A solution or just empty talk?
The recent announcement that four of the five fish farm operators agreed to regularise procedures to have cleaner seas is a most welcome announcement and, if implemented, could potentially see an end to sea slime around the islands
However this agreement is currently just words, and will need to be judged on its results once it comes into effect. This, even more so when yesterday the environment ministry announced that some operators were not abiding to their permit requirements.
Fish slime along Maltese shores has been an annoyance for many years, with many residents in affected coastal areas having become angrier at the operators as time went on. The situation had gotten so bad that government intervention was required.
The agreement makes several considerations that the operators must follow to make sure that the environment around them is treated well and with full respect. These include that each operator has to place booms around each cage to stop any oils that emerge from the feed used for the fish; and that each operator should have a boat dedicated to going round
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the cages and picking up any waste that is generated. This could indeed help the situation. This move by the fish farm operators, however, was most likely not done out of the goodness of their hearts, but, rather, due to societal and political pressure. Recently many images have been shared on social media by swimmers and environmentalists who have come face to face with the sludge, and Environment Minister Jose Herrera confirmed that the sea slime that has appeared on vast stretches of Maltese coasts is coming from fish farms. The minister has said that steps will be taken if irregularities were committed by fish farm operators. This is just the latest in a long series of similar situations which saw the public express their anger and disgust through social media, thus pressuring politicians and authorities.
Another initiative within the agreement would see two vessels patrol the coast to pick up any waste thrown into the sea, including plastics and other materials that damage the eco-system. This particular initiative, should it be implemented, should definitely be praised, as this goes above and beyond the direct impact of the fish farms, and will benefit society in general.
The agreement also saw the operators commit themselves to setting up a call centre to receive any complaints from people about any inconvenience that they may come face to face with in the sea. While this could be beneficial, one would need to see what kind of enforcement action could be taken by going through a call centre, rather than through the environmental authorities.
In addition, one of the fish farm operators has not yet signed the agreement, meaning that not all are onboard.
Perhaps this agreement should be made mandatory as part of their corporate social responsibility, given the effects of sea slime on Malta, with regard to affecting locals, as well as tourists.
The environment ministry has also highlighted the need for all operators to also uphold the requirements of their permit. Operators who do not should face the repercussions, especially given the potential effects of not abiding to permit requirements.