MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Bio-Security consultants' report meets cautious approval

A report on the security of the Falkland Islands against invasion by diseases, foreign pests and environmentally hostile species of plant life will be passed to the Islands' Executive Council for information, pending further discussion by the Falkland Island Government Agricultural Advisory Committee.

The Falkland Island Government Agricultural Advisory Committee, which consists of representatives of the Government's Agricultural Department and members of Legislative Council as well as representatives of private sector farming interests, met on Tuesday to discuss the first draft of the report on importation and quarantine procedures produced by consultants, John Hellstrom and Bruce Simpson of New Zealand-based Bio Security Ltd, who visited the Islands in early October this year.

At sixty-two pages the first draft of their report was a meaty document, which covered twenty-two possible "pathways" by which exotic pests and diseases or invasive species could enter the Falklands and offered ninety-six recommendations designed to prevent this happening. Opening the discussion, Chairman of the Committee, Falkland Islands Legislative Councillor Mike Summers made the point that there was a need to prioritise the consultants' recommendations in order to be able to begin to assess how they might be implemented.

FIG's Senior Veterinary Officer, Steve Pointing said that he had already been in contact with the consultants, who realised that the form of the original draft had made it difficult to work with and consequently had sent a second draft. In this revised version, which he had just received and had not yet had time to read, the number of recommendations had been reduced to twenty, which appeared to be grouped in a logical sequence. He was sure that in its present form, the second draft would prove a much more user-friendly document.

Asked by the Chairman if there were any concerns raised by the report which seemed to merit immediate action, Mr.Pointing who has the prime responsibility for overseeing importation and quarantine procedures said that there didn't appear to be any new risks mentioned, but that he would be keen to implement recommendations regarding present unnecessary bureaucracy as soon as possible. He cited the present need to have certification for the importation of heat-treated milk from Chile as an example of this.

A major recommendation of the consultants' report is that the Falkland Islands Government should create the new post of Bio-security Officer, who, it is envisaged, would have back-ground training in biology and be given appropriate regulatory powers. This suggestion was received cautiously by the Committee. Councillor Richard Cockwell appeared to speak for other members, when he cautioned against government "building another layer of bureaucracy."

In view of the fact that members had not yet seen the new draft, the chairman decided that further detailed discussion should be deferred till early in the new year, by which time the report should also have been circulated amongst others likely to be affected by its recommendations and to be able to assess their practicality. In the meantime, also, the new draft of the consultants' report would be passed, for information only, to the Falkland Government's upper house, Executive Council.

John Fowler (MP) Stanley