FINN (COM) Daily Record: 13 January 2004

If so I would like to contact them. I was a Corporal in the Royal Marines at the time as part of a small detachment of six Marines. I Know lots of people were captured by the invaders in the early stages but does anyone recall who was captured.

I am putting my life history together and this incident was an interesting event to say the least.
So please any help with the true events.
Thanks in anticipation.

Peter ( Known as Ollie RM )

POLITICAL PAWNS SAY TOUR OPERATORS:

The Executive Director of the organisation that represents Antarctic Tour Operators has accused the Argentine Government of using the companies as political pawns in their struggle to gain back the Falklands. Denise Landow (DL) of the International Association of Antarctic Tour Operators, or IAATO has written to members to update them on the dispute over charter flights between Chile and the Falklands. She writes:

"The new President of Argentina and its appointed Government apparently is actively aggressive in this area and attempting to create problems for the Falkland Islands. IAATO has felt it in numerous ways." She says she is planning to write to the Argentine Government to lobby them on behalf of the tour operators.

I spoke to her from Colorado USA, where the organisation is based.

DL: Why do this to the tour companies that have been operating charter flights, most of them for years, and years, and years? What do they have against the Antarctic tour companies? They are using what ever tools they have to cause problems.

SG: What sort of affect is it having on some of the companies that are affiliated with IAATO?

DL: They have had to re-work their itineraries. It takes a day out of their Falklands stop, either going to the outer islands or to Stanley. It affects how they provision the ship, fuel the ship, water the ship. It takes away from their itineraries in South Georgia because you’ve got to sail an extra day. It also affects the consumer because they choose the programme that they want to participate in. They will choose it based upon whether or not they want to fly directly to the Falklands and then embark or. It will, in fact, be choices that our travelling public have made. We are sorry that everyone has to deal with this. It seems like an unnecessary issue to have to throw the Antarctic tour companies into last minute changing of schedules, changing of aeroplanes and changing of ships and having to address their passengers on the ship for something that the Argentine Government didn’t need to do. We are sorry that we had to go through this. We are even more sorry that the Falklands are losing business.

SG: Denise Landow says she will be encouraging tour operators to keep the Falklands in their itineraries for next season in the hope that the situation will be resolved by then.

TIME TO VOTE FOR NEW FIMCO BOARD:

Farmers have been receiving nomination papers for the board of the newly independent Falkland Islands Meat Company or FIMCO. The closing date for nominations is on Friday. FIMCO, which operates the Abattoir, has been running independently of FIDC since January first as FIDC General Manager, Julian Morris (JM) explained.

JM: This is a very exciting time for the Falkland Islands Meat Company Limited. The Company was formed just before Christmas and, as of the 2^{nd of January, FIMCO is now a separate trading company, which is operating outside of FIDC. The nominations for the board are now out amongst the farming community. And, every farm is able to nominate which farmers they would like to represent them on the board. I think it is very important that we get as many of those nomination forms back. I have actually been really surprised at how many I had back. But I know what it’s like. It’s a very busy time of year for farmers so they have got a lot of other things to do as well but I think it is important that people do nominate their choice in representatives. All of those representatives have been approved by the FIDB Board. Again, I think that’s a very positive vote of confidence in FIDB in those people and they are happy to say yes. We are happy for the people who have put themselves forward to run this new company. Every farmer should have a form. If they haven’t got one, please contact myself or Margaret Williams as soon as possible.}

POLICE WARNING:

Police have issued a warning to motorists to be sure they display their tax discs. Officers say they have noticed a number of vehicles around Stanley which aren’t doing it quite right. It should be displayed on the bottom left of the windscreen or underneath the rear-view mirror at all times.

RARE VISITOR FOR SAUNDERS ISLAND:

Saunders Island had a rare visitor recently when a Sooty Albatross was spotted by Susan and David Pole-Evans. The FC Newsletter shows a photograph of the bird, which is usually found to the north the Falklands, breeding on sub-tropical Islands. They are rarely found around the Islands, with only six being recorded from three observers in three years.

NEW SCHOOL TERM:

It’s a new start for children today as they all head back off to school. But for some children, planning that next holiday may start now. The Stanley Leisure Centre, along with International Tours and Travel have prepared a back packing expedition to the Torres del Paine National park during Sports Week. This time the holiday’s being offered to any 12 people at year 9 and above costing £661.00 each. If you are interested, then you need to be quick. For those of you with children too young for trekking, a reminder that Jelly Tots starts again this week.

MYSTICO:

Argentine Yacht Mystico left the Islands today. Crew members George Batalino and Marcello Gonzalez have spent the last week in port. And, both men have been amazed at the friendliness of the people here and the size of the Islands.

NEW EDUCATIONAL STAFF:

There are new staff at FICS and Camp Education. Wayne Dillon will be teaching History at FICS with Mark Lennon putting pupils through their paces in PE classes. Next month, they will be joined by another new boy, Michael Austin, who will teach Maths and Science. At Camp Ed, Ray Felstead and Catherine Bryan are preparing to head out to Camp on Wednesday and Thursday.

ISLAND SHIPPING:

Island Shipping say they hope to increase the number of freight journeys carried out by the Tamar between the Falklands and Punta Arenas. Servio Gonzalez. (SsG) of the Ultramar, Islands Shipping Agent in Punta, is in the Falklands this week trying to drum up more business to make the extra journeys viable. There were a few red faces when he mistakenly turned up at the Byron Offices for work on Monday morning but he assured us he is actually here to work with Island Shipping.

SeG: The reason I came here is because Ultimar is dedicated to the shipping business in Chile for more than 50 years. We have 45 years of presence in Punta Arenas. It was not until recently that Ultramar was legally authorised to perform exportation from our country. This allowed us to establish a new, different business relationship with the people of the Falkland Islands. Our new task is to be provider for the logistical material for the importation and exportation to and from Punta Arenas using the establish Atlantic Coast service or Tamar under the management of Island Shipping.Ltd. In order to establish this commercial relationship, Ultramar decided to send me across to the Islands to contact all potential customers. All the cargo will come across on the Tamar. We are thankful to the people here for having confidence in us.

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