It was one of the first warm mornings of early spring. Inspectors gathered in a Żabbar industrial park in preparation for a raid. They were about to uncover suspicious seafood stowed away in a secret room of a supplier’s warehouse.
“This discovery of illegal fish catches was destined for Maltese buyers and raises concerns about health and safety from a consumer perspective,” a source close to the investigation told The Sunday Times of Malta after the raid.
“We are still investigating and expect to uncover more in the coming days and weeks.”
Fishing in Malta has been put under the spotlight in recent months after the industry was rocked by revelations that Maltese tuna ranchers were smuggling illegally caught fish into southern Spain. The case, which allegedly involved a senior Maltese official, has raised serious concerns about enforcement in the sector.
A Facebook post catches the eye
However, unlike the international tuna racket, which is now caught up in the courts of Madrid and Valencia, the fish – all blue fin tuna – traced to the Ta’ Maġġi industrial estate last week, was not destined for the tapas bars of Spain. Instead, Maltese authorities believe it was due to be served…
