€29 million in investments for the fisheries sector
Parliamentary Secretary for European Funds Stefan Zrinzo Azzopardi launched a public consultation document concerning an investment amounting to €29 million which Malta will benefit from through the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund. This is another document in a series of public consultation documents on Malta’s proposals for investing the record allocation of €2.27 billion in European Union Funds for the years 2021-2027.
During the launch of the public consultation, the parliamentary secretary stated that although the Maltese fisheries sector is relatively small, it is still a very important one for the Maltese Islands. The proposed programme will address various challenges being faced by Maltese fishers, amongst them the lack of interest amongst young people in the sector, the COVID-19 repercussions, and an ageing fishing fleet. He added that through these funds support will also be extended to the aquaculture sector, which will also be able to invest in research and innovation with regard to the sustainability of the sector, especially in view of climate change and its environmental impacts.
The programme also aims to address the impacts and pressures on the marine environment and Malta’s coastal waters, with funds earmarked to address various challenges including the restoration and the maintaining of fish stocks, the protection of marine biodiversity, and measures to address the impact of climate change on the maritime and coastal environment. The parliamentary secretary added that these funds will complement other programmes through which the country also benefits, including the European Regional Development Fund, the Cohesion Fund, and the Just Transition Fund.
The first priority, with an indicative allocation of €25 million, aims at fostering sustainable fisheries and the conservation of aquatic biological resources. Stefan Zrinzo Azzopardi said that this allocation aims at enhancing fishing activities which are economically and socially sustainable while supporting cases of temporary cessation of fishing activities to enhance their living standard.
The second priority aims at fostering sustainable aquaculture activities and the processing and marketing of fisheries and aquaculture products, with an indicative allocation of €4 million to enhance food security in the European Union. Funds will support marketing, quality and value-added strategies for products and their processing, coming from fishing and aquaculture activities. Investments will continue to promote public knowledge of local species including farmed species, their diversity and seasonality.
The parliamentary secretary also said that investments proposed in this document are in line with the European Green Deal, with interventions aimed at the socio-economic and environmental sustainability of the fisheries and aquaculture sectors with a broader emphasis on research that will enable better decisions in the area of control and enforcement.
The general public and all stakeholders are urged to participate in this consultation process by submitting their comments and suggestions through email on consultationemfaf@gov.mt or writing to the Director General, Strategy and Implementation Division, EU Funds Section, 32, House of Catalunya, Marsamxett Road, Valletta by Friday, 22nd October, 2021. The full document can be downloaded through www.eufunds.gov.mt.
