The Ministry for Agriculture, Fisheries and Animal Rights has announced that it is rethinking the tuna fish farms’ relocation in order to “protect pristine waters”.

This comes after Qala mayor Paul Buttigieg called for an alternative siting of the North Aquaculture Zone in order to protect bathing waters in the southern area of Gozo.

“In view of the imminent public hearing associated with the proposed North Aquaculture Zone (NAZ), the Qala local council voices its grave concerns over the preferred location at sea being identified for the same NAZ and calls for an alternative siting of the same Zone so as to safeguard the quality of bathing waters along the south coast of Gozo,” the local council had said in a statement.

Speaking with journalists, the Ministry said that it is reconsidering the application since it believes that pristine marine zones should be protected. 

It also took into consideration other aspects, such as the effect a tuna fish farm could have on nearby fishing areas and tourist locations that might be affected.

Similarly to the designation of the South Aquaculture Zone, which is located roughly 6km off the south-east of Malta, the NAZ would group in a single polygon, measuring 4.5 square kilometers, all the blue-fin tuna rearing facilities currently located in waters off the north of the archipelago.

The main scope of such aquaculture zones is to relocate all aquaculture facilities from coastal waters to relatively offshore ones, thus mitigating the occurrence of effluents originating from the same facilities within bathing areas.

What do you make of this reconsideration?