Lampuki shortage persists: Restaurants say ‘same problems, different year’

Malta’s much-loved lampuki season is once again proving difficult for the local hospitality industry, as restaurant owners report familiar challenges of reduced supply and rising prices.

Speaking to BusinessNow.mt, four restaurant operators – all of whom asked to remain anonymous – said that the problems highlighted last year have continued.

‘It feels like déjà vu’

One Valletta-based restaurateur described the situation bluntly: “It feels like déjà vu. Every year, we hope for a better season, and every year we’re facing the same issues – poor supply, higher prices, and customers who don’t understand why a plate of lampuki costs so much.”

Another echoed this sentiment, saying that sourcing lampuki had become “a weekly headache rather than a seasonal joy”. He noted: “By the time we manage to get hold of some, the cost has climbed to levels that simply aren’t sustainable for a traditional Maltese dish. We’re being forced to push up menu prices”

Foreign competition and unfair prices

Restaurateurs also pointed to the ongoing issue of foreign fishing fleets. One operator based in Marsaxlokk noted: “The problem isn’t just the weather or fuel costs. It’s that Sicilian and Egyptian fishermen seem to have no limits. In Sicily, they’re selling lampuki for a fraction of what we’re paying here. How can local fishermen – and by extension restaurants – ever compete with that?”

Environmental uncertainty

Another restaurant owner also based in Marsaxlokk pointed out that environmental factors may also be playing a part. “Every fisherman I speak to has a different theory – some blame the heat, others say the fish are moving further out to cooler waters. Whatever the reason, the reality is that lampuki are harder to catch than they used to be, and that pushes everything else up.”

‘Same story, new season’

Across the four testimonies, one message stood out: The problems are not new. “It’s the same story, just a new season,” said one operator. “We’ve been talking about overfishing, high prices, and lack of availability for years.”

As the lampuki season stretches on, the combination of environmental uncertainty, foreign competition, and rising costs leaves restaurant owners wondering whether one of Malta’s most cherished culinary traditions can continue to survive in the years ahead.