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Falkland Islands: Weekly Penguin News Update

Concordia Bay at berth in the recently completed New Haven ferry terminal

Headlines: New Haven in operation; Funding for Stanley Dairy dries up; Oil salvage team arrives; Oil salvage team arrives.

New Haven in operationJUST over a year from when construction started, Concordia Bayhas berthed at the new ferry terminal at New Haven. A project that has been the subject of much discussion and has had its share of technical difficulties along the way, the terminal is now in operation providing an all-weather berth and base for the East West ferry service. Workboat Services (WBS) Manager, Adam Cockwell, said the terminal "works fine" and the Captain and crew of the vessel are happy with the set up. Surveys of the approach to the terminal were carried out last week and preliminary charts were given to WBS for approval. Concordia Baymade its first visit to the terminal on Saturday and has been operating from there for the rest of the week. Customers of the service will see immediate benefits with no restriction on the length of vehicle that can be carried and more flexibility in the service because visits to Stanley will be less frequent, said Mr Cockwell. Heavy machinery has already been shifted from West Falkland, with a tracked vehicle being landed on the breakwater, rather than the newly laid concrete ramps, to prevent damage. Dunnage, in the form of a load of old tyres, has since been put on site for future use, confirmed Road Engineer Bob Hancox. A formal opening ceremony is planned for November 8. Funding for Stanley Dairy dries upAT a special meeting on Monday the Falkland Islands Development Corporation Board (FIDC) decided to cease its support for Stanley Dairy. The Board assessed a detailed plan for the business prepared by the Dairy's managers, Kevin and Leone Reynolds and FIDC staff. The plan proposed further Government grant funding and FIDC loan funding in order to support the Dairy over the next few years before it could become profitable. However, the Board agreed unanimously that there were too many risks to the business plan to provide a sound enough case for further funding. "It felt that the risks outweighed the potential benefits given that just about 10% of the Stanley population currently takes milk from the Dairy and that a recent survey showed that most people were content with cheaper UHT mile from Chile," said the Government Chief Executive, Tim Thorogood. The Board's decision needs to be reviewed by Executive Council (ExCo) before it becomes final. Although Exco is not scheduled to meet until November 13, an earlier meeting may be arranged in order to avoid a long period of uncertainty. FIDC Board Chairman, Councillor Richard Cockwell said: "It is very sad that the Board has been forced to conclude that there is not a viable future for the Dairy. "The Dairy managers and staff have made superb efforts to modernise production and build the business, but at the end of the day the risks and costs in ensuring a quality milk supply were too great compared to the limited market demand that seems to exist locally for fresh milk. "If Exco confirm this decision, the General Manager will work with staff to find a commercial buyer for the Dairy or if not look to dispose of the assets at best consideration. FIDC has no intention of providing any further financial support." Including the purchase price, the cost of modernisation and capital, £650,000 of funding has been allocated to Stanley Dairy in recent years. Penguin Newscontacted Dairy Manager, Kevin Reynolds, on Thursday morning, however at that time he was unaware of the press release from the Board and preferred not to comment on what his plans for the future were. Oil salvage team arrivesTHE Korean fishing vessel, Tasnui, arrived in Port William on Wednesday carrying a salvage team which will attempt to extract the remaining oil from the sunken trawler,Ocean 8in Berkeley Sound. Director of Fisheries, John Barton, told Penguin News that he imagined that the team, from a company called Oriental Underwater Development, contracted by the Ocean 8'sinsurers, would begin work as soon as possible after they had had talks with the relevant authorities in the Islands and obtained whatever permits might be necessary. According to Mr Barton, the team claimed to have identified in some detail where all the oil in the vessel was being carried at the time of the sinking, including relatively small amounts of engine and other lubricants. He supposed that in the majority of cases the operation would involve drilling from the outside, pumping out and then re-sealing the hull. The Director of Fisheries says that the operation is expected to take around a month to complete and is likely to be quite complex; the burnt-out vessel is lying in thirty metres of water and the oil is distributed among quite a high number of tanks. Some of the oil is intermediate fuel oil (IFO), which is harder to remove than the lighter marine gas oil. Mr Barton said that the company had a "significant record" of removing oil from distressed vessels, both heavier oils and marine gas oil. The Tasnuiwas known to be carrying some equipment to assist in cleaning up any oil spilled, he said, but added that it was probably, "a bit limited." In their early talks with the salvage team, the Fisheries Department would be stressing the concentrations of wild life found in and around Berkeley Sound and the care that would have to be taken to ensure that no pollution arose as a result of their activities. Inside Penguin News• Julie's Dream Drive kick-starts with bikers driving to Government House. • Falklands kids at the Commonwealth Youth Games. • Trading places: MPA and Stanley students share experiences.