Grouper-friendly restaurants to get certificate

The list will be published and the scheme will be regulated through a certification process.

3 May 2012, 12:00am
by James Debono

2 min read

'This species is particularly at risk locally,' according to the Grouper Action Plan

One of the measures contemplated in the proposed Grouper Action Plan is a certification scheme for restaurants sourced by sustainable fishing practices. This will encourage restaurants to buy unharpooned and correctly-sized specimen. The list will be published and the scheme will be regulated through a certification process.

The Dusky Grouper, which can live up to 50 years lives and reach a weight of 35kg, lives in rocky coastal bottoms of the Mediterranean Sea. Its vulnerability is a result of the biological characteristics of the slow growing creature, which inverts sex when it reaches 12 years of age.

The gentle giant is the target of many artisanal and sport fishing activities as well as recreational scuba or free diving. In 2006, groupers were the fifth most caught species of local fish.

"This species is particularly at risk locally, unless the population is directly protected by some forms of regulations like closed seasons, moratoriums, marine protected area, or other forms of fishing restrictions."

This action plan is based on a three-year period programme. Four marine areas of special interest including Filfla may be set up and studied further as potential sites for grouper conservation.

The dusky grouper is already included in Schedule VIII of the 'Flora, Fauna and Natural Habitats Protection Regulations', of 2006.

This Schedule comprises those animal (and plant) species of national interest whose exploitation may be subject to management measures.

Until a few years ago, groupers were declining dramatically in many places around the Mediterranean. However, following their protection through the designation of marine reserves, they can now be encountered in reasonably high densities.

Moreover, through the moratoria set up and the banning of spearfishing for this species, groupers are now flourishing in many places.

However, according to the report the situation in Malta has remained much the same, since no such moratoria exist and encounters with groupers are still very sporadic and rare.

Due to its behaviour, quality of the flesh, price and significant size, the grouper is a target species for fishermen, particularly for underwater hunters that are mostly considered as the principle source of mortality for this fish

According to MEPA, the major threat for this species are fishing operations such as the use of harpoons, rod and line, and nets, as well as illegal fishing practices such as use of explosives and stupefying chemicals.

James Debono is MaltaToday's chief reporter on environment, planning and land use issues, ...

More from James Debono

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You could at least have shown a picture of the species in question. With regads to the statement 'In 2006, groupers were the fifth most caught species of local fish', who exactly supplied this data? Total bull. Not even if you include all Serranidae will you get anywhere close. The seas are being depleted at an alarming rate, but get your facts right especially about who is really to blame before feeding them to all the gobies (mzazen) out there.

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Here we go again so now is the turn of the sport angler and the odd spero. I do agree with protection of species especially when they are in danger of extinction. Saying that rod and line fishing or spear fishing are the main culprits makes no sense. As usual these are the easiest targets for MEPA. Did MEPA carried any study, based on real statistics, how much groupers are caught with these methods or they stand only on what the so called experts say? Fish farming and pollution do have a very negative impact on this fish and so does the over fishing of the coast with Trammel nets (pariti).

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I would like to know from where this information comes out!!! I have been spearfishing for 10years and all I got was 9 duskys in 10 Years and you tell me that I took part to contribute to the extintion of this grouper!!!! Fish are decreasing not becouse of recreational fisherman and spearfishing but becouse of pollution ,fishfarms and trawllers, does any of these experts remember few years ago you could find groupers floating on the surface becouse there was a disease that attacked their stabilizing bladder!!!! Has any of these so called experts gone diving near a fishfarm to sea how the seabed gets destroyed !!!! Has any of these so called experts gone to the famous fish market at M'xlokk to sea the baby fish like the grouper and dentex and sargi that have been cought with the pariti being sold for the "ghaljota" Has any of these experts gone out on a trawller to sea what happens and what kind of stuff comes up from the bottom!!! Also I bet that not even 1 employe that works at mepa and takes part in these regulation has ever gone diving to make some research on his own. they get the information sitting by their desk from their Pc from extrimist that they can save the world by stopping fishing or from people who make proffit like Diving schools whom will benifit for sure!!!!!

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I would like to know from where this information comes out!!! I have been spearfishing for 10years and all I got was 9 duskys in 10 Years and you tell me that I took part to contribute to the extintion of this grouper!!!! Fish are decreasing not becouse of recreational fisherman and spearfishing but becouse of pollution ,fishfarms and trawllers ecc ecc (stuff that lot of money is involved), does any of these experts remember few years ago you could find groupers floating on the surface becouse there was a disease that attacked their stabilizing bladder!!!! Has any of these so called experts gone diving near a fishfarm to sea how the seabed gets destroyed !!!! Has any of these so called experts gone to the famous fish market at M'xlokk to sea the baby fish like the grouper and dentex and sargi that have been cought with the pariti being sold for the "ghaljota" Has any of these experts gone out on a trawller to sea what happens and what kind of stuff comes up from the bottom!!! Also I bet that not even 1 employe that works at mepa and takes part in these regulation has ever gone diving to make some research on his own. they get the information sitting by their desk from their Pc getting information from extrimist that think they can save the world by stopping fishing or from people who make proffit like Diving schools whom will benifit for sure!!!!!

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I would like to know from where this information comes out!!! I have been spearfishing for 10years and all I got was 9 duskys in 10 Years and you tell me that I took part to contribute to the extintion of this grouper!!!! Fish are decreasing not becouse of recreational fisherman and spearfishing but becouse of pollution ,fishfarms and trawllers ecc ecc (stuff that lot of money is involved), does any of these experts remember few years ago you could find groupers floating on the surface becouse there was a disease that attacked their stabilizing bladder!!!! Has any of these so called experts gone diving near a fishfarm to sea how the seabed gets destroyed !!!! Has any of these so called experts gone to the famous fish market at M'xlokk to sea the baby fish like the grouper and dentex and sargi that have been cought with the pariti being sold for the "ghaljota" Has any of these experts gone out on a trawller to sea what happens and what kind of stuff comes up from the bottom!!! Also I bet that not even 1 employe that works at mepa and takes part in these regulation has ever gone diving to make some research on his own. they get the information sitting by their desk from their Pc getting information from extrimist that think they can save the world by stopping fishing or from people who make proffit like Diving schools whom will benifit for sure!!!!!

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I would like to know from where this information comes out!!! I have been spearfishing for 10years and all I got was 9 duskys in 10 Years and you tell me that I took part to contribute to the extintion of this grouper!!!! Fish are decreasing not becouse of recreational fisherman and spearfishing but becouse of pollution ,fishfarms and trawllers ecc ecc (stuff that lot of money is involved), does any of these experts remember few years ago you could find groupers floating on the surface becouse there was a disease that attacked their stabilizing bladder!!!! Has any of these so called experts gone diving near a fishfarm to sea how the seabed gets destroyed !!!! Has any of these so called experts gone to the famous fish market at M'xlokk to sea the baby fish like the grouper and dentex and sargi that have been cought with the pariti being sold for the "ghaljota" Has any of these experts gone out on a trawller to sea what happens and what kind of stuff comes up from the bottom!!! Also I bet that not even 1 employe that works at mepa and takes part in these regulation has ever gone diving to make some research on his own. they get the information sitting by their desk from their Pc getting information from extrimist that think they can save the world by stopping fishing or from people who make proffit like Diving schools whom will benifit for sure!!!!!

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I would like to know from where this information comes out!!! I have been spearfishing for 10years and all I got was 9 duskys in 10 Years and you tell me that I took part to contribute to the extintion of this grouper!!!! Fish are decreasing not becouse of recreational fisherman and spearfishing but becouse of pollution ,fishfarms and trawllers ecc ecc (stuff that lot of money is involved), does any of these experts remember few years ago you could find groupers floating on the surface becouse there was a disease that attacked their stabilizing bladder!!!! Has any of these so called experts gone diving near a fishfarm to sea how the seabed gets destroyed !!!! Has any of these so called experts gone to the famous fish market at M'xlokk to sea the baby fish like the grouper and dentex and sargi that have been cought with the pariti being sold for the "ghaljota" Has any of these experts gone out on a trawller to sea what happens and what kind of stuff comes up from the bottom!!! Also I bet that not even 1 employe that works at mepa and takes part in these regulation has ever gone diving to make some research on his own. they get the information sitting by their desk from their Pc getting information from extrimist that think they can save the world by stopping fishing or from people who make proffit like Diving schools whom will benifit for sure!!!!!

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I would like to know from where this information comes out!!! I have been spearfishing for 10years and all I got was 9 duskys in 10 Years and you tell me that I took part to contribute to the extintion of this grouper!!!! Fish are decreasing not becouse of recreational fisherman and spearfishing but becouse of pollution ,fishfarms and trawllers ecc ecc (stuff that lot of money is involved), does any of these experts remember few years ago you could find groupers floating on the surface becouse there was a disease that attacked their stabilizing bladder!!!! Has any of these so called experts gone diving near a fishfarm to sea how the seabed gets destroyed !!!! Has any of these so called experts gone to the famous fish market at M'xlokk to sea the baby fish like the grouper and dentex and sargi that have been cought with the pariti being sold for the "ghaljota" Has any of these experts gone out on a trawller to sea what happens and what kind of stuff comes up from the bottom!!! Also I bet that not even 1 employe that works at mepa and takes part in these regulation has ever gone diving to make some research on his own. they get the information sitting by their desk from their Pc getting information from extrimist that think they can save the world by stopping fishing or from people who make proffit like Diving schools whom will benifit for sure!!!!!

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About time you dream to save the gentle fish grouper.Shame shame ,make the rod fishing with permit,I have seen people catching such a small grouper to give it to the cats.Wake up Malta don't let certain people fool you.

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What is wrong catching a grouper by rod. It is impossible to imagine that rod fishing can bring a species to extinction. Let's hope these do-gooders aren't the same guys from the anti-hunting lobbies.