Dr. Carmelo is the Professor of Fisheries Biology and Aquaculture at the University of Malta and an International Freelance Consultant in Aquaculture. He has served as the chief advisor to the Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries for Malta, on all matters relating to aquaculture and fisheries. This includes the establishment and execution of policies and representation at all levels both nationally and internationally such as FAO/UN and European Union. He established and managed the National Aquaculture Centre as the focal point for training, research and development in Aquaculture and Fisheries in Malta. He is the advisor for several local and foreign private farms and aquaculture companies including British and Australian companies.He has also contributed his services as a consultant for tuna penning.

He has been a consultant for various international organizations, mainly the FAO of UN, CIHEAM (Centre for Higher Agronomic Studies for the Mediterranean, with its Headquarters in Paris), the Atomic Energy Agency based in Vienna, various governments and private companies. During the last decade he has carried out 10-12 consultancies a year, in the Mediterranean, Middle East, Ghana, Guatemala, Ecuador, Caribbean and SE Asian regions. His expertise includes marine sea-cage site evaluation and farming systems using inshore and off-shore sea cages; Tuna penning; hatchery design and feasibility studies; farming of sub-tropical and tropical marine fish species and tilapia; environmental impact assessments and formulation of aquaculture regulations and guidelines.