The Falkland Islands will add to its registered fleet a state of the art trawler which should be operational by 2021 belonging to a local joint venture company, Petrel Fishing Company Ltd. In early 2019, the Board of Fortuna Ltd approved the construction of a new trawler to join their current fleet of five trawlers. The vessel will be owned and operated by Fortuna Joint Venture Company - “Petrel Fishing Company Ltd”.
On 23 June 2016, the people of the UK and Gibraltar voted by a majority to leave the European Union (EU). In this article the Falkland Islands Government (FIG) sets out what work has taken place since the referendum to prepare the Falkland Islands for Brexit.
Falkland Islands fishing companies may have attended the Brussels Seafood Show intermittently for over a decade, but the looming specter of Brexit lent this year’s attendance unprecedented significance. For James Bates, Falkland Islands Fishing Companies Association (FIFCA) Executive Secretary, Brexit gave the industry’s stand at the show a clear mandate this year, “it was about being visible at a time when we need to be.”
The Falkland Islands has decided to hold fee levels across all fishing licenses for 2017 as part of a long term policy focus and in view of certain circumstances emerging from the volatility of annual catches. The Executive Council (ExCo) agreed on the decision by a majority at its last meeting extensive to all license types, including Illex, the Islands main catch.
Patagonia squid caught by the Falkland Islands Beauchene Fishing Company trawlers, scored a hat trick at the Brussels Seafood Exposition this year, winning a quality taste testing award for the third year running, through marketing company Marfrio.
The Chair of the Falkland Islands Fishing Companies Association (FIFCA), Cheryl Roberts, used the occasion of the annual Christmas social evening at the Wirebird last week to reflect on FIFCA’s role in what is now its sixth year of existence.
Argentina has no interest whatsoever in fisheries conservation, Chair of the Falkland Islands Fishing Companies Association (FIFCA) Cheryl Roberts stated this week, and Director of Natural Resources John Barton believes an Argentine action aimed at undermining the Falklands fishery is likely to have a negative impact on their own fishery.