The publication of the outcome of the public consultation on Malta’s National Fisheries Strategy 2026–2036 has placed a number of challenges facing Gozitan fishers firmly on the national policy agenda.
The Strategy establishes a ten-year framework for the sector, built around four pillars: sustainable fisheries management, generational renewal, investment in fisheries infrastructure, and education and training. Together, these encompass 20 strategic objectives and 86 proposed measures.
For Gozo, the consultation outcome is particularly significant because it formally records several practical concerns raised by fishers on the island.
Gozo’s infrastructure gap
Fisheries infrastructure emerged as one of the most urgent issues during the consultation process.
At the Gozo consultation, fishers highlighted concerns surrounding the limited number of active vessels in ports such as Marsalforn, safety during adverse weather and the need for improved landing facilities.
Concerns were also raised regarding access to essential infrastructure and services, including hoists and service pillars, together with wider calls for improved cold-storage facilities, port safety and fish-market arrangements.
For an island community with a longstanding fishing tradition, adequate fisheries infrastructure is not simply a convenience. It is fundamental to maintaining a viable professional fishing sector.
Investment under the new Strategy should therefore recognise the particular infrastructure requirements of Gozo and seek to reduce disparities between facilities available to fishers across the Maltese Islands.
Lampuki and the importance of science-based decisions
The consultation also records concerns raised in Gozo regarding declining dolphinfish — lampuki — catches.
Fishers stressed that any changes to fishing seasons or technical measures should be based on robust scientific studies undertaken by the competent authorities.
GCAF supports an evidence-based approach.
Protecting fish stocks and marine ecosystems is essential to the long-term future of the sector. At the same time, management decisions can have significant consequences for the livelihoods of fishing families.
Scientific evidence and meaningful consultation with professional fishers should therefore remain central to future decisions affecting traditional fisheries.
Who will be Gozo’s next generation of fishers?
Perhaps the greatest long-term challenge identified by the Strategy is generational renewal.
The consultation outcome reports that the average age of fishers is now 52 years.
Young people seeking to enter the sector can face considerable barriers, including access to bank finance and insurance, as well as issues surrounding the transfer of licences and operational capacity.
This raises an important question for Gozo:
Who will operate our fishing vessels and continue our fishing traditions in another 10 or 20 years?
Generational renewal cannot simply mean encouraging more young people to consider fishing.
There must be a realistic pathway into the profession — supported by access to training, finance, vessels, appropriate infrastructure and the prospect of earning a viable livelihood.
Economic sustainability matters too
The consultation demonstrates that the sustainability of fisheries is not solely an environmental issue.
Professional fishers also face pressures associated with operating costs, insurance, access to support schemes and competition within the market.
Concerns were additionally raised during the consultation about undeclared sales by recreational fishers and their potential impact on professional fishers and market prices.
A sustainable fisheries policy must therefore balance environmental protection with economic viability.
If professional fishing becomes increasingly difficult to sustain as a livelihood, Malta and Gozo risk losing not only economic activity but knowledge, skills and traditions accumulated across generations.
From consultation to implementation
GCAF welcomes the fact that fishers were directly involved in developing and reviewing the National Fisheries Strategy.
The process leading to the Strategy included 37 consultation meetings with professional fishers between 2022 and 2023, followed by further public consultation meetings in 2026, including a dedicated meeting in Marsalforn.
The challenge now is to ensure that consultation translates into implementation.
For Gozo, this means ensuring that the priorities identified by its fishing community remain visible as individual measures under the Strategy are developed and implemented.
In particular, GCAF believes attention should remain focused on:
- improving fishing and landing infrastructure in Gozo;
- supporting evidence-based management of traditional fisheries such as lampuki;
- creating realistic pathways for younger people to enter and remain in professional fishing;
- ensuring fair conditions for professional fishers; and
- recognising Gozo’s particular circumstances when national fisheries investment and support measures are designed.
The National Fisheries Strategy represents an opportunity to strengthen the sector for the next decade.
Its success, however, should ultimately be measured not only by the number of measures adopted, but by whether those measures produce tangible improvements for the fishing communities they are intended to support.
GCAF will continue to follow the development and implementation of the National Fisheries Strategy 2026–2036, with particular attention to the priorities and needs of Gozo’s fishing community.