Fisheries strategy targets €70 million growth by 2020

Parliamentary Secretary for Agriculture, Fisheries and Animal Rights Roderick Galdes this morning launched a new national aquaculture strategy which will be in place from 2014 to 2025.

Galdes said that years of scientific studies were carried out prior to the implementation of the strategy, and that Malta was now one of few countries with such a strategy.

He said that the plan was expected to raise the importance of the sector, increase the number of job opportunities and help in the growth of the country's economy.

"This is a key milestone for government and for the sector," Galdes said. "For the first time, we have laid out a long-term path towards clarity for growth and investment in aquaculture."

"The first signal that we wanted to give to illustrate support for the sector is the recognition that aquaculture is a valid economic sector with a growth potential," he said.

"By reaching the production target of 5,000 tonnes in addition to the tuna penning production, until 2020, it is expected that the industry will have up to 1,185 full-time equivalent direct and indirect jobs with a gross added value of €70 million to the Maltese economy."

The strategy also proposes that the aquaculture sector is placed under the responsibility of the Fisheries Department - as opposed to its current regulator, MEPA - to allow for more room for better control and monitoring.