COMMEMORATIVE ISSUE

Fisheries

Issue Date: February 2007







In 1987 a Fisheries Conservation Zone was introduced around the Falkland Islands in response to concerns about uncontrolled fishing in the south Atlantic. The introduction of this managed fishery enabled fishing licence fees to be levied and these fees have transformed the economic fortunes of the Falkland Islands. Before the Conservation Zone was introduced the annual revenue collected by the Government was around £5 million. By 1989 this had risen considerably to £29 million. A total of £420 million has been raised from fishing license fees in the first 20 years.

The Falklands' fishery is modest in size in world terms. However its distinctive feature is that it is primarily based on squid which accounts for around 75% of catches. In a typical year approximately 200,000 tonnes of squid are supplied to world markets making the Falklands a significant player in the global squid trade.

There are two species of squid in the fishery: Illex argentinus which is the biggest in terms of volume, value and also size of the squid. Typical annual catches are around 150,000 tonnes with much of the catch destined for the Far East although significant amounts also go to Europe; Loligo gahi are caught by large stern trawlers almost all of which are registered in the Falklands. These Squid are frozen on board and produce a delicious product. In addition the Falkland Islands waters are also an important producer of various finned fish species including blue whiting, hoki and hake.

To celebrate the success of the Falklands Fisheries the Post Office has released this special commemorative stamp issue. The lower 3 values (3p, 11p and 25p) provide us with a glimpse of life aboard a busy fishing vessel in favourable conditions. Of course the South Atlantic Ocean is renowned for its severe weather and the tranquil scenes shown on these stamps can quite radically transform into quite extreme conditions within a matter of hours. Many of the Fishing ships operate 24 hours a day, with the Fishermen working in shifts. With the extreme weather conditions and vicious waves, working on deck is an intimidating and hazardous occupation which is undertaken with a great deal of precision and skill.

3p A busy day at sea for both the fishermen. The Falkland Islands Protection Vessel, Dorada, can be seen in the background

11p Work aboard continues well into the night, if not all night.

25p Fishermen ending their shift after a long day at sea.

30p A Japanese Jigger is shown in Stanley Harbour where licenses are collected prior to fishing within the conservation zone. The Japanese Jigger would target the Illex, the larger of the squid, which are extremely popular in Asia. The Jiggers work at night using high powered lights to attract the squid to the surface.

60p The Fishery Protection Vessel Dorada is shown patrolling the conservation zone.

£1.05 The smaller vessel in the foreground is a Loligo trawler trans-shipping its processed and boxed catch to the larger reefer, a freezer container ship. A reefer collects the catches from entire fleets allowing the fishing vessels to continue to fish rather than having to return to their home ports around the world.

FDC To mark the 20th Anniversary in February of this year, the Falkland Islands Government has approved the release of a special coin. This is shown above a scene of Jiggers in Stanley Harbour, collecting their fishing licenses prior to the start of the fishing season in February. Only a limited number of licenses can be issued in a single day. Fishery Officers need to go onboard to check that the details of the license applied for are correct, that the vessel is sufficiently safe to allow for Fishery Officers to board the vessel at sea and to establish whether the accommodation on-board would be suitable to take scientific staff. With new Jiggers arriving each day this image provides an indication of the scale of the operation and the number of vessels involved.

Technical Details:-

Photography Michael Hattersley; 30p value FISHOPS
Printer BDT International
Process Lithography
Perforation 14 per 2cms
Stamp size 28.45 x 42.58 mm
Sheet Layout 20 (2 x 10)
Release date February 2007
Production Co-ordination Creative Direction (Worldwide) Ltd




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