MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Argentine blockade expected to boost Falklands fishing industry local activities

FIPASS, Port Stanley’s port facilities

A Spanish flagged trawler that operates in Falkland Islands waters and was heading to Montevideo to unload 700 tons of fish was denied “innocent pass” through Argentine waters and had to steam an additional 17 hours at a cost of 7,000 litres of fuel before it finally unloaded its cargo in the Uruguayan port.

Costa do Cabo is licensed by local company Bold Ventures, and owned by Elvio Cofre and Amanda Forster. Sulivan Shipping are the agents for the vessel.

Mr Cofre said it was inconvenient for the operators to take the longer route and it had caused increased cost.

“But as people here in the Falklands were resourceful, the economic blockade the Argentines were attempting to put in place would not have a great effect, and would possibly have a positive outcome if the facilities were to become available for vessels to do all their business here in the Islands instead of in Uruguay,” he said.

“I’d like to see all the fish caught in Falklands waters by FI registered vessels transhipped here in the Islands, and this latest incident might be an added incentive for this to happen,” Mr Cofre told the Penguin News.

He said he was now awaiting an account from the skipper of Costa do Cabo to establish whether he had initiate

“We have instructed our partners to avoid the Argentine EEZ at all costs and minimise any contact with them,” he said.

Innocent pass, according to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, refers to ships’ rights to enter and pass through a coastal state’s territorial waters so long as it is not prejudicial to the peace, good order. (PN).-