News

The following Executive Council papers were considered at the meeting of Executive Council held on 28 January 2010 and are available to download by clicking below and on the Legislative Assembly website:

09/10: Falkland Islands National Plan of Action – Trawling
14/10: Complaints Commissioner Bill 2010
See also: Complaints Commissioner Bill Consultation
16/10: PAC: Implementation Orders
19/10: Review of the Environmental Impact Statement produced by BHP Billiton Petroleum (Falklands) Corporation for Offshore Drilling
22/10: Livestock Transportation Subsidies

Oil company representatives, visiting the Falklands in advance of the arrival of the oil rig Ocean Guardian, said they are “extremely excited” about the next stage of exploration in Falklands waters.  Sam Moody, Rockhopper Exploration’s Managing Director and co-founder of the company, and Desire Petroleum’s Chairman Stephen Phipps, were in the Islands meeting with Government officials and observing the ongoing arrangements being put in place for the arrival of the semisubmersible oil rig.

Air Seychelles has begun operations to the Falkland Islands from RAF Brize Norton, as part of a contract with the UK Ministry of Defence (MOD).  The airline successfully bid for the Airbridge contract after the MOD had to seek a replacement for the previous operator which went into administration.  Several other airlines bid for the contract but Air Seychelles was successful due to its experience with Boeing 767s and flying to island locations. The length of the contract will be finalised in due course.

Fundraising efforts in the Falklands continue for the victims of the Haiti earthquake.  The Haiti Earthquake Appeal Standard Chartered Bank account now stands at over £2,000.  This includes over £245 collected in Stanley pubs in one evening, and generous donations from youngsters.  The Falkland Islands Government will also be donating its Disaster Fund to Haiti, which amounts to five thousand pounds.  Director of Corporate Resources, Keith Padgett, said that rather than donating money directly to the appeal, it had been decided to use the money to purchase ten boxes from the organisation Shelter Box which would provide accommodation for one hundred people, adding that it had been felt appropriate that the Falklands assist another island.

The Falklands have been ranked second in an online ranking of the world’s top ten remote islands.  “Whether you are an adventure lover or looking for some serene pleasures, the Falklands are unquestionably a place to unwind and relax your daily worries,” says the report in travel blog www.Globesterbuzz.wordstar.com.  “From personal encounters of the wildlife, to wilderness trout fishing, hiking or self-exploration of cultural and historic sites, the Falkland Islands have something to offer everyone.”  Runner-up to the Xisha Islands in the South China Sea, the Falklands were placed above the Cocos Islands in third and the Galapagos Islands in fourth.

The UK government has firmly rejected the latest claim by Argentina to sovereignty over the Falkland Islands.  In a written statement, Foreign Office minister Chris Bryant said the UK had “no doubt” that the Falklands belonged to the UK.  Argentina passed a law in December claiming to own the Islands and several other British Overseas Territories.  Mr Bryant said the Foreign Office had delivered a “note verbale” to the Argentine charge d’affaires in London to outline UK rejection of the claim. It insisted that the Falklands, along with South Georgia, the South Sandwich Islands and the British Antarctic Territory all remained firmly under UK sovereignty.

The official Facebook page for the Falkland Islands has attracted over 1,600 fans in its first five months.  The page was launched in September 2009 by the Falkland Islands Tourist Board, and aims to increase awareness of the Falklands as a holiday destination by getting people to talk about their love for the Islands.  The page has generated some enthusiastic discussions and debates such as which is the Islands’ best pub and who the most memorable characters are. It also serves as a place where prospective visitors can request advice and information, as well as being a place for people to share their photos and their memories about the Islands.  Become a fan of the page here: www.facebook.com/naturesbestkeptsecret.

The Queen’s Baton 2010 Delhi will arrive in the Falklands on 15 February from Ascension Island. The baton is currently in Botswana and will arrive via Tristan de Cuhna and St Helena to the 29th of its 71 Commonwealth destinations.  The Queen’s Baton Relay is the traditional curtain raiser to the Commonwealth Games and has been an inclusion in the programme since Cardiff in 1958, though this is only the second time it has visited all 71 Commonwealth nations.  For the full press release, click here.

The Falkland Islands Development Corporation is seeking bids from private companies to join the corporation in setting up a new sea trout farming business in the Falklands.  The proposal represents the culmination of nearly three years’ work by the Aquaculture Project.  Results have been encouraging and support FIDC’s view that sea trout farming has the potential to become a successful business venture.  For more information, contact danielfowler@fidc.co.fk.

The following Executive Council paper was considered at the meeting of Executive Council held on 18 January and is available for viewing here: Publication of Doyle Report and Funding of Further Telecommunications Consultancy Work.