Falkland Islands

• Friday, August 29th 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  X rays security for Punta Arenas airport

  Punta Arenas airport will be equipped next year with a sophisticated X rays system to check luggage and passengers, or anything introduced to aircrafts “making it one of the safest air terminals in the country” and ensuring “our position as the gateway for scientific and tourist flights to Antarctica”.

• Thursday, August 28th 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  “Antarctic Dream” cruise next December

  Magallanes Region businessmen have invested over four million US dollars in refurbishing and converting a former Chilean Navy support vessel into the Antarctic tourist cruise, “Antarctic Dream”.

• Thursday, August 28th 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  High praise for Governments in toothfish wars.

  Legal toothfish operators around the world have today applauded the international operation led by the Australian government, which has seen the capture of the Uruguayan flagged Viarsa.

• Thursday, August 28th 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  Anti-monopoly Tribunal in Chile

  Magallanes Region Deputy Zarco Luksic from the ruling Chilean coalition praised the recent approval of a bill creating the Free Competition Defence Tribunal, with the purpose of promoting free market conditions in all industries, correcting or sanctioning monopoly situations contrary to consumers' interest.

• Wednesday, August 27th 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  Recession in Punta Arenas

  For the second consecutive quarter economic activity in Magallanes Region has been negative which technically means the area is in recession. However the regional representative of the Chilean Ministry of Economy, Bernardo Troncoso believes that the second half of 2003 will see a strong recovery.

• Wednesday, August 27th 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  Authorities prepare to board Viarsa

  The Government has revealed that it secretly hired the South African tug boat, the John Ross, to aid the Southern Supporter in its marathon pursuit of the Uruguayan boat suspected of poaching Patagonian toothfish from Australian waters, the Viarsa.

• Wednesday, August 27th 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  “Viarsa 1” detained and escorted to South Africa

  After three weeks of hot pursuit the Uruguayan long-liner “Viarsa 1” has finally been detained by Australian and South African Fisheries officials.

• Tuesday, August 26th 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  Antipersonnel mines in north Chile eliminated

  Chile finished this Monday the destruction of 59,192 antipersonnel mines that were stored in the north of the country, --close to the Bolivian border--, in compliance with the country's commitments to the Ottawa Convention.

• Tuesday, August 26th 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  Argentine hake quota already caught.

  Argentine hake (Merluccius hubbsi) catches to the north of parallel 41° totalled 62,400 tonnes and catches to the south totalled 129,000 tonnes, by 19 August. This makes a total of 191,400 tonnes - 65 per cent of this year's 300,000 tonne total allowable catch (TAC) set by the Federal Fisheries Council - leaving 108,600 tonnes to catch in both regions.

• Tuesday, August 26th 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  Viarsa 1 is close to capture

  A high sea drama is playing out at the moment as armed fisheries inspectors prepare to board the suspected toothfish poacher Viarsa 1 that has been eluding capture for the last three weeks.