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.
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