Fisheries Commissioner
As European Commissioner, he has been responsible for spearheading the EU's Integrated Maritime Policy and for innovative measures in fisheries, particularly through the involvement of stakeholders and the fight against illegal fishing activities, aimed at achieving sustainability in the sector. However, European fisheries policy has been unsuccessful so far in achieving sustainability, with 91% of fisheries on course to be classified as "overfished" by 2015, by which time the EU has committed to international targets for achieving sustainability.
Borg courted controversy among environmental groups by fiercely opposing the ban on the sale of Bluefin tuna, an increasingly rare fish which sells for thousands of pounds in Japan. His position on Bluefin tuna has been linked to the fact that the industry earns €100 million annually for Malta. Borg commented to the Times of Malta that "it is thanks to a lot of hard work at my level and at my staff's level that many of the proposals that are agreed by the commission took into account Maltese sensitivities".
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