The Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture is aware of the enthusiasm and desire of amateur fishermen to have the opportunity to go fishing for lampuki. It has therefore launched a consultation program with various entities involved to explore the possibility of amateur fishermen’s associations also having lampuki floats and lines. A pilot project will be launched this year so that Maltese and Gozitan fishing enthusiasts can go out and run for lampuki on their ropes.
The main proposals accepted were the following: The Federation and amateur fishermen’s associations are given space for the disposal of three shoots, two on the east coast of Malta and one on the west coast. Each amateur float cannot have more than thirty headers. Each headline must have a number that identifies with the responsible union. This number is issued by the Department of Fisheries.
For those recreational fishing vessels that cannot move away from the Maltese coast, sites are identified in the sea three nautical miles off the coast in front of the locality of the Association where up to three ropes can be discarded per vessel.
Each heading must be marked with the recreational fisherman’s vessel number. Lampuki can only be caught by trolling. No other fishing gear may be used.
Each organization and / or individual must apply for a permit on the Department of Fisheries’ FishApp. Each individual or association must report the catch of lampuki to the Department of Fisheries. Catching lampuki by fishing enthusiasts cannot be marketed. At the end of the season, associations and fishing enthusiasts must ensure that all the ropes that have been cast for the use of fishing enthusiasts are collected.
