MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

MV Dorada prepares to leave for northern Europe

MV Dorada along FIPASS - Stanley

THE Fishery Patrol Vessel MV Dorada has been withdrawn from service in the Falklands and is due to leave the Islands at the middle of the month.

Alternative arrangements are being put in hand to provide a fishery protection service and further information will be made available on this in due course. Councillor Andrea Clausen yesterday confirmed Executive Council had met to discuss the service: "We are still considering the way forward. Work is in progress." Dorada Marine Ltd (DML) yesterday confirmed it had committed to the vessel's sale earlier this week. In a statement released by the Board of Directors, DML said: "The decision to commit the vessel for sale, a decision which was not at all taken lightly, had the fullest regard of many months of discussion and negotiation with the Falkland Islands Government (FIG)." There had been a long ongoing negotiation between FIG and DML, the Director of Fisheries said, on the basis of a short term extension to the current charter followed by a refit of the vessel prior to embarking on a new five year charter. John Barton said: "Letters were exchanged confirming this approach." However, he added, significant cost increases in recent months complicated the negotiation: "FIG was prepared to accept the initial day rate offered by DML, however this subsequently escalated significantly. "Despite FIG moving a long way to meet DML requirements, a negotiated solution proved impossible." According to the DML statement the company "reluctantly" concluded it could not commit to a new trading period given the requirement to raise funds for an extensive refit, against risk-assessing all the circumstances necessary to deliver a compliant multi-functional fishery patrol and fisheries research vessel. "To have committed MV Doradato a new trading period, the company had to take into account the cost of complying with ever changing regulations and an extensive refit and refurbishment requiring significant new capital investment. The refurbishment commenced during the vessel's special survey dry docking undertaken in November 2007." There were substantial financial and operational trading risks, the DML Directors said, when viewed against proven increases in operational costs and future projections. The final exposure that the Company would face was deemed "substantial". "Subsequently the parties were not able to agree a day rate, nor consider the terms of a charter party." The company praised the "sterling service" given by its employees: "Not only in terms of the provision of fishery patrol duties, but also in their commitment of delivering a reliable, safe and cost-efficient working platform for fisheries research for the FIG, and also for the Government of South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands." In the short term, Mr Barton said, alternative arrangements for ship-based fisheries protection were being made. He commented: "Aerial surveillance and other aspects of fisheries protection will continue as normal. "In the medium term a review of fishery protection requirements and how they can best be met will be undertaken." A scientific research cruise due to have taken place in February had been cancelled, Mr Barton said, but a pre-recruit survey of the Loligo stock using a commercial vessel would continue as normal. Penguin News