Making headway, one milestone at a time

They say that a day is a long time in politics. And yet, my first 12 months as an elected official have come and gone in a flash.

My journey as parliamentary secretary for Fisheries, Aquaculture and Animal Welfare over the past year was one filled with considerable opportunities and multiple challenges. Motivated by an innate thirst for change, we sought to address these limitations, by creating new opportunities for growth and fostering further changes in these sectors.

We're in it for the long haul. We know that the next few years ahead will demand of us further brave decisions and ambitious targets. As a first-time politician and member of Cabinet, the work of these past few months was an immense learning curve, that brought with it immense satisfaction. And yet, such milestones are not causes for celebration just yet; rather, they are opportunities for reflection on what we've managed to complete together. They should also serve as a springboard to encourage further transformative action.

Our endeavours throughout the past few months were mainly guided by three main courses of action. We sought to preserve the traditions that have come to define us as a country, specifically those which have managed to serve us well even to this day. Secondly, we sought to address the challenges, both structural and daily, that our fishers and our volunteers have faced, in an efficient and immediate manner. Lastly, by emphasising the need for sustainability, regeneration, and innovation, we have continued to pave the way for a futureproof plan of action, one which will help define this government’s legacy for years to come.

Looking into our historical heritage is not merely a source of inspiration or just a source of emotional significance; it helps us showcase the strengths, the vibrant variety and the underlying weaknesses in both sectors. During this time, we launched initiatives such as the Boat Restoration Scheme, the Festa Ħut initiative and the Animal Welfare Awards ceremony. These initiatives showcased the progress undertaken in these sectors, which can help propel further developments in the future. We believe that our role as a government includes supporting the characteristics that help define these sectors in the present, while preserving them for future generations.

Our role does not stop there however. We were also conscious of the need in transitioning previous processes to address present-day exigencies. For this reason, we embarked on a flurry of amendments to our current laws, on a multitude of areas. Our amendments to both the Animal Welfare Act and the Veterinary Services Department, were a massive leap forward in efficiency, immediacy and transparency for our public officials. By addressing certain procedural and substantive vacuums in our laws, we have ensured that our public officials have the tools and the powers needed to respond to the questions posed and deliver the service requested by our citizens in their time of need.

As a government we are extremely conscious of the challenges faced locally, including lack of proper spaces. Our Cattery project in l-Għammieri was a significant step in addressing this issue, but much remains to be done. For this reason, we also undertook efforts to continue creating new spaces for our abandoned animals, including a new Centre for Adoption and other open spaces for our dogs; such initiatives are not only necessary in the present, but they will help ensure the available resources necessary for years to come.

The tasks faced by this government did not limit themselves just locally however. Very early during this legislature, the government was faced with massive challenges stemming from the foreign socio-economic scenario. For most of these past few years, our fishers ended up completely at the mercy of ballooning fuel expenses as a direct result of the war in Ukraine. There’s no way around it: without the €1.7m investment that the government announced separately during these past two years, our fishing sector would have faced an existential crisis; an economic downturn that would potentially have taken generations to recover from.

Notwithstanding these investments, we are conscious of the necessity for our country to continue developing these sectors. The introduction of new and innovative practices leave a crucial positive impact on the livelihoods of thousands of citizens. We must never refrain from seeking further ways in adapting and facing the challenges of today, in order to preserve tomorrow.

For this reason, we are currently presenting new policy frameworks for both our Fishing and Animal Welfare sectors. Throughout these past 12 months, we embarked on a process of continuous consultation with all relevant stakeholders. With the feedback received, we seek to address any root lacunae and deliver the wholescale revolution needed to incentivise economic growth, develop a transformative perspective on our potential and achieve the success that we seek, for the benefit of all.

Over the past 12 months, we have sought to work together with all stakeholders, from all walks of life. We have achieved considerable progress in a multitude of areas, but the buck does not stop here. Indeed, there are many projects, such as dogfriendly beaches, new opportunities for animal adoption and new additions to the legislation that we are still pursuing to this day.

This one-year milestone, therefore, is not an excuse for any of us to rest on our laurels. We have yet to reach the zenith of our plan of action. Rather than a source of discouragement, the challenges ahead will further fuel our determination to commit to our vision and enact the changes that our constituents desire and fully deserve.