HOME PAGE Falkland Focus News from the Falkland Islands Government Number: 66 - September/October 1998	Falklands squid fisheries are of global significance
Oil Update, and Focus on Fisheries PAGE 1 The Right to Self-Determination - United Nations Hears the Falkland Islands Case, and Students Become BBC News Editors For A Day PAGE 3 British Business in the Falkland Islands, and News in Brief

Oil Update

The Exploration Phase

The search for oil, which started in April this year is now about half way through the exploration phase which is expected to last until the first quarter of 1999. Amerada Hess, LASMO International Ltd and Shell have drilled wells in the North Falkland Basin, 100 miles north of the Islands. Shell's well reached a total depth of 4,525 metres after 57 days of drilling. This is one of the deepest offshore wells ever drilled in the South Atlantic. Amerada Hess and Shell have both announced that traces of hydrocarbon were found but not in commercial quantities. During September the rig, Borgny Dolphin, is operating for IPC in Tranche F (see map [186 kbytes]). On completion, Amerada Hess and Shell will drill second wells in their licensed areas. Analysis of the data from the wells drilled so far is expected to take some months to complete.

Special Co-operation Area (SCA)

Director of Mineral Resources, Phyllis Rendell and Attorney General, David Lang attended the fifth meeting of the Joint Commission in Buenos Aires at the end of July, together with representatives from the Foreign Office, to discuss oil exploration in the Special Co-operation Area. At the meeting strong concern was expressed about the proposed Argentine Hydrocarbons Bill which will attempt to levy penalty charges on companies involved in the Falklands' oil exploration.

Offshore Northern Seas Exhibition

Representatives from the Falklands attended the Offshore Northern Seas Exhibition, in Stavanger, Norway, from the 25 - 28 August, to promote the Islands' planned oil industry. Hugh Normand, General Manager of the Falkland Islands Development Corporation, said: "Our presence at Stavanger gave us the opportunity to update the oil industry on the rapid rate of progress being made in the Islands and the services and support we can offer to inward investors."

Focus on Fisheries John Barton, Director of Fisheries John Barton was born in the Falkland Islands and grew up on a sheep farm in East Falkland. He attended The British School in Montevideo, Uruguay before going to the University of Wales in Bangor to read Marine Biology and Oceanography. When the Department of Fisheries was established in 1986, he joined as a Senior Scientist and became the Head of the Department in 1989.

Main Species

The major markets for the squid are Europe and the Far East. The Loligo exists wholly in Falkland waters and is fished by Falkland Islands/European joint venture trawlers from February to October. The Illex, a migratory species, is fished by far Eastern jiggers and European trawlers from March to June.

Conservation

Conservation targets are achieved by limiting the number of vessels licensed to fish within the zone and, in the case of finfish, by specifying the minimum mesh size permitted for use. Catch data is collected on a daily basis and passed to Imperial College London which is contracted to undertake stock assessments and advise on fishery management. Surveillance and enforcement relies on two BN2 Defender aircraft, operated by the Falkland Islands Government Air Service and two ocean-going patrol vessels. The 1998 season saw an upsurge in poaching by Taiwanese vessels, forcing the Falkland Islands Government to consider arming one of its fishery protection vessels.

Licence Purchasers

Korean companies, in recent years, have accounted for 40 per cent of the Islands' revenues from fish licences. However, the Far East economic crisis impelled the Falkland Islands Government, this year, to modify licence terms and conditions to facilitate the sale of licences.

South Atlantic Fisheries Commission

The South Atlantic Fisheries Commission, involving Britain and Argentina, meets regularly to explore ways of improving conservation of migratory species, such as Illex and Blue Whiting, which are found in both Argentine and Falklands' waters. A representative of the Falkland Islands Government attends these meetings.

Development of the Fisheries Sector

Private sector involvement of Falkland business is on the increase and there are now 17 large ocean-going fishing vessels registered in the Falklands with significant local ownership. The potential exists for this to expand further into marketing, support services and processing. A number of Falkland companies operate in South Georgia and other fisheries.

Fishing Facts

• Sale of fishing licences amounts to around £20 million per annum although this recently fell to £17 million (1997/98) as a result of Far Eastern financial problems
• The total cost to FIG of managing and protecting the fishery is over £5 million per annum
• Each year around 220,000 metric tonnes of fish and squid are taken.

The two species of squid found are:

• Illex argentinus. Fished principally by specialised squid jigging vessels from the Far East, it accounts for some 45% of the total catch
• Loligo gahi. Fished mainly by trawlers registered in the Falklands, it accounts for some 27% of the total catch

Finfish species:

• Blue Whiting,
• Hake,
• Toothfish

During the first 10 years of the fishery (1987 - 1996):

• £245m was collected in licence revenue
• Fishery Protection Vessels steamed approximately 825,000 nautical miles
• Fishery Observers measured 1,197,664 squid

PAGE 1 The Right to Self-Determination - United Nations Hears the Falkland Islands Case, and Students Become BBC News Editors For A Day
PAGE 3 British Business in the Falkland Islands, and News in Brief





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