Almost a month after deciding on the repatriation operation, British Antarctic Survey (BAS) research and support teams are returning from Antarctica to UK after a 20-day sea voyage onboard a charter ship and the Royal Research Ship (RRS) James Clark Ross. On Saturday the MS Hebridean Sky arrived at Portsmouth International, and this Tuesday RRS James Clark Ross is expected at Harwich Port.
A new capability to fly directly from the United Kingdom to the Falkland Islands has been achieved. The modified aircraft, G-VYGM, took its maiden flight on Tuesday 2 June 2020, as part of the scheduled South Atlantic Airbridge and returned directly to the UK on Friday, setting two new world records in the process.
A total of 62,000 tons of illex squid was taken during the first four months of 2020, which was above the average over the last four years reported the Falklands Islands Director of Natural Resources Dr. Andrea Clausen, at Thursday’s meeting of the Fisheries Committee.
The Falkland Islands Executive Council met on Wednesday and considered the matter of easing restrictions on those businesses currently being advised to stay closed due to Covid-19. Announcements on the issues will follow this week.
Falkland Islands Chief Medical Officer, Rebecca Edwards has said that with testing able to the done in the Islands, it is likely cases will be detected earlier and responded to faster. The KEMH in Stanley can already handle up to seven critically ill patients .
The Falkland Islands are concerned about tourism and what can be expected of the coming season. Tourism is one of the main industries of the Islands and has been growing sustainedly despite attempts by an abusive neighbor to curtail its development, but on this occasion, the world pandemic has become a greater uncertainty and challenge.
The British Labour Party this week reaffirmed its commitment to the Falklands and Falkland Islanders’ right to self-determination.
The Falkland Islands Governor, members of the elected government and public in general will be participating this Friday morning in the commemoration of the liberation of Goose Green settlement 38 years ago. However because of the Covid-19 pandemic the ceremony will be a shorter service to mark the occasion.
The Falkland Islands Government this week unveiled plans for a “prudent” budget that maintains the current levels of expenditure but does not propose any increase in fees and charges. The budget aims to keep the current levels of service delivery but shies away from major investments or increases in operating costs.
“Argentines love rattling the Falklands cage, and I suspect that journalists in Argentina, are being naughty as usual”, commented Labor MP Chris Bryant who was recently interviewed in several Argentine radio stations but was not able, because of workload, to listen or read to his edited statements, aired rather controversially.