Maltese tuna diplomacy opens up Chinese export market

Maltese tuna ranchers will start exporting the prized fish to China after an agreement was signed granting them access to a market of 1.4 billion people. 

The agreement comes after two years of negotiations and paves the way for Maltese-fished Bluefin tuna to be sold in China for the first time. 

Described as a milestone in the two countries’ trading partnership, the agreement was signed on Friday between Foreign Minister Ian Borg and the Chinese vice president for public health in Beijing. 

Malta is one of the largest producers of Bluefin tuna in the Mediterranean with a significant export market to Japan where the fish is considered a delicacy. 

According to the National Statistics Office, Maltese fish farms sold 16,410 tonnes of fish, worth €210 million, in 2021, with 95% of it being exported to Japan. 

Charlon Gouder, CEO of the Maltese Federation of Aquaculture Producers, described the development as a “proud moment” for the industry. 

“We always had confidence that the Chinese would love it too but Beijing demanded the highest of standards,” he told MaltaToday from the Chinese capital. “In two years of negotiations we demonstrated pristine seas, well-regulated fish farms and an adherence to demanding standards; the evidence was convincing and we won approval.” 

Maltese tuna will be on display at the Shanghai China International Import Expo (CIIE) fair over the coming week. Trade Malta, the Malta Food Agency and Aquaculture Resources Limited have a dedicated stand at the Expo. 

“This will provide an excellent opportunity for participants to discover just how delicious Maltese Bluefin tuna is,” Gouder said. “It is truly remarkable to witness the big strides made by the tuna industry, underscoring the pivotal role that food can play in nurturing diplomacy between nations.” 

Atlantic Bluefin tuna is farmed through a capture-based aquaculture method. The fish are harvested towards the end of the year after being caught as wild tuna in June. 

The captured tuna is kept in large pens off Malta’s shores and fed on baitfish, such as mackerel, herring, sardines and anchovy, for growth and to increase muscle, oil and fat content. 

The industry is not without its controversy, with environmental campaigners criticising the damage done to the seabed from waste deposited from the pens where the fish are kept. 

During the summer months, waste from the farming process sometimes washes ashore, polluting some of the bays along Malta’s eastern coastline. 

However, over the past few years the industry has sought to upgrade and modernise its processes to reduce incidences of pollution. It has also engaged in cleaning exercises to in an attempt to foster good neighbourliness. A processing plant at Ħal Far was also opened to transform the by products from processed tuna into animal feed, eliminating a lot of the waste that would normally end up in the sea.