
HMS Protector has arrived in Christchurch, New Zealand, as part of her historic Southern Ocean patrol. The arrival of the specialist ice patrol ship marks the close cooperation that exists between the UK and New Zealand in upholding the conservation rules of the Antarctic Treaty System and to protect the Southern Ocean from illegal fishing activities.

The worrying state of many fisheries and worsening air pollution are some of the problems revealed by the 2016 Index of Environmental Performance (EPI), an initiative that assesses how 180 countries protect ecosystems and human health of environmental damage.

The Royal Navy’s Ice Patrol ship has just completed a historic five week patrol to the East Antarctic and Ross Sea. HMS Protector is the first Royal Navy, or UK Government, vessel to have visited the region in 80 years or to have travelled so far south having dipped below 77 degrees latitude.

Falklands fishing company Fortuna Ltd., the Falklands' Fisheries Department and the South Atlantic Environmental Research Institute, SAERI are sponsoring a research opportunity for a Science honors graduate to embark on a career in academic or applied marine ecology in the Islands.

Spanish vertically integrated seafood company Iberica de Congelados (Iberconsa) will invest up to €27 million in its Argentine and Namibian operations, the company's CEO announced. Following its private equity Portobello Capital majority stake acquisition in Iberconsa, the seafood company will carry out a “strong investment plan” to boost Argentina shrimp output and to enhance Namibia's plant capabilities in value-added production.

The British Overseas Territory of Ascension Island is set to become a marine reserve almost as big as the UK, the British government has announced. Using a £300,000 grant from the Bacon Foundation, the UK government will close 52.6% of the south Atlantic island's waters to fishing. In the rest of the waters there will be a monitored tuna fishery.

A Chinese jigger flying a convenience flag and ready to leave Montevideo for the South Atlantic fully provisioned suffered a serious fire which apparently started in the engine room and rapidly spread to the rest of the vessel.

The Spanish manager of equity Portobello Capital has bought a majority stake in Iberconsa (Iberica de Congelados), the third company in the sector in Spain and the first one to capture and produce frozen hake on board.

For the eighth season, Argentina's Antarctic bases and stations are to be supplied by the Russian polar vessel Vasily Golovnin from Arkadia Ltd. This has been going on since 2007 when the Argentine flagship ice-breaker Almirante Irizar caught fire in the high seas and is still in repairs waiting for the necessary funds.

The new five-year Strategy for South Georgia & the South Sandwich Islands 2016-2020 was published on 27th November. The Strategy sets out an ambitious agenda to deliver the highest standards of environmental stewardship and governance for the British Overseas Territory, according to the latest South Georgia Newsletter.