On 23^rd January 2014, FIS published an Opinion piece relating to the Falkland Islands and Argentina.  The item seemed to be 90% political in its content and about 10% to do with fisheries.  An extraordinary item to publish on a website which is supposedly dealing with the mainstream of fisheries information.

The political elements of the item are wide of the mark.  They seek to perpetuate the myth that Argentina has some valid claim to the Falkland Islands. The Falkland Islands are a self governing overseas territory of the United Kingdom.  A recent free, open and democratic referendum in the Falkland Islands proved beyond any doubt that the Falkland people are united in favour (99.8 %) of maintaining their status as an Overseas Territory of the United Kingdom.  There was no desire for any association with Argentina.  The article does not explain how the proposals for Argentina to conduct a census of the population, survey and register land, etc, would solve anything, they would not. 

Bizarrely for a fisheries website, the fisheries of the Southwest Atlantic barely get a mention. This is one of the areas where there has been constructive engagement with Argentina in the past, and where there is a strong case for constructive engagement to be recommenced. The bilateral South Atlantic Fisheries Commission (SAFC) operated for some 15 years from 1990 to 2005.  This involved the United Kingdom and Argentina with Falkland’s representation on the British delegation. 

The SAFC operated successfully for a period despite the sovereignty dispute.  Fisheries data were exchanged between the Falklands and Argentina. There were joint research cruises, joint scientific workshops, and co-ordinated conservation measures which were applied to shared fish stocks.  For a time the SAFC was a model of regional fisheries management.  The conservation arrangements implemented through the SAFC undoubtedly reduced the risks of overexploitation of major Southwest Atlantic resources such as Illex squid.  Had the SAFC continued it might have played a pivotal role in rebuilding stocks of Southern Blue Whiting.  The SAFC could also have been a stepping stone to the creation of a wider multilateral fisheries body for the Southwest Atlantic, which would have been open to distant water fishing nations and other coastal states.

Around 2005 Argentina inexplicably disengaged from their constructive relationship within the SAFC.  Some 10 years after the Falklands conflict there was constructive dialogue on fisheries conservation between the Falklands and Argentina, whereas 30 years after the conflict there is no engagement, a situation created by the Government of Argentina.  The Falklands has always been prepared to resume the fisheries dialogue and play a constructive role.  A number of fish stocks in the Southwest Atlantic are shared between the Falklands and Argentina and also straddle high seas areas. In the absence of a functioning regional fisheries management body such as the SAFC, and ideally a multilateral arrangement, the risks to fish stocks in the area are much higher.  Bilateral or multilateral fisheries management bodies may not provide a complete solution, but they could significantly reduce the risks of overfishing or mismanagement.  Many fishermen in Argentina will be aware that some stocks are under pressure and are likely to welcome a more certain conservation regime.

The FIS article refers to Argentina’s peaceful claims and the support for Falkland inhabitants with ‘concrete actions’. Some of the concrete actions which Falkland Islanders see at present from Argentina include; letters of discomfort to those operating in fishing and oil industries, restrictions on movements of containers and shipping, and attempts to block cruise ships visiting in Stanley.  Argentina could return to engaging constructively on fishing issues.  Instead many of her recent actions are viewed from the Falklands as being unfriendly to the point of hostile.  As for removing the people of the Falklands from the discussion, Falkland Islanders would wholeheartedly concur with the views recently expressed by Mr. Hugo Swire MP (Minister of State for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, HMG) in Penguin News: “So let me be clear and unambiguous: if the Government of Argentina believes that hostile rhetoric and threats against the livelihoods of the Falkland Islands people will pressure the UK into negotiating the sovereignty of the Falklands – above the heads of the people whose home it is then it is sorely mistaken. The British Government will abide by our responsibilities under the UN Charter to respect your right of self determination. Argentina may continue to choose to ignore the views of the Falkland Islanders, but it is a policy doomed to failure."