FIBS NEWS DIRECT: MONDAY, 28 JULY 2003
PUNK PARTY FOR SAMA:
Spikes, fish-net stockings, colourful hair and lots of make-up was the order of the evening on Saturday for nearly 200 people who went along to the FIDF Club’s charity raising bash. The "Punk" party went down well with all who went to help raise money for SAMA. A good amount was also raised from donations on the door, although the final total isn’t yet known.
CHILEAN TOUR REP:
A rep from a Chilean Tour Operator has been visiting the Islands. Julio Prelas (JP) has been in discussions with Sulivan Shipping, who are the agents with his company, "Antarctica 21." He says they have developed a very special programme.
JP: For the first time people will be able to go to the Antarctic but they do not have to cross the Drake Passage. It’s a combined operation between a ship and an aircraft, which will also be based in Punta Arenas.
Note from FINN: The Late Cecil Bertrand was Julio’s Grandfather.
LATEST FI NEWSLETTER:
Colourful, packed with photos of family and friends – the latest edition of the Falkland Islands Newsletter is out. The Newsletter carries a lengthy feature on the Duke of York opening the new Infant/Junior School extension, a look at the annual Lincoln’s Inn reception in London and a round-up of the SAMA AGM. Also, there’s news of charity work and articles on conservation and tourism.
SAVE THE ALBATROSS:
One of Britain’s most experienced sailors is to take on pirate fleets responsible for the deaths of thousands of seabirds every year. Sixty-five year old, John Ridgeway, rowed the North Atlantic with Around the World Yachtsman, Chay Blyth in 1966. In a press release, Birdlife International say that he sailed on Saturday, starting a year-long expedition to film illegal fishing operations, that are pushing 17 of the Albatross species to the brink of extinction. Ridgeway will highlight the plight of Albatross, whose numbers have plummeted since long-line fishing methods were introduced in the ‘80s. With more than 300,000 birds, a third of these being Albatross being lured on to the baited hooks each year. The sailor wants pirate boats banned and international action to close down their black marketed fish, saying he can’t just stand by and watch it happen. So, he is putting together and funding an entire and independent voyage around the world to raise public awareness and prevent the needless slaughter. Volunteer crew are giving up a year to help with the project, adding that this might be the last chance for the Albatross.
Note from FINN: The Black-Browed Albatross on FINN’s home page is a reminder to save the Albatross.
HARBOUR/FISHING NEWS:
A Russian Trawler has arrived into port with a medical. The Lvov Adnoy had been fishing down South and came to the Islands after a member of crew fell ill. They are anchored in Port William at the moment. There are still 5 vessels fishing in the zone but things will change by the end of the week with the opening of the Lolligo season. Around 14 vessels are expected in either on Wednesday or Thursday to pick up their licences. There are three vessels in Berkley Sound, two reefers, the Frio Vadevostock Zalev and one tanker, the Zalgarev. They will be joined on Wednesday by 4 Korean ships who will be unloading their catches, which they took on the high seas.
FALKLANDS ORGANIC MEET EXPORT:
The meat that was recently exported to the UK has been picked up on by the Herald (What Herald?). Dan Bluegrass says that sheep producers in the UK have become accustomed to large quantities of Lamb from New Zealand being imported at certain times of the year but that they now have a new competitor – the farmers of the Falklands. He says that recently 5 containers of meat was shipped 8000 miles from the South Atlantic to be tested on the UK . Sam Alinson-Bailey, from FIGO, told him that Lamb from the Islands poses no threat to the UK sheep producers, saying that this was just a trial but that we believe there will be a niche market for our product. She also mentioned that the costs of shipping were high but still thought that this trade could be viable. And, that due to the international market for wool being depressed for much of the last decade, Islands farmers are increasingly turning to meat production.
(100X Transcription Service)
"A" Press: Saturday, 26 July 2003
Top story over the last few days has been action against many criminals from the Dirty War epoch 1976 - 1983. On Thursday, complying with an extradition request from Spanish Judge Baltazar Garzon (See Note), an Argentine judge ordered the arrest of 43 major criminals from that period including Admiral Anaya and Lami Dozo, both members of the Junta that launched the Falklands War. They are both now under house arrest. Also detained, and in prison, is Alfredo Astiz, the not very gallant defender of South Georgia in 1982 who is wanted in France for throwing two French nuns out of his helicopter and in Sweden for killing a 17 year old Swedish girl. She was killed before Astiz's thugs realised they had got the wrong person. His arrest is reported to have caused euphoria in France.
Altogether 26 of the 43 wanted men have now surrendered to arrest. But one of the wanted men, Juan Antonio Azic, a major in the Coast Guard, attempted suicide rather than surrender. He shot himself in the mouth in front of a statue of the Virgin Mary, and is now in intensive care in the Naval Hospital. He was known as the "Pirana" and was one of the group led by "Tiger" Acosta, one of the Naval Mechanical School torturers. Azic's favourite trick was threaten the children and babies of the prisoners in detention to get information from the parents. One of his victims recalled that Azic connected his twenty day old baby together with him to the electric terminals they were torturing him with to force him to answer questions - charming. Azic is accused of 282 cases of "abuses of human rights". General Buzzi has also been arrested as a result of the Spanish extradition warrant, but may be a problem as he is a politician in Tucuman, and is the Vice-Governor elect there at the moment.
Yesterday, Friday, the Argentine Government announced the repeal of the decree preventing extradition of criminals to other countries - to facilitate this process. However, an La Nacion article comments that it is probably the prelude to the annulment of the amnesty laws Punto Final and Obediancia Debida that prevent such people being tried in Argentina.
Human rights organisations have welcomed these moves, but it has of course caused concern among Argentine Armed Forces. A group of retired Brigadiers has written to La Nacion to ask for sensible treatment and similar treatment of Montonero criminals from that period. But Argentine justice is a political commodity and the Government doesn't appear to be swayed by such considerations.
Other news is that President Kirchner got back from Washington yesterday, after what is considered a successful visit. He met President Bush and got the now time honoured promise of support for Argentine efforts to get a financial aid package from the IMF. Kirchner also promised to send troops to Iraq - but only if the United Nations calls for this (which isn't very likely). He also saw American businessmen with interests in Argentina, who called for Argentina to stand by its agreements, respect patent rights etc. He asked them for time.
There have been several more police corruption cases. Among them 220 officers are under reported today to be under investigation in Cordoba for various crimes, and two Buenos Aires policemen were arrested yesterday for involvement in a recent high profile kidnapping.
Note: Garzon is the Judge who wanted to extradite General Pinochet from Britain.
(100X Translation Service)
