MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Penguin News Update.

Headlines :
A sporting approach; Wildlife charity: preventative action needed against disease; Slow progress on Bill; Next of kin arriving tomorrow; Illex: mixed Picture; Quiet cruise week; Steer riding accident; Freedom of Gosport for vets.

A sporting approach.

Picture: Ron Rozee from Spring Point Farm gives Fox Bay's eldest resident, Su Binnie, a step up on to the West Falkland Sports Association's new mechanical bull. The bull, which was purchased with money raised through a number of fundraising projects held last year, proved a massive hit during the West Sports Week. Picture: P Nightingale Coverage from East and West Sports inside.

Wildlife charity: preventative action needed against disease.

THE Falklands needs to do more to prevent the introduction of animal diseases from other regions, Falklands Conservation has warned. Following the deaths of a few hundred chin strap penguins from avian cholera in the South Georgia colony of Cooper Bay, the wildlife charity has recommended an active effort to inhibit cross infection. At present, Falkland's birds that have been tested for the disease have shown no sign of antibodies for the disease - suggesting that it has never been present in the Islands. This lack of antibodies also means, should avian cholera be spread to the Falklands, many birds could become ill. Falklands Conservation says the disease could present, "...a significant threat to wildlife," and bio-security measures should be enforced to prevent this. The charity's Director, Becky Ingham, explained that the disease can be transferred, "...either bird to bird, by prey, or on footwear / foodstuffs carried between infected sites." She suggested the biggest threat, "...is through passenger transfer of guano on footwear between sites." In South Georgia, where International Association of Antarctic Tour Operators regulations are enforced, all footbaths are compulsory, meaning the risk of transmission is very low from the Cooper Bay outbreak. However the Falklands do not enforce these regulations and they only apply to IAATO registered vessels. "This means that other vessels - ie the larger ones with 500+ passengers on board - are not using any of these regulations, do not carry out footbaths and therefore do pose a threat for spreading these kind of viruses from mainland South America to the Falkland Islands," Ms Ingham commented. She said the risk could be reduced by increasing regulations for wildlife site access - including compulsory footbaths and visitors having to declare if they have been to a seabird site elsewhere before visiting the Falklands - and adopting IAATO guidelines, "...as a benchmark; no site should be operating without this standard as a minimum. Ms Ingham recommended this should be regulated and enforced. "In terms of sustainability, protection from disease and having a viable cruise industry into the future, it's the only way to go."

Slow progress on Bill.

PROGRESS on the new Fisheries Bill has been "disappointing and frustrating" say members of the industry. At a Fisheries Committee meeting on Wednesday morning, the Attorney General, Mr David Lang, delivered a disappointing update on the Bill; he told members he received comments from the Foreign Office at the end of January on issues, "...which could have been raised months before." The Bill will enable the industry to invest in the development of the Falklands fishery resource through long term property rights; this is not possible under the present ordinance where licences are only issued for a short time with no guarantee of renewal. Mr Lang said the issues raised by the Foreign Office mainly involve criminal law and international law; the new licencing system proposed in the Bill "is intact". The government had expected the Bill to be published this time last year. Committee member, Mr Stuart Wallace, a director of Fortuna Ltd, described the delay as "appalling and unacceptable." He said, "We are nowhere nearer than a year ago." Mr Wallace said the industry was appreciative of the work which has been carried out in the Islands by the Governor and Falkland Islands Government, however he described the delayed process as "grim". Mr Lang said he is now hopeful the Bill may be able to go to Legislative Council in July but he could give no promises that would be the case.

Next of kin arriving tomorrow.

A SERVICE of dedication will be held at the memorial to Argentine war dead in the cemetery at Darwin during the coming week. Twenty-four Argentine next of kin are expected to arrive in the Islands tomorrow, aboard the weekly Lan flight, to attend the service. They will be accompanied by a priest and joined at the service by businessman Eduardo Eurnekian, a strong supporter of the Argentine Families Commission who is flying to the Islands in a private aircraft on Tuesday. The Chief of Police yesterday confirmed there will be a "discreet low level police presence" at the dedication service.

Illex: mixed Picture.

THE Director of Fisheries says signs of the health of the illex fishery differ but, "...it is not looking particularly good at this moment." John Barton says the overall conclusion from the joint British/Argentine research cruise results are that it will likely be "a poor year for the Southern Patagonian Stock (SPS) of illex." Mr Barton said this conclusion might be modified if, for example, age data showed that a greater proportion of the illex caught came from the SPS stock, "...but it will take time to do that work and in any case, it may not change the results dramatically." Despite that, Mr Barton said there were some signs from catches on the high seas and elsewhere that looked more encouraging than was the case in 2004, "...and I suppose everyone is hoping it will yet prove to be a good or normal year." More pessimistically, Mr Barton said it is becoming quite late for the season "to get going in Falkland Islands zones" and current catch rates are "quite low".

Quiet cruise week.

NO cruise ships will visit the Falklands over the weekend. Polar Star (carrying approximately 80 passengers) and MS Alexander Von Humboldt(400) are the first visitors of the week, calling in to Stanley on Monday. On Tuesday Alexander Von Humboldt will move to West Point Island and Polar Star will remain in Stanley. Polar Pioneer (65) will call at Sea Lion Island and George and Barren Islands on Wednesday while Polar Star will visit West Point Island and New Island.

Steer riding accident.

STANLEY man Ian Betts is believed to be recovering well after he fractured his skull during the steer riding contest at the Darwin Harbour Sports meeting. Mr Betts was flown into Stanley on Friday, March 4 after he was injured in the popular competition at North Arm. Eye witnesses say the steer appeared to kick Mr Betts in the head after throwing him to the ground.

Freedom of Gosport for vets.

GOSPORT Town Council is to award the Freedom of the Town to all servicemen of the 1982 Falklands Task Force in a ceremony in August.