A Mixed-Methods Analysis of the Imrejkba Fishery, a Traditional Maltese Recreational Practice

<ns3:p>The imrejkba fishery is a recreational and traditional fishery that originates from the Maltese islands and which is used by local recreational fishers to target various fish species further out from the shore. The imrejkba can be described as a gear having a triangular structure, constructed of wooden cane, plastic pipes, wooden branches, or plastic bottles, resting on floats, with a line of hooks attached at the posterior aspect of the gear. At the centre of the gear, a wooden pole with a sail is placed, allowing it to drift out at sea, and it is deployed from land. Personal communication with local fishers suggests that this fishery has been practiced locally around the islands’ coasts for several years, mainly targeting species such as Diplodus sargus, Oblada melanura, Belone belone, Caranx crysos, Euthynnus alletteratus and Coryphaena hippurus. The aim of this study was to understand the imrejkba fishery through consultations with the relevant stakeholders and through the collection of data on this fishery. A total of 183 fishers participated in the gathering of the logbook data. The Catch per Unit Effort (CPUE) for this fishery was also calculated to form a baseline for future studies, to understand whether this gear can be deemed to be sustainable.</ns3:p>