Conservationists convene; Endurance heads to Argentine dry dock.
News in brief:
Illex catch rates are ?reasonable'; No news' on John Cheek; Inquest opened and adjourned; A striking military exercise.
?Don't panic!' There's still time to catch Dad's ArmyTHE Falkland Islands Operatic and Dramatic Association's latest production, Dad's Army, opened last night in the Town Hall.The show features three episodes from the second series, Sergeant Wilson's Little Secret, The Loneliness of the Long Distance Walker and The Battle for Godfrey's Cottage. >A small number of tickets are still available from the Pod Gift Shop and the Speedwell Store for tonight and Saturday night's performances.
Pictured: Captain Mainwaring (Keith Biles) extracts Sergeant Wilson's (Gary Tyrrell) worrying secret from him, during Tuesday night's dress rehearsal.
? Sharon Jaffray reviews Sergeant Wilson's Little Secret on page 5.
Conservationists convene CONSERVATION experts from around the world will congregate in the Falklands this week to work together on saving albatross and petrels.
The workshop, entitled Albatross and Petrels in the South Atlantic: Priorities and Conservation, opens on Sunday.
In addition to fifteen delegates from the Falklands, South Georgia and the UK Overseas Territories of Tristan da Cunha and Ascension Island, there will be twenty delegates from Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, Brazil and South Africa.
This is the first time an international conservation meeting of this kind has been held in the Falklands; it is crucial to the UK Overseas Territories progression of the Agreement on the Conservation of Albatross and Petrels (ACAP).
This is a multilateral agreement which seeks to conserve albatross and petrels by co-ordinating international activity to mitigate known threats to the birds' populations.
Oliver Yates, Manager of Falklands Conservation's Albatross and Petrel Project said the workshop is a "fantastic opportunity" for the Islands.
"No conservation meeting like this has been held here before and it will demonstrate clearly what has been achieved over the past years.
"The Fisheries Department and Falklands Conservation, in collaboration with the fishing industry, have made massive improvements to the protection of these endangered seabirds; this is the next step in joining the global fight to save the albatross."
Presentations will be made on the structure and function of ACAP, government perspectives, land-based conservation and management, at-sea research and management of sea-bird fishery interactions and international conservation perspectives.
The local delegates include representatives of Falklands Conservation, the Government of South Georgia, staff from the Fisheries and Environmental departments and Councillor Richard Davies, who holds the environmental portfolio.
Endurance heads to Argentine dry dock
FOR the second time in three months, the Royal Navy's ice patrol ship HMS Enduranceis to visit Argentina, but this time it is for repairs.
Councillor Mike Summers said it is understandable that people will be annoyed at this news, at a time when Argentina continues to be difficult with the Falklands.
"Nevertheless," he said, "we too should make efforts to understand the practical constraints that exist for the Ministry of Defence."
A courtesy call made by the ship to Ushuaia in late January raised eyebrows in the Islands, as the ship had not visited the Falklands' capital for some time.
However, this visit by Enduranceis said to be due to essential repairs.
Councillor Mike Summers commented, "...we are assured that Puerto Belgrano is the only port within reasonable distance where the dry dock is large enough for the repairs to be done, and sufficiently close to enable the vessel to return here to complete her work."
When asked why the vessel did not go to another country for the work, he said. "No doubt they could have gone to another country, but at far greater expense - I doubt that could be reasonably justified."
"We are advised that the Endurance had in fact a Stanley visit scheduled; the Diligencewill now come instead."
Of the trip to Puerto Belgrano, he added, "it is to be hoped that they make good positive use of the visit to foster better understanding in Argentina."
News in brief Illex catch rates are ?reasonable'
CATCHES of illex squid reported by trawlers and jiggers appear to be "reasonable", the Director of Fisheries has said.
However he said whilst one or two jiggers have reported catches from Falklands zones, most have continued to operate on the high seas where catches have "seemingly been good".
He reported yesterday that a few more jiggers have now just entered the zone to commence fishing, and the vessels passing through Stanley Harbour this week are also likely to start in the zone.
"Hopefully, we will start to get some more catch reports in the next few days."
Mr Barton said the loligo squid season has started with good catch rates.
?No news' on John CheekFALKLANDS fishing vessel John Cheekremains under arrest in Argentina.
Jan Cheek of Petrel Trawling Company Ltd, the vessel's owners said she has received "no real news."
She said no charges have yet been brought and, "...our understanding is that under Argentine law the vessel can be held for sixty days without charge."
Mrs. Cheek said the company has seen various allegations in the Argentine press but added, "...we are confident that our vessel was fishing in international waters."
Inquest opened and adjourned THE inquest into the death of sixteen year old Helen McKay was opened and adjourned late last week.
During a short hearing on Friday, March 3, the Coroner, Mrs Clare Faulds received formal identification of the body and the inquest was adjourned for enquiries to be completed, including a post mortem examination.
A funeral service for Helen was held in Stanley yesterday afternoon, attended by hundreds of mourners.
A striking military exercise EXERCISE Purple Strike takes place in the Falklands next week.
Captain Mike Wong of Media Operations said while the Onion range and Second Creek range will be focal points for the exercise, residents may notice an increase in activity on land, in the air and at sea.
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