MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Bid for EU funded aquaculture training

Following an initiative by Falklands' Councillor Summers during a meeting in Brussels last December, a proposal has been worked on with the French Overseas Territories of St Pierre & Miquelon and with representatives of Greenland (Denmark) for a training course on aquaculture to be funded by the European Commission Development Fund.

Falklands' Executive Council considered a paper about the bid and agreed to support the submission of the funding bid to the European Commission. If the bid is successful, up to 15 persons from the Falkland Islands will be invited to take part in the course in St Pierre & Miquelon (off the North Atlantic coast of Canada) in September next year. Governor Howard Pearce said that Councillors had been unanimous in their agreement that it was a good idea and a good way to use European funds should they become available. He said the total value of the project would be between 180,000 to 190,000 Euros to be split between the three territories.

Mr Pearce said the European Union likes joint bids adding, "It is often in the interest of the Falkland Islands if we can get together with others who have a similar interest."

When asked how people would be selected for the training Mr Pearce said it was a little early to answer that question although it might be possible for Falkland Islands Government to fund additional participants on the course, adding that it was an issue that had not been addressed as yet.

Mr Pearce said people who were going to bring the most benefit to a future aquaculture industry would be selected for the course adding applicants would have to be "judged on their merits." (PN)