Qawra - Malta, August 1999

Ban the use of Small mesh nets

 Originating from the bastardisation of the Italian word `parete', meaning wall, the parit-net, with its small mesh, is a wall of death. It makes a clean sweep of every living creature crossing its path. This accursed net is responsible for the bareness of seas along our coasts.

 The use of these nets in close proximity of the shore is illegal.

 In Malta, we should ban the importation of this mesh and outlaw the use of these nets completely, i.e, enforce the current ban on their use in close proximity to the shore, and ban their use on offshore reefs. Fish vendors should also be prohibited from re-selling parit catches, which are easily recognisable by the abnormal amount of types and sizes of fish in the catch.

 Enforcement should not be a problem because these fishermen are sitting ducks while hauling in the net, an exercise which takes considerable time. Spotting the offenders is even easier with a good pair of binoculars. Enforcement officers could follow the boat from land and intercept it when it reaches harbour. The new Civil Protection boats can be used for offshore surveillance.

 We cannot allow these ignorant individuals to continue vacuum-cleaning our seas and reducing them to veritable deserts. Government should impose very severe fines, say, in excess of Lm1000 and confiscate the vessel to stop parit-nets and the other scourge of bombing the seas with TNT (gelatina).

 With the increase in the number of vessels, it is high time to introduce some stringent legislation to spell out, monitor and control the activities of part-time and pleasure fisheries. This law can be modelled on regulations found in civilised countries.

 Given the nature of this issue, our civilised Government and equally civilised Opposition should present a common front on this matter.

Making political hay out of such an issue would constitute a horrendous sacrilege.