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Falkland Focus
News from the Falkland Islands Government
Number: 70 - September/October 2000

PRINCESS ALEXANDRA AT THE ROYAL SHOW

PAGE 1

Economic Forum projects Falklands into 21st Century

Economic Developments

PAGE 2

Constitutional Review

Falkland Islands Government's Annual Reception

Oil Update: The South West Atlantic Hydrocarbons Commission Meets

Environmental Marine Conference

PAGE 3

Education Watch: Graduates Show Promising Future - Excellent A Level Results

News In Brief: Significant Interest Generated in the Islands at the UK County Shows - Overseas Territories Open Day - New Fish Processing Plant - Falklands' Photographs Positively Changed UK Public's Perceptions of the Islands

Future Visits to the Islands: Yorkshire Links - British MPs - Celebrity Chef

Education Watch

Graduates Show Promising Future

Eight Falkland students have graduated with honours from UK universities in a range of disciplines including Nursing, Civil Engineering, Information Systems and Agriculture. Director of Education Dr Langridge said: "These are excellent results and worthy of much commendation. The students deserve many congratulations and Falkland Islanders may be rightly proud of the high esteem which such a set of results brings to the country and the community".

Excellent A Level Results

Falkland Islanders performed extremely well in A Level examinations this year. Of special note were two students; Anna Luxton, who achieved four A grades, and Stephen Betts, whose A A B grades secured him a place at Oxford University. The students attended Peter Symonds' College in Winchester.

News In Brief

Significant Interest Generated in the Islands at the UK County Shows

To promote its near organic status the Falkland Islands Government attended the Royal Highland Show in Edinburgh and the Royal Show at Stoneleigh this year. Among the visitors received at the stand was HRH Princess Alexandra who was a guest at the Royal Show. Bob Reid, Falkland Islands Director of Agriculture, reported that the stand had attracted a lot of interest, particularly because the UK is a "long, long way behind us" in adopting organic practices. The stand also displayed and sold a selection of Falkland knitwear and crafts.

During Bob Reid's visit to the UK he also met meat importers and supermarket representatives, two of whom expressed a positive interest in meat from the Falklands. "They are happy with the progress we are making and the numbers that we are likely to produce would suit their operations", he reported.

Overseas Territories Open Day

On 11 July the Foreign Office opened its doors to the public, as part of the London String of Pearls Millennium Festival, to show an exhibition on the Overseas Territories. The 12 Territories, including the Falkland Islands, displayed information on the Territories' history, heritage, environment, economy and cultural backgrounds. Over 4,300 people visited the exhibition, which aimed to raise the profile of the Overseas Territories amongst the general public and media.

New Fish Processing Plant

A fish processing plant to supply international markets with crab, mullet, oysters and mussels will be operating in the Islands from the end of September. The plant is a joint enterprise between fishing company Golden Touza Ltd and Falklands Fresh, a mussel and oyster project. The Falkland Islands Development Corporation, the commercial arm of the Falkland Islands Government, is a shareholder, together with Golden Touza Ltd and Falklands Fresh.

Falklands' Photographs Positively Changed UK Public's Perceptions of the Islands

The findings from a questionnaire conducted at two Falkland Islands photographic exhibitions in the UK this year revealed that that the exhibition had changed 75% of respondents' views from a negative to a positive view of the Islands.

Visitors admitted, before seeing the exhibition, that their view of the Islands was as "a rather barren, hostile place", "cold and inhospitable", "windy and wet". However, after seeing the photographs, comments included, "…a wildlife sanctuary and working, thriving community", "far more temperate than I imagined", "very beautiful and full of character" and a "lovely part of the world!"

Photographic Exhibition in Dundee

Future Visits to the Islands

Yorkshire Links

Danny Savage, a reporter with BBC Radio Leeds, is visiting the Islands from 17 to 23 October to look at the Islands' strong links with Yorkshire. Danny will be interviewing people from Yorkshire who have made their home in the Islands as well as looking at the relationship that the Falklands' hospital enjoys with Leeds General Infirmary.

British MPs

Five Members of Parliament from the UK will be in the Falkland Islands on a familiarisation visit from 3 - 8 November. The MPs will visit the capital Stanley and hold discussions with the eight elected Councillors as well as receiving briefings from the Governor, the Chief Executive and the Heads of Department. The MPs will also visit the outlying areas, known as camp, and meet military personnel at Mount Pleasant.

The MPs are Sylvia Heal (Labour, Halesowen & Rowley Regis), Stephen Hepburn (Labour, Jarrow), David Watts (Labour, St Helens North), Ian Bruce (Conservative, South Dorset) and Cheryl Gillan (Conservative, Chesham & Amersham).

Celebrity Chef

Frances Bissell, the celebrity chef who is also the Times newspaper's cook, is visiting the Islands from 15 - 28 February 2001. Ms Bissell will visit East and West Falkland to gain an insight into the culinary influences that have shaped Falklands' cooking and to exchange ideas about how the Islands' natural produce can be used in domestic cuisine and in the Islands' restaurants, hotels and lodges . Her visit is being sponsored by the Shackleton Scholarship Fund as a "Quality of Life" visitor.