Falkland Oil and Gas Ltd, FOGL, announced on Monday the completion of its 3D seismic survey offshore the Falkland Islands. This is the third and final 3D survey prior to the next drilling program, which is expected to commence in early 2015, said the company in a release.
By Robert Taylor (*) - It’s 32 years since Argentina’s brief occupation of the Falklands ended in humiliation. But, if anything, her desire to swallow up the Islands is stronger than ever. Oil is a big factor, of course, but even more fundamental is the passionate (if unjustifiable) belief that the British stole the Falklands in 1833 in an act of old-fashioned colonialism – a perceived wrong that successive Argentine governments seem determined to right.
The Falkland Islands inflation for the last quarter rose by 0.03% with an annual increase of 0.6% it was announced at this week’s Standing Finance Committee, reports the Penguin News.
A majority of Uruguayans, 55%, believe their country must support Argentina's sovereignty claims over the Falklands/Malvinas Islands but an overwhelming 80% also want closer trade links with the Islands and reject the ban on Falklands flagged vessels to operate from Montevideo or other Uruguayan ports. In both cases neutral opinions range 11% and 12%.
Three crewmen from a Taiwanese jigger operating in Falkland Islands who were reported missing over the weekend have not been located. The first news of the incident was received in the early hours of Saturday February 15, when the Department of Fisheries Operations Sections notified the Royal Falkland Islands Police (RFIP).
Next Tuesday February 25th the Falkland Islands governor Nigel Haywood and Mrs. Haywood will be returning to London at the end of tour of duty. In April Colin Roberts CVO will take his appointment as Governor of the Falklands and Commissioner of South Georgia and South Sandwich. Governor Haywood took office in October 2010.
The Falkland Islands coming Illex season has been described as encouraging because out of 100 available jigger licenses 51 have been taken up and £5.6 million has been received so far, confirmed Director of Fisheries John Barton.
The cross-party delegation of Uruguayan parliamentarians currently visiting the Falkland Islands appear quite unmoved by what their leader Jaime Trobo described as the “dust storm” that their visit had created both at home in Uruguay and in neighbouring Argentina.
According to reports in the British media, Cunard's 'Queen Victoria' was warned it faced hefty fines if the cruise continued to fly the red ensign while in the port of Buenos Aires. This has led to a strong reaction from the Foreign Office which described the incident as an 'unacceptable example of harassment and intimidation” and anticipated it will be raising the incident with the Argentine authorities.
Minister of State for the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the Rt. Honourable Hugo Swire currently making his first visit to the Falklands reiterated on Wednesday his previously expressed opinion that the attitude of the present Argentine government towards the Islands denies to the people of Argentina an opportunity for economic growth as well as denying the fundamental right of self-determination to the population of the Islands.