Disappointment broke out in the Falkland Islands among fishing companies over the latest licensing and securities measures, the local weekly Penguin News reported Friday.
The European Commission has reached an agreement to allow 75,000 tonnes of Falklands loligo to be imported tariff-free into the European Union, according to reports in Galician daily Faro de Vigo.
On June first Falklands governor Nigel Phillips CBE, delivered the annual address to the Islands Legislative Assembly on the budget for the new financial year. The following is the chapter on Fisheries and the “superb season”, based on the catch numbers.
The Falkland Islands are expecting some 105 jiggers to take the Illex licenses, which is a “normal” number for the season while preliminary results anticipate an abundant catch. “The usual” 105 jiggers plus one trawler has accepted the Illex license offers, confirmed earlier in the week Director of Natural Resources Dr Andrea Clausen.
Falkland Islands fishing company representatives led by Stuart Wallace of Fortuna Ltd condemned the 50% rise in toothfish and calamari fishery fees at the Fisheries Committee meeting.
The decision of the recent meeting of Executive Council attended by MLA Elsby, Bragger and Edwards, to increase quota access fees paid by local fishing companies by 50% will increase costs to the industry by £4 Million per annum. The hike is targeted at the Loligo and toothfish quota holders.
Moving the Illex fishery into the ITQ system and improved catch verification requirements are among the recommendations made by an independent review of the Individual Transferable Quota (ITQ) system published by the Falkland Islands government, FIG, this week.