MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency
Commissioner Pearce reviews S. Georgia Government activity
Once a dependency of the Falkland Islands Government, the South Atlantic island of South Georgia, over which the Argentine Government also claims sovereignty, is now governed directly by a British Foreign and Commonwealth Office commissioner.
In practice this means that its seat of government is in Government House in Stanley as each Falkland Islands Governor, being the British Government's most senior officer in the South Atlantic, is also, automatically, Her Britannic Majesty's Commissioner for South Georgia.
Last Friday, retiring Falkland Islands Governor Pearce spoke with Mercopress about the achievements of the South Georgia Government over the three and a half years of his term of office.
A particular cause for pride was that the Toothfish Fishery in South Georgia, one of three international fisheries managed by the island's government, had been awarded Certification for Marine Stewardship status. This was in effect an international recognition of management quality and a major achievement, said the Commissioner, who paid tribute to the work done by Miss Harriet Hall as Director of Fisheries for South Georgia and her predecessor, Mr. Russ Jarvis.
Given increased numbers of visitors to South Georgia and particularly to Grytviken, site of the island's museum and home to a small handful of government employees, it had been found necessary to clean up and make safe the old whaling station there. This clean up, which had involved the removal of quantities of asbestos by specialists and a considerable amount of demolition, had now been completed. Pearce emphasised that this project, which had resulted in Grytviken being now safe and accessible to visitors, had been entirely funded by the South Georgia Government.
Currently being printed was a revised environmental management plan for South Georgia. The Commissioner stated that he was very pleased that this key document on the way in which the South Georgia Government would go about managing this very special environment had been completed.
Increased numbers of tourists to the island, with a record forty-nine cruise ship visits this year and increased numbers of visits by private yachts, though welcome, brought its own problems said Mr.Pearce. Consequently, it was absolutely necessary that visitor impacts upon what he described as "a wonderful place" should continue to be constantly monitored.
The foundation of the South Georgia Heritage Trust was hailed by Commissioner Pearce as another very important development. The Trust is a charity, which exists to provide a channel for funding from commercial and private donors and will shortly also be taking over the management of the museum at Grytviken.
The museum buildings had themselves been refurbished and the South Georgia Government was now committing 10% of all tourism landing fees to the museum, thus putting its future finances on a firmer footing.
The South Georgia Government had embarked upon a long-term programme to eliminate rats from the island. Commissioner Pearce said that success was by no means certain, but if this extremely ambitious goal could be realised it would have a very significant impact upon South Georgia's environment.
Further environmental enhancement, as well as financial benefits, was expected from the decision by the South Georgia Government to restore hydroelectric power to Grytviken and the British Antarctic Survey base at King Edward Point. The first stage would begin this year and the project, when completed, would virtually eliminate the need for reliance on imported diesel fuel and make South Georgia one of the greenest inhabited places on earth, said Pearce. The Norwegian whaling station at Grytviken was previously powered by hydro-electricity.
John Fowler (Mercopress) Stanley
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