MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Non-Falklands ship listings to change

Councillor Andrea Clausen said that requests from Falkland companies which do not own quota will be considered on their merits.

The criteria for listing non-Falklands flagged vessels will be revamped as a result of the European Union, Executive Committee (ExCo) recently filed application requesting a definition of economic ties between vessels and companies for transparency.

Lisiting occurs when the veterinary section inspects transhipments and cargo consignments to see if they fulfill the standards for export to the European Union (EU). ExCo recently filed an application to the Falklands government as required under the Fisheries Products Ordinance 1998 and asked that a definition of "close economic connection," be provided, so that any non-Falkland Islands-flagged ship applicants can be assessed against transparent criteria, Penguin Newsreports. ExCo approved the criteria drafted by the Director of Fisheries, that is, that listing requests respond favourably to an application filed by a company owning ITQ or PQ in the Islands, or if there is a close connection between the vessels and that company, and if there is a significant economic return for the Islands, Councillor Andrea Clausen said. The Fisheries Committee will evaluate requests (with input from the veterinary section) and make a recommendation to ExCo for the final decision. "Requests from Falkland companies which do not own quota will be considered on their merits," she added. Clausen said the government will look to achieving full cost recovery. "It will only occur with the support of the flag state and the Falkland Islands company applying would need to have sufficient control to ensure compliance with the Fisheries Products Ordinance," she said. The listing does not provide any non-Falkland Island flagged vessel access to EU quota and would last only for 12 months as a review is undertaken on the close economic connection. The issue of introducing the Automatic Identification System (AIS) to all licenced vessels was first mulled by ExCo in 2007. Councillors were not satisfied with the depth of an AIS implementation study. "The Council now notes that the supply and installation of AIS units can be made using the private sector and approved that the deadline for making the carriage of Class 'A' AIS units mandatory for vessels licenced for conservation zones, be set as 1 July 2008," Clausen said. A longstanding process of accepting contracted fisheries management advice from Imperial College is about to change also, she added, stating that the Council has decided to localise this area of work. The contract advice has been reduced over the past five years and the fisheries department is facilitating the transfer of this work to the Falklands. Clausen said, however, that ExCo will sign a three-year contract with the College to provide advice in three core areas: "These will include transition support for the new ITQ system, stock assessment advice and quota fee advice - this is in terms of an alternate opinion for the latter two areas. "Costs will start at £ 73,473 (USD 152,868) in year one and reduce to £ 60,402 (USD 125,673) in year three," she said. (FIS)