
The government of South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands GSGSSI, has announced the opening of the license application round for the 2024/25 South Sandwich Islands toothfish fishery (CCAMLR Subarea 48.4).

Some 1,200 crew members are readying in Galicia to depart for the South Atlantic fisheries to begin the first of two squid in Falkland Islands waters. A mission according to reports from the Vigo media, which could be one of the most difficult of the long standing relation between the Spanish fishermen and their Falklands counterpart partners.

The Argentine government, through the Federal Fisheries Council has officially opened the Illex squid season south of parallel 49. The two main fisheries chambers, CAIPA and CEPA had requested that the season begin 10 January south of parallel 44, but the Council in early December denied the request based on a scientific report from INIDEP, the National Institute of Fisheries Research and Development.

Foreign Office minister for the Americas, Caribbean, and Overseas Territories David Rutley has been to the Falkland Islands again this week, the second visit in a month, and in the meantime this did not prevent him from on December 10, to represent the British government in Buenos Aires for the taking office ceremony of Argentine extreme liberal president, Javier Milei.

The Chilean Navy has bolstered patrol operations against illegal fishing in the South Pacific region and keeping track of fishing vessels crossing into the South Atlantic. Normally operations are the task of naval surface vessels and air surveillance, but last week it took the unusual step of deploying a Scorpene-class attack submarine on a fisheries-enforcement patrol in the Juan Fernandez Archipelago and further south.

Argentina's Joint Maritime Command has deployed the ARA Piedrabuena Oceanic Patrol Vessel (OPV) to combat illegal fishing through Operation Grifon XVI in the country's territorial Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) in the Atlantic amid an increase in clandestine operations by jiggers, most of them of Chinese origin.

The following release refers to a piece published in the Penguin News, December 8/2023, page 3, “Catches and changes to ITQ fees at Fisheries meeting”. The Falkland Islands Fisheries Companies Association, FIFCA note with dismay and real concern the announcement regarding ITQ fees for 2024.

Uruguay's Navy has captured a Brazilian-flagged fishing vessel carrying some three tons of illegal catch, it was reported Friday in Montevideo.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the Vatican, and the Catholic maritime charity, Stella Maris, marked on Tuesday World Fisheries Day with a call for greater social protection for small-scale fishers and fish workers.

By Sir Oliver Heald (*) The UK’s Blue Belt Programme for ocean conservation in our Overseas Territories is one of the Conservative Party’s biggest environmental achievements of the past thirteen years.