Fish farm federation denied request to become parte civile in Spanish tuna racket case

The Federation of Malta Aquaculture Producers (FMAP) had its request to become parte civile in a Spanish investigation on tuna farming racket denied, according to the foundation’s CEO, Charlon Gouder.

Several arrests were made in the Spanish investigation, in which Malta featured heavily.

The then Maltese Fisheries Director, Andreina Fenech Farrugia was suspended following allegations that she demanded money from a major Spanish tuna operator José Fuentes García for personal use. Spanish newspaper El Confidential had published leaked phone intercepts by the Spanish authorities allegedly showing how Fenech Farrugia asked Spanish bluefin tuna kingpin José Fuentes García for payment. Fenech Farrugia has denied any wrongdoing and asking for or taking money for herself.

FMAP CEO Charlon Gouder, in an interview with The Malta Independent, explained how FMAP had filed a request in the Spanish court to become a parte civile in the ongoing proceedings in Spain, however said that this request was refused on the basis that they were not Spanish.

During the interview, Gouder also spoke about illegal fishing and thefts from tuna farms, as well as industry plans to turn the wasted parts of the fish into a commercially viable resource. He said that the industry are looking into the possibility of using certain parts of fish which are usually wasted into material to be used in pet food, which would require investment in a new land-based plant.

He was also asked about the fish slime situation, and plans to improve upon the self-regulatory measures the industry introduced last year.