FINN(COM) DAILY RECORD: 01 MARCH 

(With Relevant Stories from FIBS)

 

 

 

STANDARD CHARTERED BANK SWIMMING GALA

SATURDAY 3^RD APRIL 2004

 

STANLEY LEISURE CENTRE 1.00 PM – 6.00 PM

 

PRESS RELEASE

Monday, 01 March 2004

 

The Stanley Leisure Centre is delighted to announce that the first Swimming Gala held within the centre for some time is planned to take place on Saturday 3^rd April 2004.  The event has been generously sponsored by Standard Chartered Bank in Stanley.  A full range of swimming events is planned with something for everyone including width races for the younger members of the community and all the events you would expect in a Swim Meet for the competitive swimmer.

 

We welcome entries from all abilities and ages with set events for juniors (under 12) as well as open events.  Medals will be awarded for each race and a trophy will be presented to the Best Senior Male and Female swimmer and the Best Junior Male and Female swimmer.

 

So start training now for the first swimming event of the year.  Other Galas are planned throughout the year in the lead up to the Commonwealth Youth Games in Bendigo, Australia later this year and the Island Games in Shetland in 2005.

 

For more details or an entry form please contact the Stanley Leisure Centre on either 27291/27285 or fax 27284.  Forms can also be e-mailed to prospective swimmers, please contact [email protected] for more details.  Forms are also available from the MPA Gymnasium.  Entry Forms must be returned to the Stanley Leisure Centre Reception along with the entry fee of £2.00 by Monday 29^th March 2004.

 

First race begins at 1.00pm sharp.

 

 

Steve Dent

Recreation Manager

 

 

 

PRESS RELEASE FROM GILBERT HOUSE

 

 

 

The following statement was made by Minister Bill Rammell to the UK Parliament today –

 

[quote]

 

AIRLINKS STATEMENT

 

I made a Statement to this House on airlinks between the Falklands and Argentina on 19 January.  I would like to report on developments since then.

 

I travelled to Argentina on 16/17 February on a pre-planned bilateral visit.  I held talks on a wide range of international, regional and bilateral issues.   The question of airlinks featured in my talks with the Argentine Foreign Minister, Dr Rafael Bielsa.   The talks were frank and constructive and we made some progress.   Some proposals were discussed which we each agreed to look at further.   These proposals primarily focussed on temporary arrangements for charter flights for 2004.   I made clear that any arrangements would need to be acceptable to the Falkland Islanders.

 

Regrettably, shortly following my visit, an article appeared in an Argentine newspaper, giving details of my talks and wrongly asserting that a “deal” on airlinks had been agreed.   As I have indicated, this was not the case.

 

I spoke subsequently to Falkland Councillors.  They concluded that the proposals for temporary arrangements did not meet their concerns.   However, they agreed that we should continue to discuss the issue with the Argentine Government with a view to securing a permanent solution to the question of charter flights rather than having further temporary arrangements.

 

We are now taking this forward with the Argentine Government, with the full agreement of Councillors.   I will keep the House informed of progress.

 

[unquote]

 

Councillors confirm that they have agreed to this approach.

 

Gilbert House

1^st March 2004 

 

Death Notice:

 

Dion Jones, 21, died in a tragic accident on Saturday, 28 February 2004.  To her family and friends in the Falklands and overseas, the most heartfelt sympathy. 

 

 

Proposal for Joint South Atlantic Fisheries Protection Measures

 

It is difficult to know where to go with fishery protection measures when they are not apparently wholeheartedly supported by HMG.

 

Present lack of immediate support by HMG seems to be a very shortsighted view on their part for the very reason that support now for fishery protection would give future hope for the South Atlantic Overseas Territories involved in assisting them to build their fishing industries in a constructive way and thus allowing them a future measure of self dependence financially.

 

It is understandable to a certain extent that the British Government may find itself fully committed militarily in Afghanistan, Iraq and other theatres of conflict and therefore unable to meet its implied defence and foreign affairs commitments to the Overseas Territories. This does not however absolve them from the joint and reasonable obligation to defend and protect under past and recent legislation.

 

On the other hand they may take the view, and there is some evidence of this, that the policing of a territories Exclusive Economic Zone is at least partially a domestic matter in which the Mother Country is reluctant to get involved as it does not have the prime interest in the outcomes. There may well be some validity in this view at a time when to a certain extent the South Atlantic Territories are flexing their ‘self determination muscles’. Indeed whilst not anticipating what the outcome of self determination may mean individually for those territories if a greater degree of autonomy is sought then local governmental responsibility for events needs to move hand in hand along the same path.

 

It would seem sensible then that all the South Atlantic Territories should work jointly in achieving their aims where they have the confidence that control and exploitation of their legitimate resources will bring financial and material benefits to their people as a whole.

 

They cannot expect necessarily that the former colonial power whatever the extent of their authority will take the lead in these matters but perhaps would be more susceptible to progressive and democratic suggestions of self help, with some speculative investment of potential future resources rather than demands for colonial assistance in the old manner.

 

It is worth considering what can be done then to provide a measure of effective fishery protection in the South Atlantic commensurate with the responsibilities of all the parties concerned that does not involve the United Kingdom in taking the leading role.

 

There have been some recent suggestions that legitimately licensed fishermen should take on the task of their own protection by arming their vessels and being paid a bounty payment for the productive policing work they carry out against illegal fishing operations.

 

This would be a retrograde step and not in keeping with modern ideas of democracy, freedom and the rule of law. More indeed applicable to the 18^th century and early 19^th century way of doing things. This then led to lawlessness and virtual piracy by the very act of delegating powers to privateers to carry out duties that rightfully belonged alone to sovereign states and their properly and directly controlled forces of law and order. The privateers looked to their own profit first and law and order a poor second if that. Quite rightly the governing powers eventually recognized that you cannot successfully delegate armed authority to private persons without running the very real risk that those powers will be used for purposes that are not those for which they were originally legally intended.

 

Is there then an alternative to St. Helena and Dependencies, and indeed the Falklands that has its own protection measures, other than relying on the UK Government to protect their interests?

 

There is another way that could be considered.

 

The Falklands already has a basically effective method, if not a totally adequate one, of control in its fishery protection vessel patrols and air surveillance; therefore it has the developed expertise and methodology of fishery protection.

 

There seems then to be a case for a combined effort in this field between all the South Atlantic Overseas Territories. For instance the Falklands has the expertise in fishery protection and St. Helena has surplus manpower. It seems only common sense that between them if they were prepared to work together they could provide basic fishery protection for all the South Atlantic Territories.

 

It would require however for the United Kingdom Government to provide suitable small but adequate naval vessels capable of delivering the service. There is undoubtedly a number of laid up or redundant reasonably fast but seaworthy and presently unused vessels that would fit this purpose that would cost the United Kingdom a minimal amount to provide on a free of charge or loan basis rather than sending them for scrap or sale.

 

The legality of carrying out this service could be maintained by extending the role of the Falkland Islands Defence Force (and presumably a St Helenian equivalent) into a legitimate South Atlantic Fishery or Economic Zone Protection Service. The number of persons trained to operate the necessary armaments would be newly recruited and full time ‘South Atlantic Defence Force’ members trained and paid to provide this service with the actual numbers kept at a minimum level working on a shift or rota basis. The actual crewing of the vessels could be on a civilian basis made up of St. Helenians and others willing to be trained for the purpose. This would have the double benefit of providing work for those presently not employed or underemployed as well as providing fishery protection.

 

The whole project would be funded from licensing that could now be enforced and from fines and confiscations from illegals. Some up front investment would be required but this could be covered from the anticipated income on the basis that the territories have the confidence that control will attract companies interested in protected and exclusive licensing. Otherwise there would be no point in the exercise.

 

Clearly the whole proposal would have to be tested as a financial investment and legitimized by the UK and the territories participating.

 

It is however surely worth considering as an alternative to no action being taken at all or waiting for the UK to make the first move.

 

Ernest H Spencer

24 February 2004

 

Jørgen Niclasen

When Jørgen Niclasen was still the Fishery Minister he explained the fishing days system at every international meeting to which he was invited. There is a lot of interest in this particular Faroese system, not only from the neighbouring countries around the Faroes, but Chile is also interested in it. Even though he has left there are still requests for him. At the beginning of September Jørgen was in Ireland at the conference which was arranged by the coastal states around the Irish sea. Their fish stocks are in a bad state and they wanted to learn how the Faroese have replenished their stocks.

The main difference between the fishing days system and the usual TAC quota system is that the TAC governs how much is caught, while the fishing days system governs the fishing effort, both by limiting the fishing days and the actual fishing effort of each individual fishing vessel. More and more countries are showing interest in the Faroese solution, which could be considered as an alternative to the usual solutions within the fishing industry.

"A 100 years ago it was not necessary to have a fishing policy, but it is now. The reason is simple, we have an overcapacity in the fishing industry, we have too large an effort. In order to solve the problem the correct way must be to control the effort. This is what the Faroese do. The quota system tries to control the result, and that this is not very successful. Imagine it is like football where the fishery authorities are like the referee, the referee's job is not to control the result, but the efforts, otherwise it would be wrong, " said Jørgen Niclasen, amongst other things in his speech on the fishing days system.

But what is the virtue in the system
"Every system must of necessity be accepted by the people living under it. The main insurance that the Faroese fishing days system works is that the whole industry, the fish experts and the politicians accept the system. There is no reason for the industry to hide anything, and that is why the Faroese statistics are 100% reliable, and that is a requirement for control", said Jørgen Niclasen, the former Fishery Minister.

Jørgen Niclasen also pointed out that after 7 years of using the fishing days system all the fish stocks are in good condition. The spawning conditions are all over the Bpa, which are recommended by the fish expects as being the stock level.

In this system nature is controlling fishing, i.e. changes in nature give immediate results.

If fish stocks decrease then fishing decreases correspondingly. It is not necessary to wait for months for new evaluations from the fish experts. The system is built on a concept of living with nature, explained Jørgen at the end.

 

Note:  This item was also published in the Faroe Islands Business News.

*************************************************************************************************************************

FIBS NEWS DIRECT: MONDAY, 01 MARCH 2004

 

 

ARGENTINE MEMORIAL:

 

Work was due to start on the Argentine Memorial this morning.  The Memorial, which is being put together by AWG Construction, arrived into Mare Harbour last Wednesday and was then transported to Darwin.  A four-man team will be working at the Cemetery to put the new Memorial together.

 

NEW FALKLANDS BOOK:

 

A new book about the Falklands has been published.  “The Falkland Islands: Between the Wind and the Sea” is a stunning book of wildlife by the award-winning photographer and naturalist, Kevin Shaffer.  It is a vivid, colourful portrait of the wind-swept paradise, which was captured over several extended stays in the Islands.  Conservation Officer, Becky Ingham states in the forward, “The Falkland Islands are not an open-air zoo with fences and signs.  They retain the wide horizons and open vistas that attract the free of spirit and it’s this essence that all with a love of nature and its bounties should strive to protect.  The book can be bought on the website, www.coachhouseonline.com. 

 

COMMITTEE MEETINGS:

 

There are only two Committee Meetings happening this week.  The first is the Housing Committee on Wednesday at 1330 in the Liberation Room.  This is to be followed on Friday by the Fisheries Committee at 0900, which is also being held in the Liberation Room.

 

POLICE NEWS:

 

Police were called out on Friday night to a male reported swimming by the Public Jetty.  When they arrived, they found a man swimming in his boxer shorts.  The man refused to identify himself and was arrested and later released into the care of the Duty Officer from HMS Glasgow.

 

POWER CUT:

 

Stanley’s electrical supply was totally cut off this afternoon after a generator overloaded and tripped out.  The Power and Electrical Department say that this happened during testing of the generating voltage and load-sharing control circuits.  All supplies were completely restored after 15 minutes.  The Department would like to apologise for any inconvenience suffered during the outage.

 

 

 

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