Fish farm complains it was not allowed to buy its quota of tuna

A tuna breeding company has filed a judicial letter in the First Hall of the Civil Court holding the Director of Agriculture and Fisheries responsible for damages it suffered when it was not allowed to buy enough tuna to breed.

AJD Tuna Ltd told the court that it was licensed to carry out tuna farming in local waters. The fish was caught in other countries which were signatories to the ICCAT international treaty and then purchased by AJD Tuna Ltd and farmed in Malta.

The company said it was authorised in terms of the ICCAT to purchase an annual quota of 3,200 tonnes of tuna to be raised. However the company said, the Director of Agriculture and Fisheries had abusively prevented it from purchasing tuna on the pretext that the department was enforcing a European Commission regulation. This meant that the director had stopped the company from purchasing tuna that had been legally caught by other states in terms of ICCAT. The company added that proceedings were pending before the European Court of Justice to impugn the EC regulation quoted by the Director.

AJD added that it was suffering damages as a result of the director's actions. It requested the director to allow it to purchase its quota of tuna and to make good for the damages it had suffered.

Lawyer John Refalo acted for AJD Tuna Ltd.

Comments

Clemens Hasengschwandtner (on 20/8/08)

TUNA farms are pure capitalism - they catch Mediterranean Tuna, fatten it up with fish they catch locally as well, pollute our waters and create a big mess right in from of our door only to make some quick CASH as long as the Bonanza lasts.

If you like snorkeling just go for a swim at St. Peters pool and you know exactly what I mean. The whole sea is full of tuna shit - small white flakes as far the eye can see.

Malta is not a rich country but do we really have to sell everything we have. Is it really worth to sacrifice our environment just so that a selected few can make some truckloads of money.

In my opinion Tuna farms should be forbidden or at least taxed in proportion to the harm they do to our environment.