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FINN (COM) Daily Record: 29 January 2004

FINN(COM) DAILY RECORD FOR 29 JANUARY 2004

(With Relevant Stories from FIBS)

 

Compiled by J. Brock (FINN)

 

 

 

 

Fishing pioneer says pirates 'strip mining' Toothfish

 

By Andrew Darby

 

January 29, 2004

 

The first fisherman to legally pioneer Australia's high Antarctic waters is pulling out of the region, saying the rich toothfish resource there has been strip-mined by pirates.

 

Illegal fishing that has plagued sub-Antarctic islands has now moved further south to the ice-strewn waters of the high Antarctic, a tightly regulated global nature reserve.

 

Queensland-based fisherman Dave Williams said he had decided to pull his state-of-the art longline fishing boat Eldfisk out halfway through his second season in the ice.

 

He said Eldfisk's crew had seen eight pirate vessels in five weeks but its own toothfish catch was embarrassingly small. "High Antarctic toothfishing is in the history books already," said Mr Williams. "It's an international tragedy happening at the moment, and no one's that concerned."

 

Australia claims a 200 nautical mile exclusive economic zone off the 5000-kilometre coastline of the Australian Antarctic Territory. But under the Antarctic Treaty, all territorial claims are suspended and Federal Government fishing laws for the zone can apply only to Australians.

 

The treaty declares Antarctica a global nature reserve. Its subsidiary Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) controls fisheries but has no enforcement powers, instead relying on member countries to police their nationals.

 

The Eldfisk reported to the Federal Government that it had identified a Uruguayan-flagged vessel, Lugal Pesca, fishing in Prydz Bay, about 2500 nautical miles south-west of Perth.

 

Uruguay is a member of CCAMLR but the commission at its last meeting did not allow any Uruguayan flagged vessels to fish in the Prydz Bay region.

 

Lugal Pesca has had several brushes with authority in the past year. Last March the South African Government seized a $2.5 million load of toothfish it alleged came from this ship.

 

Last winter it was photographed by a licensed fisher inside France's exclusive economic zone around Kerguelen Island, adjoining Heard Island.

 

According to the Perth-based Coalition of Legal Toothfish Operators, Lugal Pesca is one of 18 active longliners owned by Spanish fishing syndicates but mainly flagged through Uruguay.

 

Another Uruguayan-flagged vessel, Maya V, was arrested last week near Heard Island by the RAN frigate Warramunga. This followed the 21-day chase last year by Australia of the longliner Viarsa, also registered in Uruguay.

 

Mr Williams said although illegal operators appeared to be making a commercial catch in the high Antarctic, onerous conditions placed on his licence by the Federal Government were partly to blame for his decision to leave the fishery.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DESIRE PETROLEUM plc

('Desire')

 

 

The Board of Desire is pleased to announce that the seismic vessel 'Geo Pacific'

is now on station in the North Falkland Basin and commenced acquiring 3D seismic

on 28th January 2004. Under an agreement with Fugro Geoteam A/S, the contractor,

the 'Geo Pacific' will acquire a minimum of 800 square kilometres of 3D seismic

over Tranches C and D and a small area of Tranche F. The 3D survey has been

designed to cover the three largest structures identified by previous 2D surveys

and, dependant upon weather, is expected to take from 40-45 days to complete.

Following completion of the 3D survey, the data acquired will be processed and

interpreted with a final interpretation expected later in the year.



This information is provided by RNS

The company news service from the London Stock Exchange



CRUISE SHIP SCHEDULE :

 

 

Norwegian Crown will be in Stanley tomorrow, 30th Jan, from 10.00 - 16.00
hours.

On Saturday 31st Jan the following ships are calling in to
Stanley
:

Royal Princess from 08.00 to 17.00

Orion from 07.00-06.00 (this is a pax exchange using the regular Lan
Chile

flight, outgoing pax will have a little time in
Stanley AM).

Bremen
in PM - they've not given exact timings as yet.


Debbie Summers
Sulivan Shipping Services Limited
Stanley

Falkland Islands FIQQ 1ZZ
http://www.sulivanshipping.com

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

 

FIBS NEWS DIRECT: THURSDAY, 29 JANUARY 2004

 

INTERVIEW WITH JULIE CLARKE:

 

Have you filled in your licensing review questionnaire that’s been put in the public domain for scrutiny?  As much input from the public is needed as possible to make sure that every angle is being looked at and taken into consideration.  One of the questions on the questionnaire relates to a project that local licensee. Julie Ckarke (JC) from the Globe Tavern has in the pipeline.  I spoke to her to find out a bit more about what the project entails and how the public can contribute to the end result.

 

JC:  It’s a question to the general public if they would like to see a Night Club licence law in situ, to enable us to carry on with our venture.

 

LH:  I know it’s been said that this may encourage binge drinking but you don’t feel that’s the case, do you?

 

JC:  Not at all.  I think if there is somewhere else for people to carry on to after the pubs to 0300 or whatever time in the morning, then that’s going to reduce binge drinking because people are going to pace themselves more or they are going to go out later.  At the end of the day, it’s going to reduce binge drinking.

 

LH:  You’ve been offered a plot of land, is that right?

 

JC:  We have been allocated a piece of land by the Government at the rear of Stanley Services and we have also been granted outline planning permission for this.  For us to go ahead, we obviously need this licensing law to be included in the present licensing law.  Otherwise, we wouldn’t be able to carry on with any of it, really.

 

LH:  It’s not so much changing the law.  It’s just sort of making an addition to the existing law, isn’t it?

 

JC:  That’s right.  Just adding something else that’s not changing the original law at all, really.

 

LH:  That’s not just the only plan you’ve got.  You’ve got plan for a children’s centre as well.

 

JC:  It will be two main structures and the children’s play area is totally separate from the Night Club area.  It will be a different entrance as well.  There will be no interaction between the two at all.  The children’s play area is going to be quite a large area with lots of climbing frames and all sorts of great things for kids to do.  Also, a café area will be included.  Eventually once we have the funds, we will include things for older age groups.

 

LH:  Where did the idea come from?

 

JC:  It was Kirsty’s brain-wave about the Children’s Centre.  She saw a place called “Jungle Gym” in the UK and said it was a fantastic idea and what was needed here for the Children.  It is really good.  The Night Club thing is something that I have always wanted to do.  We included it all together and made one leisure centre, entertainment area.  It’s got this far and we will see how it goes.  We will wait and see what happens with the licensing and encourage everyone to fill them in because it’s the first question, asking people if they would like this to happen.

 

LH:  Have you had much feedback from people about it?

 

JC:  Yes.  Lots.  Most of the people have been very encouraging and really want to see it happen.  Lots of people have been filling in the questionnaires.

 

IRISH BAND:

 

Traditional Irish Band, the Brewery Boys are to be in the Islands between the 4th and 9th of February.  The visit’s been organised by Civi/Military Liaison Officer, Maj. Mark Brennon.  He says that the band members are serving soldiers of the Royal Irish Regiment, who have been together for a number of years and raised considerable funds for several different charities.  This is the first time that they have been to the South Atlantic.  While here, they will perform in most of the pubs around Stanley, including the Globe on their first night, the Victory Bar, the FIDF Club (ticket only) and the Hillside Mess.

 

MILITARY EVENTS:

 

There are a number of events coming up in the Military calendar.  On Monday a detachment of the Honourable Artillery Company or HAC will be carrying out a firepower demonstration with a 105mm light gun to the north of Mount Pleasant..  The HAC are a Territorial Army Detachment based in London.

 

Then on Wednesday, the Royal Highland Fusiliers of the RIC are to have a firepower demonstration on Onion Range.  And, finally, Exercise Purple Strike will be running from the 16th to 18th of February on the Second Creek Range on West Falkland.  There will be amphibious landings, Naval gunfire support, close air sorties and Infantry attacks.  Captain Doug Salsby at Media Ops says that on these dates there will be increased air activity and noise levels around the areas concerned.

 

CONTAMINATED FLOWER:

 

There will be no bread on sale at the Bread Shop today.  They say that this is due to a supply of contaminated flower.  If anyone bought bread yesterday or today and finds it not to be right, they can return it tomorrow for either a replacement or a full refund.  The Bread Shop apologises for any inconvenience and would like to assure customers that a fresh batch of flower is due in today, ready for tomorrow.

 

(100X Transcription Service)

 



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