Parliamentary Secretary for Fisheries, Aquaculture and Animal Rights Alicia Bugeja Said participated in the ninth edition of the international conference ‘Our Ocean’ which was held in Athens, Greece. Accompanying the Parliamentary Secretary during the Conference was the former European Commissioner, Karmenu Vella together with the Maltese Ambassador to Greece Joseph Cuschieri.
During this conference all the participating countries committed €11.3 billion which will be translated into numerous measures in favour of the protection and sustainability of seas. Together with other countries, Malta supported its commitment in favour of the protection and sustainable use of the sea through many actions, which, among others, will lead to more investment and strengthening in the fields of fishing and aquaculture.
In her intervention during a plenary session on the challenges and opportunities in the Mediterranean Sea, Parliamentary Secretary Alicia Bugeja Said emphasised that, “The Mediterranean is a unique sea, surrounded by an extended coast that borders 22 countries, among them Malta. These countries share many resources with which they generate various economic activities. Therefore, it is crucial that the Mediterranean countries continue to work and cooperate together to have an increasingly sustainable and regenerative blue economy.”
Former European Commissioner Karmenu Vella stressed on the importance of this conference which leads to concrete actions in favour of the oceans, and the many communities that depend on them. He reiterated how this conference together with other previous editions, including the one held in Malta in 2017, are leading to concrete action in light of global challenges such as climate change and the degradation of biodiversity.
