Falklands fishing companies, their Spanish partners and the government have met together for a collaborative forum in advance of the year’s first Loligo squid season which has just opened.
The first of its kind, the meeting brought members of the Falkland Islands Loligo Producers Group (LPG) and their counterparts from Spain together with Falkland Islands Government officials and MLAs. The event provided a forum for open discussion on the challenges, outlook and future of the Loligo fishery in the Falkland Islands.
The gathering included presentations on the economy and the new port respectively given by the FIG Director of Policy and Director of Commercial Services. A session led by senior staff from the Natural Resources Department then followed, with useful discussion and debate taking place over a variety of issues.
‘The day was a great opportunity for local and Spanish partners to discuss candidly, both internally and with the Falkland Islands Government, a range of issues important to the Loligo fishery. We received very useful updates on the Islands economy, port development and fisheries management from government officials. We are also grateful to MLAs for making time available to sit in and listen to those discussions,’ commented Michael Poole, Chair of the Loligo Producers Group.
‘It is important that we all understand the context in which we operate here in the Islands, including our partners from Spain. We hope for a positive upcoming first season, and look forward to continuing to work together to ensure a continued strong Loligo fishery in the future.’
