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An aquaculture feasibility study should be completed in the islands by the end of this year, the Falkland Islands Development Board.

The recent aquaculture fact finding trip, artificial insemination and embryo transfer were all on the agenda at yesterday's meeting.

General manager of FIDC Julian Morris told the board about the recent fact finding trip to the UK. He said each of the members on the trip were still preparing a full report but they were in a much better situation to assess different options.

Richard Cockwell asked whether finfish farming was being looked at following the experimental salmon farm a number of years ago. He said the salmon had grown 70% per cent faster here than those in the Northern Hemisphere. Members said they would concentrate on mussell farming first.

Julian Morris said he hoped to have the aquaculture feasibility study completed by the end of the year, covering topics including site appraisal, processing, marketing and shipping.

Also Director of Minerals and Agriculture Phyl Rendell told the Board that she was to going to ask for a draw down on more funds from STABEX for next years artificial insemination and embryo transfer programme.

This year two thousand ewes were artificially inseminated and 400 had embryos implanted.

Phyl said she was hoping to increase to around three to four thousand embryo transfers next year.

She added that she was very pleased with the work done this year by embryologist Adrian Veitch and said the department was keen to work with him again.

She said it was still important to bring an expert in to do the work. The DOA's vets were working alongside Adrian but with their own workload to take care of they would be very stretched to do this all of the time. It was noted that this sort of experience would be looked for when advertising for a vet in the future.

Finally from FIDB, The introduction of a quarantine declaration form was agreed by the board this morning, to be filled in by everyone coming into the islands.

It will help monitor the import of animal and plant products, to maintain the relatively disease-free status of the Islands.

The idea won support from farmers at last year's Farmers week and this morning's meeting heard that it was important to be stricter with existing legislation now that farmers were looking at the export of genetics and animals.

Cruise ship passengers would complete a form on their arrival in the Islands at the same time that they had their passports stamped.

Members wanted to keep the form as simple as possible. They weren't sure how long it would take to put in force.

The March meeting of ExCo asked the department of agriculture to carry out a review of all customs and quarantine procedures relating to animal and plant products.

Source: FIBS