The fishing sector accounts for just 1% of Malta's GDP and employs 1000 fishers. But with fishing deeply linked to the nation's identity, collaboration between Maltese fishers and scientists is helping to shape the growth of the fishing sector and future of Malta's marine ecosystem.
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00:00I've been fascinated with the sea ever since I was a child.
00:15I grew up in a very urban area, so I didn't have much nature, but the only thing I had
00:20was the seaside.
00:21So I spent my childhood running around the beach, catching crabs and observing all manner
00:26of shore life and coastal species.
00:33I always enjoyed the sea and going out with my family, you know, during the summer and
00:40even in winter times.
00:42It always fascinated me.
00:51The fishing regulations governing our waters might be crafted in distant offices, but the
00:56knowledge they rely on starts here, out at sea, with scientific observers.
01:01These men and women are the backbone of the EU fisheries data collection.
01:05But who are these scientists, how do they work, and how do they contribute to preserving
01:09our marine ecosystem?
01:15It's early morning in Malta, the small EU member state nestled in the Mediterranean
01:21On board this traditional fishing boat are three special guests, Kelly, Luca and Frank,
01:26all working for Aquatic Resources Malta, or ARM.
01:30This research unit of the Maltese Public Department of Fisheries and Agriculture has a crucial
01:35mission, provide policymakers with accurate data on the health of the ocean.
01:41I work with a fantastic team of biologists and field observers, and together we undertake
01:48all of the data collection pertaining to the EU obligations.
01:52Today we're on an on-board observation, which is one of our routine observation efforts,
01:58where we get the opportunity to go out on board with fishermen and take measurements
02:03of what they catch, both fish that they intend to land and by catch and discards.
02:12It's the best part of the job because you basically get to see and work with the fishers
02:18themselves and you get to see the full fishing industry.
02:25As the crew hauls in their catches, the scientists observe, analyze and record basic biological
02:30data.
02:32This information is very valuable to policymakers and decision makers because we can quantify
02:39how much it costs from an ecological standpoint to catch commercially important species.
02:46Because for every commercial species you catch, you end up also catching species that are
02:51unrelated and that would otherwise not have been targeted by fisheries.
02:57This data, compiled at EU level under a multi-annual fisheries data collection, will not just guide
03:03the work of policymakers on fish stocks and resources, it will also serve as a basis to
03:08reinforce the socio-economic pillar of the fishing sector, according to this minister.
03:14I really believe in the need of balancing the environmental, the social and the economic
03:18pillars when it comes to projecting policies for the sector.
03:24Though the fishing sector accounts for just 1% of Malta's GDP and employs around 1,000
03:30fishers, this former academic turned politician says that fishing is deeply linked to the
03:35nation's identity and that science can play a crucial role in preserving this cultural heritage.
03:42I believe that science informs our decision making, so you need data to be able to predict
03:49the future.
03:50There has been quite a good representative amount of scientists boarding different vessels,
03:57both trawlers and also long liners, which makes data collection quite representative.
04:07On board observations are just one method scientists use to study the fishing industry.
04:12At 4 o'clock in the morning, the bell rings, signalling the start of the Maltese fish auction.
04:18Buyers eagerly compete for the finest catches that will end up on dinner plates across the
04:23island.
04:24However, Frank is here for a different reason.
04:28As part of the data collection multi-annual plan, we have a budget from where we can buy
04:34the fish.
04:35Then fish bought from here, we are going to process them at our laboratories.
04:40There are biometric samples, mainly length, weight, sex and maturity.
04:46These swordfish and dolphin fish arrive at the offices of Aquatic Resources Malta around
04:51the same time as Frank's colleagues.
04:53The difficult work can begin.
04:56The fish are meticulously dissected to study their biological parameters, marking the first
05:01step in a comprehensive data collection process that will ultimately reach the European Commission.
05:08Our fish stocks are shared with our neighbouring countries, so it is very important that our
05:13data sets between member states are shared and then aggregated together according to
05:19the data calls that we receive from the European Commission and other fora which work with
05:23the European Commission.
05:25Now this data then, from these data calls, is used for modelling the stocks, that is
05:31the fish stocks that we have around the Maltese islands.
05:33These are then aggregated at the regional level and then we can determine the management
05:38measures at the policy level from the collected data sets.
05:42With a PhD in statistics and mathematics, Jurgen is well equipped to supervise the data
05:48collection, as well as several other projects carried out by the 35 workers at ARM.
05:54However, his interest in fishing is also driven by personal motivation.
06:00In the fishery sector we have predominantly small scale fishers, meaning that these are
06:05still traditional fishers and they are still obviously providing our food.
06:10So for me that is something crucial for a country because if you have someone, a family
06:15who is providing food for the country, that is quite important.
06:20Like in many places around the Mediterranean, Maltese fishermen face several issues like
06:24climate change, pollution, stock depletion and intense competition.
06:29The small scale nature of their activity renders these challenges even more daunting.
06:35I believe that we have not managed to cater for the diversity and heterogeneity of fishers,
06:42especially the small scale ones.
06:44Most of the time these fora give a lot of focus to the commercially large fishers and
06:52having an industry in Malta where over 90% of our fishers are of a small scale nature,
06:58I think that we need to have more European fora that actually cater for the small scale
07:04fishing industry.
07:06This opinion is shared by the scientists on board fishing vessels, who help foster trust
07:11between fishers and policy makers.
07:14It is very important that we have a good working relationship with fishermen and at the end
07:19of the day their interests are our own interests.
07:21If the sea isn't doing well we want to know because if we can figure out and identify
07:26just where things seem to be struggling, we can raise this with policy makers and decision
07:32makers so that they are more equipped to take proper course of action in order to try and
07:38protect the sea and the interests of the fishermen.
07:41As long as the health of our oceans remains in jeopardy, the scientific work of Frank,
07:46Luca and Kelly will be essential in addressing this problem and shaping a shared vision for
07:52the future of our marine ecosystem.