MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

“Please be flexible”: Councillor's plea to Red Ensign Conference.

This year's Red Ensign Group conference was officially launched in Stanley this morning by Governor Howard Pearce.

Representatives of 12 territories have gathered in the Falkland Islands to discuss the regulation of the vessels on their shipping registers, which fly the red ensign flag as a mark of their registration.

As well as meeting with officials from the UK's Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA), which regulates the red ensign registers, delegates will this week discuss port marine safety codes, maintaining the quality of shipping registers, and the identification of problem ships.

Making their way to the opening ceremony at the offices of the Argos Group fishing company this morning, delegates had a clear reminder of the importance of shipping to the Islands as they watched squid jiggers in Stanley Harbour picking up their fishing licences.

After a disastrously low catch in the Islands' illex fishery last year, the jiggers have flocked into the harbour this week for the start of the new season. There will have been more than a few crossed fingers among Falklands delegates that they return with their holds fuller than they did last year.

In his opening address to the conference, Mr Pearce outlined the many facets of shipping in the Falklands, from transporting the wool clip of the traditional farming industry to the burgeoning cruise ship industry and the multi-million pound business of licensing fishing vessels.

He told delegates: "All of that means that it is very important for us to run our small but nevertheless significant shipping register and I believe that that register is effectively and well run."

He also referred to the introduction of new port security measures in the Islands under the International Ship and Port Facility Security code convention, concluding: "Our experience with managing this code during the first cruise ship season has been, I believe, a good one ? it has been smoothly and well and effectively managed."

Councillor Richard Cockwell used his speech to make a plea to MCA officials, who met with Falklands representatives yesterday.

"Whilst maintaining the highest level of safety standards, any register should recognise the distinct circumstances of the individual members," he said. "In our case this includes the implications of obtaining crew with equivalent competencies. We ask that recognition be given to the realities of our geographical situation. We are able to employ well qualified people from our partners in Spain and Chile but have problems getting agreement that they are sufficiently qualified."

Cllr Cockwell also asked the MCA to be flexible when considering regulations on trading with certain ports: "We want to be involved with trade to ports which the Islands have been trading with for many years. We have not had great success in our first discussions on this at yesterday's meeting but hopefully we will find a solution to our problem."

The opening was concluded by MCA Chief Executive, Captain Stephen Bligh, who told delegates the aim of the week was "To ensure that the Red Ensign Group extended family maintains its reputation as a quality flag."

He read aloud an address from UK minister for shipping, David Jamieson, who said: "The red ensign is globally well-known, our fleet is highly respected for its high standards and we are noted for our commitment to ensuring cleaner and safer seas. This is a reputation of which all who are connected with the red ensign can rightly feel proud."

As well as hosting the official business of the conference, the Falkland Islands Government has laid on a busy social schedule for delegates, who will visit a number of tourism and wildlife sites around the Islands. Delegates are paying many of their own expenses, but the FIG fisheries department has had to make £ 21,000 of cuts to fund the programme.

* The territories represented at the conference are: Bermuda, Anguilla, Turks and Caicos Islands, Monserrat, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, South Georgia, the Isle of Man, Gibraltar, Jersey, and Guernsey.

Sue Gyford (MP) Stanley