MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency
Falklands Governor praises friendly Islanders.
Falkland Islanders have been praised by the Governor, Mr Howard Pearce, for being a very warm, hospitable, welcoming community. He says he greatly enjoys his fascinating job.
Speaking in an interview with the Falkland Islands Association, published in the November issue of its Newsletter, he has advocated pragmatic co-operation with the Argentine Government on vital issues such as fisheries and conservation of fish stocks, communication, and oil exploration in the special area of agreement situated between the Falklands and the mainland.
He has commended Argentine President Kirchner's "brave policies" in trying to bring to justice and punish the military murder squads for kidnap, torture and murder during Argentina's internal "Dirty War" in the 1970's and 1980's. Here is the Newsletter's account of the interview:
Argentine Co-operation Vital for Mutual Benefit Query over President Kirchner's Falklands policy The importance of pragmatic co-operation with Argentine on vital issues such as fisheries and conservation of valuable fish stocks has been emphasised by the Governor of the Falkland Islands, Mr Howard Pearce.
In an exclusive interview with the Falkland Islands' Association Newsletter during a visit to London, Mr Pearce was asked for his reaction to what appears to be a hardening of attitude by President Nestor Kirchner's new Argentine Government in intensifying its claim to sovereignty of the Falklands and apparent reversal of previous policy of having direct contact with the Falklands Government and Islanders.
Mr Pearce told the Newsletter: "We have to see what this means in practice. The Falkland Islands are ready to co-operate with Argentina where there is a mutual interest in doing so". He emphasised that "this must be done on the basis that the Falkland Islands remain British, that the Islanders are committed to remaining British, and the British Government is firmly committed to self-determination for the Islands?.
"As the Argentine Government settles into office, we shall have to see how it is prepared to address the areas where there is a mutual interest in co-operation, including fishing, oil, communications and other issues involving international bodies. Time will tell how the Argentine Government's policy develops. We very much hope that they will recognise there is an interest on both sides in engaging in good practical co-operation in the region in which we exist".
Real achievements in fisheries collaboration. (The new Argentine Government recently complained about the high revenue the Falkland Islands derives from fishing licences).
Mr Pearce stressed the special importance of practical co-operation in fisheries, which is overwhelmingly vital to sustaining the Falkland Islands economy, its development and prosperity. It is an issue that straddles national boundaries and policies.
He said: "It is an extremely important issue for pragmatic co-operation because fish living in the South Atlantic move around in international waters, in Falklands waters and Argentine waters. We have mutual interest in the proper management of those fisheries and in their conservation".
He was optimistic of continuing progress in the South Atlantic Fisheries Commission, set up several years ago by mutual consent. "It is extremely important for the Falkland Islands and Argentina that this practical co-operation should continue and all the indications are that the new Argentine Government is prepared to continue that co-operation. At the most recent meeting of the Commission we were able to get down to some really useful work. From that point of view, I am reasonably encouraged. We gave carried out research and we have worked together on measures to conserve fish stocks. (The Falklands fisheries vessel, Dorada, was used for the first time in September last year in a joint research programme with Argentina, with several Argentine scientists on board.)
High seas fisheries accord needed. "We would like to have seen that co-operation become closer and more information exchanged, with more work particularly to be done on southern blue whiting, an important species, as well as on ilex squid, where we have been working quite well together.
"We are also interested in taking progress forward in establishing some kind of high seas fisheries regime. That would obviously engage all those other countries whose vessels fish in the region. There is a lot of work to be done. But I would accentuate the positive.
"We have made real achievements in the past and I hope we can build on those to expand the area of co-operation in the future. I must emphasise the point that it is in the interest of both the Falkland Islands and Argentina that this co-operation should take place. Only by working together can we ensure that these vital fisheries stocks are properly managed in the interest of both the Falkland Islands and Argentina and of the wider world community.
"The indications we have in the South Atlantic Fisheries Commission is that Argentine scientists and those who manage the fisheries are concerned about, and willing to work with us, on conservation issues".
Radical Falklands fisheries overhaul The Falkland Islands already enjoys an international reputation for one of the best managed fisheries in the world, but is engaged on a major reappraisal and re-structure of fisheries management headed by Councillor Richard Cockwell as Chairman of the Falklands Fisheries Committee. The Governor praised Councillor Cockwell for doing "a splendid job on a highly complex issue in re-structuring the fisheries management process".
The Governor said: "We have taken some important decisions on how to manage fisheries in Falklands waters and there is still a lot of work to be done. By the end of this year, or early next year, I am confident we will have the structure and much of the detail in place for what is a key factor in our economy. The purpose of the new policy is to enable us to maintain an extremely effective conservation regime to ensure that the fisheries ? involving several different species ? is properly managed in a sustainable manner to enable the fisheries and its economic benefit to the Falkland Islands to expand".
(Councillor Cockwell's review has produced three reports ?on development of marine farming and aquaculture, development of port infrastructure, and a review of licensing and fisheries management advocating replacement of short-term licences by long-term, transferable property rights in the fishery.)
Zero tolerance for illegal fishing poachers The Governor welcomed the help given by the Falkland Islands fisheries protection ship, Dorada, to Australia's fisheries protection service in pursuing and arresting an illegal Uruguayan toothfish trawler, Viarsa 1, after one of the longest ever chases in fishing history -- lasting three weeks and over 4,500 miles through rough seas, high winds and pack ice in the South Atlantic.
Mr Pearce declared: "It is extremely important for both the Falkland Islands and South Georgia (for whose Government he is responsible as Commissioner) that we demonstrate we are not prepared to countenance poaching. Anyone found poaching will be caught and punished. We hope that those engaged in this kind of activity will realise it is not worth their while. We are strongly committed to ensuring that illegal fishing does not take place in our waters".
Call for oil co-operation not confrontation Recalling that an Anglo-Argentine agreement on offshore oil co-operation agreement has been in force for several years, Mr Pearce declared: "There is a special co-operation area where the Falklands and Argentine continental shelf median lines meet. I hope that the Argentine Government will look at this issue again and reach the conclusion that there is mutual interest in co-operation rather than confrontation. In the meantime the Falkland Islands Government is keen to encourage companies to take a serious interest in what is a very promising area geologically, for oil potential. A number of companies have a long term interest in the area. Several trial wells were drilled in 1998, and we hope further work will take place. Companies are looking at information already available and considering whether the time has come to invest more in what is for the whole region a very important activity".
(Several companies ? Desire Petroleum, Argos Evergreen and Talisman Energy operate licences in the North Falkland Basin. In the undrilled South Falkland Basin, ten open-door production licences have been awarded last year to the Australian-led Falklands Hydrocarbon Consortium. Argentina disputes Falklands oil exploration activity over different interpretation of the 1997 Anglo-Argentine agreement.)
Praise for Kirchner's Dirty War Policy For a Falklands Governor, Mr Pearce has unique experience of life in Argentina, as a diplomat in the British Embassy in Buenos Aires in the worst period of military rule in the 1970s when thousands of Argentine citizens went missing -- kidnapped, tortured and murdered, in what became known as Argentina's internal "Dirty War".
Mr Pearce recalled that 1976 to 1983 was a deeply traumatic time for Argentina and praised President Kirchner's brave policies in trying at long last to bring to justice and punish the guilty. "How this should be handled is very much a matter for the Argentines", the Governor said. "Twenty years later there are still deep wounds in Argentine society. Anybody who is concerned that those who were guilty in Argentina and other parts of the world of appalling abuses of human rights would get away scot- free, will welcome the Argentine Government's courageous decision to address this issue once again. I recognise how difficult it is for Argentina and for Argentine society. From the opinion polls there seems to be very strong support for the courageous approach taken by President Kirchner and his colleagues".
Falkland's "high quality of life" On a personal note, Mr Pearce said he was very happy in his unique post as Governor. "I am enjoying myself immensely", he told the Newsletter. "It is an absolutely fascinating job, involving great variety with the widest range of issues and challenges I have faced in a long and varied diplomatic career. The Falkland Islands are fascinating and offer an exceptionally high quality of life. It is a very warm, hospitable, welcoming community. It is a small community, but it is also a country with a government that has to deal with the range of issues and provide the services which any country has to provide, if on a much smaller scale. It is the most wonderful job. I am having a great time".
Harold Briley - London
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