With reference to the article which appeared in the Times of Malta of 18th April 2017 titled “Offshore Fishfarm Deadline Missed”, the Environment and Resources Authority (ERA) would like to clarify that:
- at no point did the ERA CEO suggest that the deadline for the relocation of the tuna fishfarms is going to be missed;
- the ERA CEO only referred, by way of explanation, that there are two separate and distinct processes that are underway in relation to aquaculture in the North-east. The first one involves the establishment of a formal North-East aquaculture zone that can accommodate a number of fish-farms and on which a formal public consultation process to formalise the terms of reference for the EIA is on-going. The second relates to an application for fish-farm relocation that was submitted by a company to the Planning Authority and about which ERA has been asked for feedback. ERA will be drawing up its recommendations to the Planning Authority in the coming days.
ERA reiterates that it is fully committed to ensuring, together with the Planning Authority and the Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture, that the agreement reached last year by all operators is respected.
