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Rising demand and diminishing fish stocks are leading to increasing corruption in the fishing industry that is compounding the devastating effects of overfishing. The solution does not mainly lie in more rules and agreements but in a stronger political will tFishing in troubled waters
Rising demand and diminishing fish stocks are leading to increasing corruption in the fishing industry that is compounding the devastating effects of overfishing. The solution does not mainly lie in more rules and agreements but in a stronger political will to eradicate corruption by holding people accountable. When, last October, Europol’s Operation Tarantelo resulted in 79 people being arrested, the local and international media gave graphic details of Malta’s involvement in the laundering of 80,000 kilos of illegally-caught Bluefin tuna that was double the annual quota of the legal trade in this prized fish. The operation was conducted by the Spanish Guardia Civil aided, among others, by the Maltese authorities. However, it was only in the last few days that the Maltese government appeared to take concrete action when it suspended fisheries director general Andreina Fenech Farrugia. This followed the publication in Spain of transcripts of allegedly intercepted phone conversations between her and tuna impresario Josè Fuentes Garcia. Environment Minister Josè Herrera confirmed the Maltese government would be cooperating with international organisations investigating the... Read more