Argentine claims that the UK is ‘militarizing’ the South Atlantic and the Falklands are ‘unfounded’ and ‘baseless’ according to a letter from British ambassador Mark Lyall-Grant addressed to the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.
Shadowed beneath South Georgia’s rugged mountains and glacial valleys lay a rich and colourful seascape of plants and animals. This shallow marine environment has received surprisingly little attention since it was first studied during the Discovery Expeditions in 1925. As South Georgia is situated just south of the Polar Front, where warmer waters from the north meet colder Antarctic water from the south, the region is home to a unique assemblage of South Atlantic and Antarctic animals.
The South African 30 years old research and supply ship “SA Agulhas” made her last ever call to King Edward Cove in South Georgia Island on January 15th. She will be replaced by a new icebreaker currently being built in Finland next season, reports the South Georgia Newsletter.
Conservative backbench MP Andrew Rosindell has called for the Isle of Man and other Crown Dependencies and British Overseas Territories, including the Falkland Islands, South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands to be represented in Westminster.
The Royal Navy Type 23 frigate HMS Montrose”, with a crew of 185 made a several days patrol visit to South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands, GSSI, waters in December.
Thirteen cruise vessels visited South Georgia last December including new vessel “L'Austral” which, in line with usual practice, was joined by a Government Observer to look at the ship's operation, passenger management and bio-security procedures, reports the South Georgia Newsletter.
Argentina ratified Tuesday its ‘imprescriptible” sovereignty rights over the Malvinas, South Georgia, South Sandwich Islands and adjoining maritime spaces and blasted the UK for not abiding by UN resolutions calling for bilateral talks.
Argentine Defence minister Arturo Puricelli rejected the announced UK plan to create a huge marine protection zone in South Georgia saying the British are feeling “uneasy” because of the Argentine diplomatic work displayed to claim the South Atlantic Islands.
Argentine lawmaker and president of the Malvinas Islands Parliamentary Observatory Alfredo Atanasof said Britain’s intention of creating a huge marine conservation zone in waters of South Georgia was “completely illegitimate”.
The UK is planning a huge marine protection zone near the Falkland Islands in the South Atlantic Ocean, in an area that is also claimed by Argentina, a British official said on Wednesday.