Fish farm operators must respect the environment - PN

In a statement issued by Marthese Portelli, shadow minister for the environment, and Ryan Callus, spokesperson on the environment, the Nationalist Party has called on fish farm operators not to let their activities have a negative effect on the environment, especially on the quality of the said.

“Unfortunately, this has not happened this year and as a consequence the sea has been polluted” the PN said, adding that this is “unacceptable since Malta has invested a lot in having the cleanest beaches in the EU”.  

The PN acknowledged that the fish farming industry generates approximately €150m for the Maltese economy each year however this still means that they must carry out their activities within the parameters set out by their permits.

The MPs also said that a part of the solution must be the relocation of fish farms further from the coast as well as a revision of the conditions under which they operate. Finally they urged the authorities to make sure that all regulations were enforced claiming that “enforcement by the authorities was completely absent this summer” leading to the present situation.

In a reaction the Labour Party reiterated that contrary to the previous administration the government was taking action to resolve an issue that ultimately “did not arise this year”