ADDRESS BY THE HON. NINU ZAMMIT MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES ON THE OCCASION OF THE INAUGURATION OF THE TWO-YEAR COURSE LEADING TO A HIGHER NATIONAL DIPLOMA IN FISHERIES SCIENCE

Good Morning Ladies and Gentlemen,

It gives me great satisfaction to be here today to officially inaugurate this Higher National Diploma Course in Fisheries Science, a course being held for the first time in our country by the Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture with the cooperation and assistance of COPEMED, the University of Plymouth and the Edexcel Foundation of the United Kingdom.

In the field of agriculture, man moved from being a hunter and picker to a grower and breeder thousands of years ago. In fishing, the management and conservation of fish stocks is still a relatively new concept. Gone are the days when we can fish our seas with a certain nonchalance, trusting in the ability of the ocean to absorb our efforts and renew its resources unlimitedly. The resulting depletion of marine life, with certain specimens being faced with the threat of extinction – whales being perhaps the highest profile case in point – has sorely brought home to us the pressing and urgent need for the international community to tackle this problem before it is too late.

This is where I wish to highlight the use of the term ‘science' in direct relation to fisheries. This term archaically means knowledge, and it is the possession of, and the proper application of this knowledge, that guarantees the way forward for the sustainability of global fisheries, and this perhaps more particularly so in our ‘home' sea - the Mediterranean. The importance of the proper management (as opposed to exploitation) of fish populations, and of the monitoring of fishing activity from all the bordering shores can never be overstated.

We here have a core group of individuals who have decided to follow this course of training leading to a Higher National Diploma in Fisheries Science with the intention of taking up duties as Fisheries Officers within this Department. Through such training and qualification, in two years' time we are looking at having the staffing of this Department being given a quality upgrade. The acquired know-how of these prospective guardians of the fragile eco-systems supporting this activity, will be used within the legislative framework of the new "Fisheries Conservation and Management Act," that has been published and is shortly to be piloted through Parliament.

I take advantage of this occasion to thank all those who have contributed to the successful commencement of this course, namely -

the Food and Agricultural Organisation of the United Nations, and its COPEMED project for providing necessary funds

the University of Plymouth for the technical and academic assistance and the moral support,

and addirittura a special word of thanks to the Director of the Department of Fisheries and his staff for all the effort inputted into the organisation of today's launching.

I wish all participants the best with their studies and sincerely hope that this course, as the first of its kind to be held in the Mediterranean, will serve as the precursor of many more such initiatives, including within the agricultural sector thus ensuring that the proper tools are in place for the long-term protection of fishing and agricultural activities throughout our region.

Thank You