The Falkland Islands have warned that a million penguins are at risk from a funding black hole caused by Britain’s exit from the European Union. The Islands rely on European conservation projects to care and protect the penguin colonies, rookeries, in its shores. But with the U.K. fast approaching Brexit Day in March 2019, Falklands' lawmaker Teslyn Barkman has urged clarity on the future of Islands’ flippered friends.
The Falkland Islands Executive Council on Wednesday granted the application by Jupiter Fishing Company to register a new build fishing trawler. The agreed name of the new vessel is Argos Cies, which reflects the 50:50 partnership in Jupiter between Argos Group Ltd of Stanley, Falkland Islands and Armadora Pereira SA of Vigo, Spain.
Brexit could be “potentially catastrophic,” for the Falklands according to a recent UK newspaper article. And by all accounts it could have a serious impact if heavy tariffs were applied to goods exported from the Islands into the EU. But just how bad could it be?
A Falkland Islands delegation recently travelled to London to attend the Joint Ministerial Council on European Negotiations, which basically is dealing with Brexit negotiations and its impact for Overseas Territories. The delegation was made up of MLA Teslyn Barkman, together with Senior Policy Advisor Richard Hyslop and were joined by Falklands London Representative Sukey Cameron
The Falkland Islands' total catch of the loligo squid, or Falklands' calamari, in the first season of 2018 was 43,085 tons, which compares very favorably to first-season catches over the last five years.
Members of the Falkland Islands Legislative Assembly recently reviewed the portfolio system, having now been in post for six months. The resulting changes are designed to provide greater clarity in the detail of each portfolio, as well as to ensure equity for each portfolio holder.
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.
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.”
Next Monday, 14 May 2018 four representatives from the Falkland Islands Government’s Natural Resources Department will be part of a UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office lead delegation meeting with the Government of Argentina, in Buenos Aires, to begin two days of discussions on fish and squid stocks in the South Atlantic, and the possibility of resuming the exchange of scientific fisheries data for the benefit of the region.
Falkland Islands' Member of Legislative Assembly Roger Spink has expressed concern about the shortfall in achieving the objectives of the capital program for 17/18.