Alicia Bugeja Said

• University of Malta
• University of Kent
• Memorial University of Newfoundland

Honourable Alicia Bugeja Said MP
Alicia Bugeja Said at the informal meeting of Fisheries Ministers in March 2024.
Parliamentary Secretary for Fisheries, Aquaculture and Animal Welfare
Incumbent
Assumed office 14 April 2022
Occupation	Politician scientist fishing researcher

Alicia Bugeja Said MP (born 8 October 1987 in Mgarr) is a Maltese politician and fishing researcher from the Labour Party.

Early life and education

Bugeja Said was born into a working-class family of farmers and fishermen in Malta. ^{[1] [2] [ non-primary source needed ]} After finishing her tertiary education in Malta, she obtained her Doctoral degree (PhD) from the University of Kent in the United Kingdom in 2016. ^[3] Successively, in 2017 she pursued a post-doctoral position at the Memorial University of Newfoundland in Canada, and in 2019 she moved to Brest in France to conduct further research with IFREMER. She has published a number of academic articles and edited a few books, and participated in various conferences worldwide.

Political career

She was elected to the Parliament of Malta in the 2022 Maltese general election under the gender quota. ^[4] She was appointed Parliamentary Secretary for Fisheries, Aquaculture and Animal Rights in the Maltese Government. ^[5]

Controversies

Bugeja Said faced scrutiny for receiving donations from Malta's top fish farm operators during her 2022 electoral campaign, while in her position as director of the fisheries department. ^[6] She responded that she has "no conflict of interest". ^[7]

In July 2023, Alicia Bugeja Said was reported by Arnold Cassola to the Commissioner for Standards in Public Life over a breach of ethics. Bugeja Said had advertised a Swimming with Tuna event hosted by the Ministry of Fisheries, Aquaculture and Animal Welfare for their employees, using her personal name and logo. ^[8] In September, The Commissioner found her to be in breach of ethics and ordered Bugeja Said to submit a written apology. ^{[9] [10]}

Personal life

Bugeja Said is married to Malcolm Bugeja. Together they have a daughter, Margaux, born 26 February 2023. ^[11]

See also

• List of members of the parliament of Malta, 2022–2027

References

1. "Parliamentary Secretary". Fisheries.gov.mt. Government of Malta.
2. Diacono, Tim (14 April 2022). "Alicia Bugeja Said: I Was Looked Down Upon At School Because I Come From A Farming Family". Lovin Malta. Lovin Malta Ltd. Retrieved 17 August 2025.
3. "Parliamentary Secretary". sajd. Retrieved 2023-10-15.
4. "bugeja-said-alicia". Parliament of Malta. 2022-04-13. Retrieved 2023-10-15.
5. Diacono, Tim (2022-04-13). "Alicia Bugeja Said And Rebecca Buttigieg Become Parliamentary Secretaries For Fisheries And Reforms". Lovin Malta. Retrieved 2023-10-15.
6. Borg, Jacob (24 May 2022). "Fisheries junior minister Bugeja Said was backed by industry big fish". Times of Malta. Allied Newspapers Ltd. Retrieved 17 August 2025.
7. Farrugia, Claire (25 May 2022). "'I have no conflict of interest' – fisheries junior minister says". Times of Malta. Allied Newspapers Ltd. Retrieved 17 August 2025.
8. Montebello, Sean (6 July 2023). "Cassola wants Fisheries Minister's event investigated for breach of ethics - The Shift News". The Shift News. The Shift News. Retrieved 17 August 2025.
9. "Ministers should not use official activities to promote themselves – Commissioner for Standards in Public Life – Malta". Commissioner for Standards in Public Life. Retrieved 17 August 2025.
10. Borg, Jacob (15 September 2023). "Alicia Bugeja Said breached ethics with 'swimming with tuna' poster". Times of Malta. Allied Newspapers Ltd. Retrieved 17 August 2025.
11. Calleja Bayliss, Emil (26 February 2025). ""Sentejn Mimlijin Imħabba U Ferħ. Happy Birthday Lit-Tifla Tagħna Margaux!" – Is-Segretarju Parlamentari Alicia Bugeja Said". Gwida (in Maltese). Content House Group Limited. Retrieved 17 August 2025.