A new investment was inaugurated in Pixkerija, where it will be possible to cut fish. Through this investment, the process will be more efficient and with the highest rules of sanitation. This investment was inaugurated by the Parliamentary Secretary for Fisheries, Aquaculture and Animal Rights Alicia Bugeja Said together with the CEO of the Malta Food Agency Brian Vella.
This investment is equipped with modern equipment and new knives to be used by the workers. This will ensure that the fish cutting process is carried out in compliance with the highest levels of hygiene, as well as based on the regulations under the Veterinary Services Act.
Parliamentary Secretary Alicia Bugeja Said emphasized how this investment will help the Malta Food Agency, the agency that manages the Fishery, to ensure the highest quality in the fish that is sold to local consumers, as well as international ones. . “Thanks to this new investment, we are reaching the necessary standards to spur more growth and success in all local fishing sectors. This new space is strengthening the competitiveness of the local fishing sector, so that we can protect the livelihood of every local fisherman in our country,” stressed the Parliamentary Secretary.
She explained how during the year 2022, the Fishery registered a total sale of 731 tonnes of fish, a jump of 71% over the equivalent figure during the previous year. In the same period, the economic contribution of this sale reached a figure of €3.3 million during the past year, an increase of 25% from that of the year 2021.
The Parliamentary Secretary reiterated how this jump in the purchase of fish was not only a result of new economic niches that were opened around the world, where different amounts of fish were being exported, but she explained how fish is part of the typical plate of Maltese families because it is also healthy. “Thus, we are continuing to ensure the sustainability of local food production, as well as reducing environmental emissions because we are reducing our dependence as a country on foreign food imports,” concluded the Secretary. Parliamentary Bugeja Said.
