MEP says Maltese fishermen struggling as Mediterranean rivals undermine lampuki season

Maltese fishermen are facing severe challenges as competitors from across the Mediterranean reportedly cast their nets for lampuki well before the official start of the fishing season, MEP Peter Agius has warned.

According to EU regulations, fishing for lampuki using Fishing Aggregated Devices (FADs) is permitted only between August 14 and the end of the year. However, Agius said "numerous reports" from Maltese fishermen and social media activity suggest that fishermen in Tunisia and Sicily have been setting their nets as early as July.

“I will not accept that Maltese consumers and our fishermen lose their rights and livelihoods from the sea around us,” Agius said, directing his concerns to the European Commission. He urged the commission to take action to ensure a level playing field and to strengthen monitoring of adherence to fishing regulations across the Mediterranean.

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Agius said that Malta’s lampuki catch for 2024 amounted to just 160 tonnes — a 50% drop from the previous year. The reduced supply has driven lampuki prices to unprecedented levels.

Agius has called on the European Commission to review its policies to ensure fair competition among Mediterranean countries and to improve enforcement of seasonal fishing rules.

This is not the first time that an MEP has requested action from Brussels to safeguard Malta’s lampuki market. Last summer, Labour MEP Thomas Bajada wrote to the European Commission and the European Parliament’s Fisheries Committee after receiving complaints from Lampuki fishers about the sale of fish in other member states during the closed season.

The issue first made headlines locally after videos circulating on social media showed Lampuki (Common Dolphinfish) being sold by Italian fishmongers, despite a Europe-wide directive barring them from doing so.

At the time, Peter Agius slammed government over failing to act on the “discrimination” against Maltese fishermen, who he said have to abide by the rules, while their European and Mediterranean counterparts do not.

Last summer, the Fisheries Commission in Malta announced new restrictions on recreational lampuki fishing, establishing a daily bag limit on the quantity and size of fish that can be caught.

According to a new EU regulation, recreational fishermen will only be allowed to catch a daily limit of 10kg or five lampuki (dolphinfish) of any size. Additionally, lampuki must be at least 35cm in length, with the catching, retaining, or storing of any smaller fish being strictly prohibited.

However, incidental catches are permitted, provided they do not exceed 5% of the total limit by weight.

The new regulation was part of a multiannual management plan aimed at ensuring the sustainable fishing of lampuki in the Mediterranean Sea.