St Helena : INCREASE IN BASIC ISLAND PENSION & INCOME RELATED BENEFITS
Submitted by Saint Helena Herald (Public Relations Information Office) 25.05.2013 (Current Article)

Recipients of Basic Island Pension (BIP) and Income Related Benefits (IRB) are to receive a 2% increase, backdated to 1 April 2013.

INCREASE IN BASIC ISLAND PENSION & INCOME
RELATED BENEFITS

Recipients of Basic Island Pension
(BIP) and Income Related Benefits (IRB) are to receive a 2% increase, backdated
to 1 April 2013. This increase was agreed by Executive Council on 14 May 2013
as an interim measure to protect the more vulnerable members of the community,
whilst the recommendations of the recently received Social Welfare Review
report are considered after July’s General Election.

This means that BIP recipients on
£49.07 a week will now receive £50.05, those on £36.80 will now receive £37.54
and those on £24.54 will now receive £25.03.

Islanders on IRB will also see an
increase in their weekly benefits, and the maximum contribution for IRB
recipients who have privately rented accommodation will also increase from
£32.71 to £33.36 per week.

Households receiving benefits
under transitional protection arrangements may not necessarily receive an
increase on their current overall amount of benefits, as this will depend on
the amount of transitional protection benefits they are receiving. But they
will not lose out in terms of their overall amount of benefits compared to
before the increase.

The Health and Social Welfare
Directorate will be issuing letters to recipients of both BIP and IRB informing
them of the increases and any changes in their weekly benefits

This article is the Property and Copyright of Saint Helena Herald.

Falklands : FLH Chairman Updates Corporation News
Submitted by Falkland Islands News Network (Juanita Brock) 25.05.2013 (Current Article)

Members of the Falklands landholdings Board have been updated on the latest news from the Corporation.

FLH
Chairman Updates Corporation News

Report
by Owen Summers

Members
of the Falklands landholdings Board have been updated on the latest news from
the Corporation.

Wool sales had picked up a bit
since the last report and FLH has sold approximately two thirds of its total
clip; prices achieved over all sales to date are currently approximately 6%
below those of last year however there are still a number of oddment lines to
sell which will further impact that average if the wool market continues to
decline.

The wool market had picked up
since the February report but any gains that had been made were lost plus some
more since the Easter recess; as a general rule of thumb prices are
approximately 108 pence (13%) down at the finer end and 17 pence (4.5%) at the
coarser end for the FLH micron range.

Landmark Wool Weekly reporting on
supply and demand says that ‘While wool prices have experienced a sharp
downturn in recent weeks, the wool market has been faring well compared to
other agricultural commodities, particularly red meat. ABARES recent forecast
release suggests that they expect wool prices to remain buoyant for the long
term, although they do predict lower prices into the 2013/14 season.’

With the abattoir export season
having just closed FLH has exceeded its budgeted income despite the lower
prices offered by FIMCO. This has been achieved through higher than anticipated
numbers and increases in average weights in old season lamb of 1.23 kg lamb and
0.5 kg for new season lamb which also includes a number of smaller lambs
supplied for the fishing vessel market.

The North
Arm wind power system continues to operate successfully; Neil
Finlayson of North Arm has been
monitoring fuel usage and generator hours for the new system and is shown for
comparison purposes in appendix 1 to this paper, since the system has not been
in for a complete year a monthly average for the last eight months has been
used for both generator hours and fuel for the last four months (Apr to June)
to give an annual estimate.

To date this is indicating an 80%
reduction in generator hours and 40% reduction in fuel used; overall current
savings are 60% per annum however the possibility exists for this to increase
if the trends of Aug, Sept & Apr are indicative of winter usage.

Payback in operating costs is 8.4
years.

Generally, all three farms are
carrying out the final bits and pieces of stock work and general maintenance.

Wayne McCormick has been appointed
as Section Supervisor for Walker Creek and will move in full time when Len
Clifton retires to Stanley; he is going to spend some time with Len at
particular times of the year to familiarise himself with camps etc e.g. putting
out the rams. Goose Green is currently seeking applicants for a handyman to
replace Wayne.

This article is the Property and Copyright of Falkland Islands News Network.

St Helena : LAST CHANCE: PROVISIONAL ELECTORAL REGISTER
Submitted by Saint Helena Herald (Public Relations Information Office) 25.05.2013 (Current Article)

The General Election will take place on Wednesday 17 July 2013. You will not be able to vote, or stand as a candidate, unless your name is on the Register of Electors.

The General Election will take
place on Wednesday 17 July 2013. You will not be able to vote, or stand as a
candidate, unless your name is on the Register of Electors.

A Provisional Register of Electors
was published on 8 May, and can be inspected at the Customer Service Centre or
the Public Library, or at any of the rural sub Post Offices. Copies are also
available for inspection by contacting any of the following people:

-Alicia Thomas, Jamestown

-Olive Williams, Jamestown

-Ronald Coleman, Levelwood

-Alfreda Yon, St Pauls

-Paula Moyce, New Ground, (SHG
Transport Division)

-Jane Augustus, The Briars

-Brenda Thomas, Nr Gordon’s Post,
Alarm Forest

-Connie Johnson, Half Tree Hollow

-Karen Henry, Archives Office, the
Castle

-Sheridan Richards, Audit Service,
Post Office Buildings

-Vilma March, Audit Service, Post
Office Buildings

-Alfred Isaac, Sandy Bay

If you are eligible to be
registered (St Helenian Status or spouse/life partner, over 18 years of age,
and normally resident on the Island), you can apply to have your name added, or
to correct your name, address, or Polling District. You can also apply to
remove the name of someone who has died or left the Island. To do so, you must
submit the appropriate form to Gina Benjamin, Assistant Registration Officer,
at 1 Main Street, by 4pm on Friday 24 May. (The form was included as a
newspaper insert on Thursday 9 and Friday 10 May. Further copies are available
by contacting the Assistant Registration Officer on tel: 2314, or any of the
persons named above.)

Each registered voter will be able
to select up to 12 Candidates in the Election this year. But remember: in
order to vote, or stand as a Candidate, your name must be on the new Electoral
Register.

This article is the Property and Copyright of Saint Helena Herald.

St Helena : WATER SHORTAGE ON ST HELENA – UPDATE
Submitted by Saint Helena Herald (Public Relations Information Office) 25.05.2013 (Current Article)

Domestic water supplies on St Helena continue to be at very low levels and SHG and Connect Saint Helena Ltd appeal to all residents across the Island to use water conservatively and to limit their consumption.

Domestic water supplies on St Helena continue to be at very
low levels and SHG and Connect Saint Helena Ltd appeal to all residents across
the Island to use water conservatively and to limit their consumption.

The current water shortage is centred on the Red Hill
distribution area, which includes Half Tree Hollow, Cowpath, Ladder Hill,
Red Hill, Sapper Way, New Ground, Clay Gut, Pounceys, Kunjie Field, Scotland,
Plantation, Cleughs Plain, Rosemary Plain, Francis Plain, Crack Plain and
Guinea Grass.

Therefore the hosepipe and sprinkler ban continues in the
Red Hill distribution area and we remind residents in these areas that it is an
offence to use hosepipes or sprinklers or otherwise waste water intended for
domestic use until further notice.

It is vital that residents in the above areas show proper
restraint in the use of water and limit this by, for example:

 Not flushing the toilet on every
occasion

 Using washing up water on the
garden or vegetable patch

 Using the washing machine sparingly
and only when full

 Using the shower instead of taking
a bath

 Not using a dishwasher

 Turning the tap off while brushing
teeth

Efforts continue to try to source additional water in these
areas and we will update residents as plans develop. In addition, leaks will be
treated as a priority and any problems should be reported promptly to Connect
Saint Helena Ltd on telephone 2255 during working hours, or 2522 out of hours.

Please think about how you use water and how you can
use less.

Further updates will follow.

SHG

23 May 2013

This article is the Property and Copyright of Saint Helena Herald.

Falklands : FALKLANDS MLA REPRESENTS ISLANDS IN C-24 REGIONAL CONFERENCE
Submitted by Falkland Islands News Network (Juanita Brock) 25.05.2013 (Current Article)

The United nations has announced that Mike Summers will visit Ecuador to attend the C24 Regional Conference (C24 is the UN Special Committee on Decolonization) next week.

FALKLANDS MLA REPRESENTS ISLANDS IN C-24 REGIONAL CONFERENCE

By J. Brock (FINN)

The United nations has announced that Mike Summers will visit Ecuador to attend the C24 Regional Conference (C24 is the UN Special Committee on Decolonization) next week.  The Falkland Islands Government was invited to attend by the UN and Mike has been selected as an elected member of the Assembly to represent them.

The C24 Regional Conference will focus on the third International Decade for the Eradication of Colonialism (2011-2020), as the Seminar reviews developments during the first quarter of the International Decade and related novel trends affecting decolonization.

Members will discuss the situation concerning the Non-Self-Governing Territories within the remit of the Special Committee in the Caribbean, Pacific and other regions, as well as assistance from the United Nations system assistance.  The Seminar’s conclusions and recommendations will be considered by the Special Committee at its substantive session in June, and subsequently transmitted to the General Assembly.

Presiding over the Seminar will be Diego Morejón-Pazmiño ( Ecuador), Chairman of the Special Committee, which is formally known as the Special Committee on the Situation with regard to the Implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples.  It is also called the Special Committee of 24 or “C-24”.

Other participants will include a specially constituted delegation of the Special Committee, comprising the bureau and members of regional groups, United Nations Member States, including administering Powers, as well as representatives of the Non-Self-Governing Territories, civil society and non-governmental organizations and experts.

Members of the Special Committee are Antigua and Barbuda, Bolivia, Chile, China, Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, Cuba, Dominica, Ecuador, Ethiopia, Fiji, Grenada, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Mali, Nicaragua, Papua New Guinea, Russian Federation, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Sierra Leone, Syria, Timor-Leste, Tunisia, United Republic of Tanzania and Venezuela.

The Non-Self-Governing Territories are American Samoa, Anguilla, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Falkland Islands, Gibraltar, Guam, Montserrat, New Caledonia, Pitcairn, Saint Helena, Tokelau, Turks and Caicos Islands, United States Virgin Islands and Western Sahara.  The administering Powers are France, New Zealand, United Kingdom and the United States.  The annual Secretariat working papers on each Territory are available on the United Nations decolonization website:  www.un.org/en/decolonization.

This article is the Property and Copyright of Falkland Islands News Network.

St Helena : St Helena: RESURFACING OF MIDDLE WHARF
Submitted by Saint Helena Herald (Public Relations Information Office) 19.05.2013 (Current Article)

The Middle Wharf Resurfacing Project is now entering its final few weeks and on completion will provide a new, structurally sound, safe and well engineered improvement to the wharf infrastructure.

RESURFACING OF
MIDDLE WHARF

The Middle Wharf Resurfacing Project is now entering its final few weeks
and on completion will provide a new, structurally sound, safe and well
engineered improvement to the wharf infrastructure.

The levels for the new surface have been conditioned by the need to
preserve the wharf wall, which was found to be undermined by sea water and to
be in a poor structural condition.  In
the past, concrete had been poured against the wharf wall to provide it with
extra stability, and so to remove this concrete would have been to risk a
serious structural failure of the wall necessitating its reconstruction. As a
result, the levels for new wharf surface were set out to create a fall of two
degrees from the wharf buildings to the wall, without removing the concrete.

The concrete slab poured for the new surface is a Continuous Reinforced
Concrete Slab (CRCP) which is specifically designed to carry the huge loads
that will bear on it from the Container Stacker and on occasion from the
cranes.  The Container Stacker will
regularly role over the slab, imposing a load upon it of over 100 tonnes.  This weight is distributed across two axles
creating the potential for huge point loads to be imposed on four different
concrete panels at once. It was therefore necessary to ensure that the slabs
could not act independently from one another. The type of joint between
concrete panels that enables this independent action is called an Isolation
Joint, and this kind of joint is being employed in the new concrete surface by
the Bastion, adjacent to the Customs Terminal Building.  It is appropriate to use this structural
design for this part of the work, as the concrete is not required to carry huge
imposed loads.

All of the
longitudinal and transverse joints will be filled with an expansion material
which will allow for shrinkage, expansion, contraction and curling of the
concrete slabs, thus minimising cracking and spalling of edges. These joints
will be sealed with a Dowcorning 888 joint sealant which will prevent water
getting into the joint and causing the rebar to rust, and will also prevent
water getting into the road structure which is the main contributor to
settlement, rutting or cracking of the concrete slabs.

The surface texture
of the middle wharf section has been made to retain a good level of grip to
vehicles, particularly when the surface is wet. This surface will wear down
considerably with time through regular use, and it is also in consideration of
this wear that the surface has been so textured. A smooth surfaced walkway will
provide safe foot access along the front of the wharf buildings, and this will
feature any necessary ground drainage to prevent the ingress of sea and rain
water into the buildings.

All of the exposed
services, including the water and electricity pipes and cables, have been
provided with ducts and access culverts enabling better maintenance and making
the wharf a much safer place for people to work in and enjoy leisure hours.  The high voltage electricity cable currently
hanging across the front of the Yacht Club will be removed and placed in a new
duct.

The bio-hazard of
“black water” - otherwise known as raw-sewage - which has been passing into the
bay from the Yacht Club WC, will now pass into a two thousand litre septic
tank, thus making the bay a cleaner and safer place to dive and swim.

The wharf wall will
be provided with a new handrail to match the existing handrails and to provide
a guarded height of 1.1 metres from the finished road level. As a result, the
middle wharf will be the only part of the whole wharf with a handrail set at
the correct regulation height for public safety.

The works are
scheduled to be completed within the next four weeks and will be completed
ahead of schedule.

SHG

6 May 2013

This article is the Property and Copyright of Saint Helena Herald.

St Helena : St helena Explores The Joy of Stats
Submitted by Saint Helena Herald (Public Relations Information Office) 19.05.2013 (Current Article)

A programme called the Joy of Stats will be broadcast on local TV on Monday 13 May at 7:30pm, repeating on Wednesday 15 and Friday 17 May, both at 7:30pm.

The Joy of
Stats

A
programme called the Joy of Stats will be broadcast on local TV on Monday 13
May at 7:30pm, repeating on Wednesday 15 and Friday 17 May, both at 7:30pm.

‘The Joy of Stats is a highly engaging,
informative, enjoyable programme’, says Paula McLeod, St Helena’s
Statistician. She added: ‘There is nothing boring about statistics the
presenter, Professor Hans Rosling, claims. He goes on to prove it.’

The hour-long documentary explores
the history of statistics and shows how they are used today. It explores
advances in how we visualise data to bring information alive using huge
quantities of data to reveal the story of the world’s past, present and future
development. We are taken on a rollercoaster ride through the world of data and
statistics to explore the remarkable power that they have to change our
understanding of the world.

The approach is light and witty
but brings home a serious message - without statistics we are cast adrift on an
ocean of confusion, but armed with data we can take control of our lives, hold
our rulers to account and see the world as it really is.

Tune in to this engaging journey
on your local TV channel

This article is the Property and Copyright of Saint Helena Herald.

St Helena : B.A.T WINS ST HELENA INTERNATIONAL HOUSING COMPETITION
Submitted by Saint Helena Herald (Public Relations Information Office) 19.05.2013 (Current Article)

One of the top 20 young architecture practices of Spain has won the opportunity to develop a new generation of homes for St Helena. A jury of local residents decided to award BILBOKO ARKITEKTURA TALDEA (Bilbao Architecture Team) the first prize for a number of reasons.

This article is the Property and Copyright of Saint Helena Herald.

St Helena : ROYAL NAVY ‘RFA BLACK ROVER’ TO VISIT ST HELENA
Submitted by Saint Helena Herald (Public Relations Information Office) 19.05.2013 (Current Article)

The Royal Navy’s RFA Black Rover will visit St Helena from Monday 20 to Thursday 23 May 2013. Captain I N Pilling and his crew of 58 will be visiting St Helena on a routine call, before embarking on wider regional engagements.

ROYAL NAVY ‘RFA BLACK ROVER’ TO VISIT ST HELENA

The Royal Navy’s RFA Black Rover will visit St Helena from
Monday 20 to Thursday 23 May 2013. Captain I N Pilling and his crew of 58 will
be visiting St Helena on a routine call, before embarking on wider regional
engagements.

RFA Black Rover is one of two Small Fleet Tankers owned and
operated by the UK Ministry of Defence. Her sister ship is RFA Gold Rover. She
was built by Swan Hunters and launched in 1973. RFA Black Rover has served all
over the world in support of UK and Allied Maritime Forces. Her primary role is
to replenish other naval assets at sea with diesel and aviation fuel.

SHG

13 May 2013

This article is the Property and Copyright of Saint Helena Herald.

St Helena : St Helena EXCO MEETING OF 14 MAY 2013
Submitted by Saint Helena Herald (Public Relations Information Office) 19.05.2013 (Current Article)

ExCo sat this morning to consider a relatively light agenda, which is to be expected given purdah conventions.

EXCO
MEETING OF 14 MAY 2013

ExCo sat this morning to consider a
relatively light agenda, which is to be expected given purdah conventions. Only
those items of agreed policy and considered urgent are being placed on the ExCo
agenda. This is reflected in the reduced number of ExCos that will sit over the
election period. This is the first ExCo I have chaired since the substantive
Governor left the lsland on 22 April.

We started off with a paper seeking approval for an
application for development permission for the proposed conversion of Sundale
House into a Prison. It was a constructive discussion with a number of points
made. I was advised by Members that they believed that they should not make a
decision on this during the purdah period and wished to delay consideration of
this until the new Council.

We then looked at a paper which sought approval to bring
into force provisions which create the new Land Development Control Authority
and the Land Development Appeals Tribunal. This allows the bodies to be
consulted about draft Regulations. There will be the necessary checks and
balances during this election period. If there are any parts of the Regulations
which require stakeholder consultation, these parts will not be embarked upon
during purdah. Councillors agreed to the provisions being brought into force.

ExCo then considered whether Social Security Regulations
should be brought into force which would provide for an interim increase in
Income Related Benefits and the Basic Island Pension. This increase had been
previously announced in the Budget and it was thought to be against the public
interest to delay the matter further. Councillors agreed to the increase, to be
retrospectively applied from 1 April 2013. Specific details on the increases
will be provided by the Directorate of Health and Social Welfare.

The final paper was administrative and sought to approve the
addition of Sweden to the list of countries where Medical Practitioners could
be registered and so legally practice in St Helena. The new Clinical Director
is registered in Sweden, so it is timely that this be brought into force prior
to his arrival on the Island. The Councillors were content to approve this
change to the Medical Practitioners Regulations.

Having started at 09.30 we were able to conclude our
business at 11.15.

Owen O’Sullivan

Acting Governor

14 May 2013

This article is the Property and Copyright of Saint Helena Herald.

Falklands : Argentine Human Rights Group Meets With Falklands MLAs
Submitted by Falkland Islands News Network (Juanita Brock) 18.05.2013 (Current Article)

After agreeing to do so, two MLAs have met with five representatives of a human rights group from Chaco, Argentina in order to listen to their views on a number of issues resulting from the 1982 war.

Argentine
Human Rights Group Meets With Falklands MLAs

By
J. Brock (FINN)

After agreeing to
do so, two MLAs have met with five representatives of a human rights group from
Chaco, Argentina in order to listen to their views on a number of issues
resulting from the 1982 war.

MLAs Dick Sawle
and Mike Summers attended the meeting following a request from the group made
directly to the Falkland Islands Legislative Assembly.  Three regional
Argentine politicians with specific responsibilities for human rights in the
Chaco region attended the meeting, along with the Chairman and Secretary of the
human rights group. 

“The Falkland
Islands are a modern democracy, and we uphold fundamental values such as freedom
of speech and human rights, said MLA Sawle.  He went on to say that on
humanitarian grounds, it was only right that we should listen to the views of
this group who are actively involved in investigating the cases of abuse of
many Argentine veterans who suffered greatly at the hands of their own officers
during the invasion of the Falkland Islands in 1982.  

However, whilst
we may listen to their views on a variety of issues, on the specific issue of
DNA testing we have made it very clear that we can only consider any practical
action if and when we receive a request from the International Red Cross which
must have the full and unequivocal support of the Families Commission in
Argentina, he concluded.

“It is notable
that an Argentine group such as this recognise the legitimate and
democratically elected Government of the Falkland Islands, and should request
this meeting,” said MLA Summers.   “We made it clear to the group that all
peoples, including Falkland Islanders, have human rights, and that the current
approach of the Argentine Government is unhelpful in achieving any
co-operation,” he continued. He went on to say that the wishes of families are
important, but the political context will be a determining factor.

This article is the Property and Copyright of Falkland Islands News Network.

Falklands : Falklands DIPLOMAS AND PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATES PRESENTED AT GOVERNMENT HOUSE
Submitted by Falkland Islands News Network (Juanita Brock) 18.05.2013 (Current Article)

Twenty five people received diplomas professional certificates at Government House on Tuesday, 07 May 2013.

DIPLOMAS AND PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATES PRESENTED AT GOVERNMENT HOUSE

By J. Brock (FINN)

Twenty five people received diplomas professional certificates at Government House on Tuesday, 07 May 2013.  Some very industrious people received more than one certificate.  Professional qualifications in Employment Law, VHF Training, Basic Navigation, Powerboat L2, Intermediate Powerboat Certification.  Also being presented were European Computer Driver’s Licences.  

European Computer Driver’s Licences were presented to: Averil Bennett (Sodexo), Antonella Knipe (Sodexho), Delraye Bennett (Sodexho), Ivy Williams-Newman (Sodexo), and Philip Newman (Sodexo).

Others who received RYA certificates were:

John Clifford, RYA Basic Navigation, RYA VHF

Paul Anderson, RYA Basic Navigation, RYA VHF

Shiralee Collins-Finlay, L1 & L2 Essential Skills Wales in Communication

Catherine Catton, RYA Basic Navigation, RYA VHF

Simon Catton, RYA Powerboat Level 2

John Pole-Evans, RYA VHF

Rob Grainger, RYA VHF

James Fenton, RYA VHF

Val Padgett, NVQ Level 2 in Courts Administration (Through the Open University, RYA VHF

Rebecca Hill, Level 3 Assessing Competence in the Work Environment

Evelyn Freire-Astorga, Level 1 in Food Preparation and Cookery

Christopher John Thompson, (Sodexo) Level 2 NVQ Diploma in Professional Cookery

Alison Ingles, ILEX level 6 Diploma in Employment law, level 6 Diploma in Contract Law and European Computer Driver’s Licence

In her remarks, the Acting Governor Mrs Sandra Tyler-Haywood said that the amount of work the recipients did in the short while since the last presentation made her feel lazy.  She commended them for the wise use of time for education towards a better future.

This article is the Property and Copyright of Falkland Islands News Network.

Falklands : Falklands EXECUTIVE COUNCIL Wednesday, 24 April 2013
Submitted by Falkland Islands News Network (Juanita Brock) 05.05.2013 (Current Article)

The Hon Mr Ian Hansen MLA gave the Executive Council report this month.

EXECUTIVE COUNCIL Wednesday, 24 April 2013

Report
compiled by J. Brock (FINN)

The Hon Mr Ian Hansen MLA gave the
Executive Council report this month.

Papers dealing with
pensions:

Mr Hansen felt that the two papers
were linked to the census findings that were recently released to the
public.  He mentioned that people seemed
to be living longer in the Falklands but having to top up pension funds has
happened in the past.  Keeping up with
pension funding was problematic and as a result of two actuarial reviews of the
Old Scheme Fund and the Retirement Pensions Fund recommendations for action
were given to MLAs.  One recommendation
was that MLAs continue to look into pensions with more in-depth scrutiny to get
a picture of where things stand.  The
recommendation was to top funds up from the estimates as opposed to interfering
with the operating revenue was agreed.

Increasing the Retirement
Age:

To keep in line with other
countries the retirement age was raised. 
Not all MLAs agreed with this so Executive Council agreed to do this.

MLAs Pay Review Packet:

The Review Panel presented a
report on MLAs pay, who came up with firm recommendations on appropriate
remuneration for MLAs and the reorganisation of the Assembly.  Clear recommendations have been made about
how salaries should be assigned in accordance with roles and responsibilities
that future Assemblies may have.  MLAs
intend to ask the Panel to brief the public on how the findings were reached
and why the decisions and recommendations were made.

Next Stage of the Port
Development:

A report about the next phase of
the Port Development Plan was presented to Executive Council.  Design and costings of a port were to be
studied and worked on.  Executive Council
asked for options 1 and 2 of the design to be forwarded as it would give them
something to compare and give an idea about how much option would cost.  Option 1 for the access road was agreed as it
was the simplest, quickest route as well as being most cost-effective.

This article is the Property and Copyright of Falkland Islands News Network.

Falklands : Falklands - Opportunities Proposed for Air Terminal
Submitted by Falkland Islands News Network (Juanita Brock) 05.05.2013 (Current Article)

As part of the localisation programme for Mount Pleasant Airport the Falkland Islands Development Corporation has set forward proposals for the operation of the Air Terminal.

Opportunities Proposed for Air Terminal

By J. Brock (FINN)

As part of the localisation programme for Mount Pleasant Airport the Falkland Islands Development Corporation has set forward proposals for the operation of the Air Terminal.

Firstly, the Localisation Commerce Board (LCB) would be a liaison to the Programme Coordination Committee (PCC), where the Falkland Islands private sector has the opportunity to feed comments into the Localisation project. The LCB would be administered by FIDC GM to ensure confidentiality for the project so potential localisation contracts are not comprised.  The proposed responsibilities of the LCB are: Liaison with private sector, Convey and advise on tender opportunities to private sector, Report comments to PCC, Identify knowledge and skills gaps of local companies and  Identify potential providers from the local business community.

Proposed opportunities include key Functions/Services for Phased Transfer and localisation opportunities at the Mount Pleasant Airport Terminal.  Full details are still to be finalised in the form of SoRs.  Any service transfer will need to be carried out ahead of any legal transfer of buildings to the FIG. This will maintain momentum and allow the establishment of any new air-links to progress unhindered.  And certain facilities and use of assets may need to be agreed in advance of any building transfer to allow seamless take-up of operations.

Some functions are identified for early and phased transfer to civilian operation, for example, Air-bridge Traffic & Cargo - 1st Transfer function (potential pilot scheme) – Oct 2013, including Passenger Luggage Handling, Transfer of cargo from aircraft to terminal and vice versa (non-dangerous goods) and Passenger Check–in.

Air-bridge Security Services would be the second Transfer Function in Oct 2013, including (in conjunction with Immigration and Customs), Passport check, Visa check, Permit check and Hand luggage screening and searches.

The third Transfer Function would be Air-bridge Air Booking in March 2014 and Air-bridge Load Control in the Passenger Section would be the fourth Transfer Function in March 2014.

This article is the Property and Copyright of Falkland Islands News Network.

St Helena : TONY EARNSHAW TO DEPART ST HELENA
Submitted by Saint Helena Herald (Public Relations Information Office) 05.05.2013 (Current Article)

Tony Earnshaw, Director of the Environment and Natural Resources Directorate (ENRD), is to leave St Helena, departing on Sunday 26 May 2013.

TONY EARNSHAW TO DEPART ST HELENA

Tony Earnshaw, Director of the Environment and Natural Resources Directorate (ENRD), is to leave St Helena, departing on Sunday 26 May 2013. Tony is returning to the UK for vital and personal family reasons. He has therefore resigned from SHG, with effect from the end of May.

Acting Governor Owen O’Sullivan said:

‘Tony has had a big impact in the short time he has been Director of ENRD and he will be sorely missed.

‘I totally understand his personal, family reasons for leaving St Helena, and we all wish him well in the future.’

Tony commented:

‘I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my time living and working on St Helena both as Lands Executive and Director of ENRD. There’s never an ideal time to leave and I had to give it serious thought before taking this difficult decision. However, now that the initial pieces of the re-organisation jigsaw have been put in place and we have a clear plan for completing it on time, I am confident that there will be a smooth transition into the new ENRD management arrangements.

‘At the end of the day, my family has to come first and that’s why I’m returning to the UK.’

SHG is putting in place interim management arrangements for ENRD. We are in the process of recruiting an interim Director who will be in place before Tony leaves, giving SHG a handover period to ensure that there is minimum disruption to Government business. The advert for the substantive Director post will be placed early next week.

SHG

3 May 2013

This article is the Property and Copyright of Saint Helena Herald.

St Helena : VISIT BY LUCY FAITHFUL FOUNDATION – CHILD SAFEGUARDING IN ST HELENA
Submitted by Saint Helena Herald (Public Relations Information Office) 05.05.2013 (Current Article)

Mr Mike Sheath (pictured) and Mr Adrian Todd from the Lucy Faithful Foundation will arrive on St Helena on 11 May 2013 for two weeks

VISIT BY LUCY FAITHFUL FOUNDATION – CHILD
SAFEGUARDING IN ST HELENA

Mr Mike Sheath (pictured)
and Mr Adrian Todd from the Lucy Faithful Foundation will arrive on St Helena
on 11 May 2013 for two weeks, to continue work on the Department for
International Development (DFID)-funded child safeguarding programme. DFID has
been supporting child safeguarding initiatives in the OTs for the last seven
years.

Child safeguarding requires long
term efforts to achieve sustainable improvements and practices to enhance child
safety. As part of this on-going process and looking ahead, Mike and Adrian
will assess the Island’s child protection policies and procedures and recommend
any improvements that might be needed.

SHG

30 April 2013

This article is the Property and Copyright of Saint Helena Herald.

St Helena : St Helena: PUBLICATION OF SOCIAL POLICY PLAN DELAYED
Submitted by Saint Helena Herald (Public Relations Information Office) 05.05.2013 (Current Article)

The first draft of the Social Policy Plan was due to be completed and shared at scheduled community meetings during May and June, following the series of participation meetings that took place earlier in the year.

PUBLICATION OF SOCIAL POLICY PLAN DELAYED

The first draft of the
Social Policy Plan was due to be completed and shared at scheduled community
meetings during May and June, following the series of participation meetings
that took place earlier in the year. The first draft of the plan is ready. However,
the community events have been postponed until August due to the Dissolution of
Legco and the consequent period of Purdah.

‘Purdah’ describes a convention
under which politicians (such as Ministers in a ministerial system, or
Executive Council and Council Committees in St Helena) who remain in office
during an election must not use their offices to advance their own (or, in a
party-political system, their party’s) electoral prospects. It works
differently in different places, but the principle is common to most democratic
processes. There is a parallel principle that Public Officers must take
particular care over political impartiality during an election. This has a
number of practical implications, including meaning that major new initiatives
or polices cannot be launched until after the General Election.

With around 300 people taking part
in developing the Social Policy Plan it is important that the community gets
the chance to consider the plan that they developed and to provide feedback.
This will happen once the period of Purdah is complete, when members of the
public can provide feedback before the document is finalised.

Following Purdah the community
will be notified of the events to enable them to feedback and comment on the
plan.

SHG

30 April 2013

This article is the Property and Copyright of Saint Helena Herald.

Falklands : INTRODUCTION TO THE RT HON KENNETH CLARKE’S KEYNOTE ADDRESS BY LORD BLACK OF BRENTWOOD
Submitted by Falkland Islands News Network (Juanita Brock) 16.11.2011 (Current Article)

Before introducing our keynote speaker I am very grateful for the opportunity that Robin (Esser) has given me to just very briefly to draw your attention to an important report that has just been published today which focuses on press freedom issues on shores of countries where challenges to press freedom are even more intense and often literally a matter of life and death.

INTRODUCTION TO THE RT HON KENNETH CLARKE’S KEYNOTE ADDRESS BY LORD BLACK OF BRENTWOOD

Transcribed by J. Brock (FINN)

Before introducing our keynote speaker I am very grateful for the opportunity that Robin (Esser) has given me to just very briefly to draw your attention to an important report that has just been published today which focuses on press freedom issues on shores of countries where challenges to press freedom are even more intense and often literally a matter of life and death.  It’s a report which has been published by the Commonwealth Press Union Media Trust, the successor body to the old CPU (Commonwealth Press Union) which over the past year has undertaken a project to look at the key laws that constrain a free and independent media in a number of representative Commonwealth countries from the UK to Uganda. 

The result of this is a draft report which has a number of recommendations about the protection of content, of self regulation, the repeal of the laws on defamation, opposition to the licensing of journalists or publications and the importance of effective freedom of information laws. 

And one of the most crucial messages of this report is the UK’s leadership role in this area and the chilling effect internationally that any moves to crack down on press freedom here or initiatives which weaken the principles of self regulation are magnified many times over in countries where governments need little excuse to seek to extinguish investigative journalists. 

I commend this report to you and copies will be available to you at the end; and I hope it might also find its way into the red box reading of our keynote speaker as so many of these issues land in his In-Trey.

The Secretary for Justice, the Rt Honourable Kenneth Clarke needs really no introduction to anyone here.  He’s been a towering figure in British politics for a generation, holding two of the great offices of State – Home Secretary and Chancellor of the Ex-Chequer – a position from which he formed the golden economic legacy which was then handed to an incoming Labour Government.

After the last election he became Secretary of State for Justice; a job which is absolutely vital to this industry, whether it be on issues of freedom of information, court reporting, data protection, privacy, the human rights act and the issue of super-injunctions which has come out of that and now also – we were hearing earlier – the implementation of the Bribery Act.  The Secretary of State is dealing with issues which are central to debates we are having today and the freedoms which everyone in this room cherishes.

Secretary of State we warmly welcome you here, we thank you for joining us at such a critical time.  We greatly look forward to your remarks.

(100X Transcription Service)

This article is the Property and Copyright of Falkland Islands News Network.

St Helena : The Directors – Part VI Carol George, Director of Health and Social Welfare
Submitted by Saint Helena Herald (Public Relations Information Office) 02.06.2011 (Current Article)

St Helena Government has introduced a new directorate structure which came into effect on 1st April. Because of this, instead of Departments SHG now has ten Directorates.

The Directors – Part VI

This article is the Property and Copyright of Saint Helena Herald.

All : Jobless and Poverty Rates are key to Economic Recovery
Submitted by (Juanita Brock) 12.08.2009 (Current Article)

Policy makers in the US Federal Reserve Bank are sitting down to discuss – amongst other things – interest rates, which are expected to remain the same at near zero percent. Also on the agenda, couched in eco-speak, is a concluding summary on the state of economy. SARTMA wonders – whose economy – theirs or ours.

JOBLESS and POVERTY  RATES ARE KEY TO ECONOMIC RECOVERY

An Editorial by J. Brock (SARTMA)

Having lived through difficult financial times before, familiar alarm bells ring when people tout recovery in 2009.

Policy makers in the US Federal Reserve Bank are sitting down to discuss – amongst other things – interest rates, which are expected to remain the same at near zero percent.  Also on the agenda, couched in eco-speak, is a concluding summary on the state of economy.  SARTMA wonders – whose economy – theirs or ours.

Ben Bernanke’s summary will only bring nervous stomach to investors, who are being cautious prior to the expected announcement.  The rest of us – especially the jobless and the poor - will continue seeking alternatives just to put food on our tables.

They have money to invest and we have emptied our savings accounts to pay our food and energy bills.  Prices have increased since rumours of green shoots have replaced prudent economic reporting.  For the still increasing numbers of jobless and those on fixed incomes this means too much month at the end of the money.

An uncomfortable memory from my high school years can be applied today.  I lived with my brothers and sister in a small town in Upstate New York where there was an industry that employed 40 people.  After successful negotiations the workers got a marginal pay rise and as a family we were happy to have money to pay for my spectacles.  The eye appointment was made but before it was kept the prices in all the shops increased to the point where we were worse off financially than we were before.  The eye appointment was cancelled and money I had saved to help pay for the glasses was kept until the opportunity arose again.

Our family were the lucky ones.  To get recompense for 40 people higher prices made the rest of the village worse off than they were prior to the pay rise.  The community fought back by car-pooling so that housewives could travel to a larger town where prices were affordable in supermarkets and a shopping mall.

In order to recoup their losses the village shops increased their prices even further, only to be faced with closing down as they lost custom.  Their Going out of Business sales were packed with shoppers lost since the pay rise for 40 people.

Had they not been greedy shop owners and employees still would be in the retail trade in our village instead of looking for work.

I think this is happening now but on a larger – more world wide scale.  At the moment crude prices as well as food prices are increasing.

People who are poor will struggle to find cost effective alternatives.  With green energy and hybrid vehicles some savings are made and unless these people have money to spend the trend towards alternatives will increase exponentially.

Talk about recovery is lost on people who have run out of benefits and don’t know where their next meal is coming from.  Their hope of better times is dashed each time green shoots are grazed by people looking to make a profit.  It’s time to let the pasture recover.

The key to a better economy is to give people the money to buy food and energy and to keep prices at a cost-effective level.  Other benefits will follow.  It is the number of jobless and poor people that will either be a benefit or detriment to the economy.  When food and energy prices are artificially high the jobless rate and numbers of people in poverty will also be high.

It’s my opinion that members of the Federal Reserve Bank know this and will not increase interest rates.   Would that the Federal Reserve could do more for people who, through no fault of their own have found themselves without work and on fixed incomes.    Agreed, this is not in their immediate remit but it would be q-dos for them if they acknowledged it in their closing remarks.

This article is the Property and Copyright of Saint Helena Herald.

Falklands : ARGENTINE CLAIMS TO FALKLANDS SEABED CONTAINS NOTHING NEW
Submitted by Falkland Islands News Network (Juanita Brock) 25.04.2009 (Current Article)

Both Argentina and the United Kingdom are claiming a vast area of seabed from South America to the Antarctic in their latest bids for control of the South Atlantic.

ARGENTINE CLAIMS TO FALKLANDS SEABED CONTAINS NOTHING NEW

By J. Brock (FINN)

Both Argentina and the United Kingdom are claiming a vast area of seabed from South America to the Antarctic in their latest bids for control of the South Atlantic.

Britain has a huge amount of paperwork in its bid to control the area and Argentina also presented years' worth of research to the United Nations. 

Argentina hopes to prove its continental shelf extends up to 150 miles (240 kilometres) beyond the current 200-mile (320-kilometer) limit – an extra 688,280 square miles (1.8 million square kilometres) of submarine area.   

Tuesday’s presentation repeats Argentina's claim to sovereignty over the Falkland Islands, the South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands and as such contains nothing new.

“The Falkland Islands government is currently exploring its nearby seabed for oil, “ said the Embassy spokesman, who went on to say that Britain will formally object to Argentina's presentation.

Both sides acknowledged that because of procedural rules governing the U.N. commission, any territorial disagreement raised by either party means the claim must be dropped.

This article is the Property and Copyright of Falkland Islands News Network.

S.Atlantic : Sartma Daily (30/08/05)
Submitted by SARTMA.com (Juanita Brock) 30.08.2005 (Current Article)

A quick overview of South Atlantic News

SARTMA DAILY (30/08/05) 

Compiled by J. Brock (FINN)

Websites:  http://www.falklandnews.com. http://www.tristantimes.com, http://www.the-islander.org.ac, http://www.sartma.com, http://www.news.co.sh

CONTENTS

Section 1: Articles by FINN

Section 2:  Executive Council Report

Section 3:  BAS Press Release

Section 4:  Announcements

Section 5:  FIRS News Direct

Section 1:

POACHING VESSEL TO BE SCUTTLED

By J. Brock (FINN)

The long-liner, ElQui, that was convicted of illegal fishing in South Georgia waters, will be scuttled as soon as possible, according to H.E. the Governor Mr. Howard Pearce.  It has been previously announced by the South Georgia Government that ElQui would never fish again and alternatives were being discussed about the ElQui’s disposal.  It was further decided that the vessel would never be of any commercial use.

The South Georgia Government will be licensed to scuttle the ElQui in Falklands waters.

In preparation for the scuttling the ship has been thoroughly cleaned, including  the removal from the vessel of all hydraulic fluids, fuel, engine lubricating oils, paints, batteries, fishing and other associated gear, loose domestic equipment, refrigerant and welding gases, pyrotechnics and medical drugs.  All of these items have been safely disposed of ashore in the Falkland Islands.    The galley has been thoroughly cleaned to remove cooking oils, and all food and other waste has been removed and burnt, as well as life rafts and other loose materials.  An old binnacle compass and other objects of interest have been offered to the Stanley Museum.

Falklands Conservation and the Marine Officer have been fully consulted  about the clean-up and are content that when the vessel is scuttled it will not cause any adverse environmental impact or hazard to shipping.  

The ElQui had been berthed alongside FIPASS for several months.  Due to an Executive Council decision, berthing fees were waived.

WELCOME BACK LYLE

By J. Brock (FINN)

Falkland Islander, Lyle Craigie-Halkett is no stranger to the Falklands.  He’s back again, however briefly, to supervise the clean-up effort on convicted poaching vessel. ElQui.  Last year he was involved in the clean up and restorative effort on South Georgia at Grytviken.

Mr. Craigie-Halkett has made a career in maritime exploration and recovery, as well as salvage services.  He worked on the Great Britain project in the 1970s after having been away from the Falklands for some 18 years.  Later, he returned to South Georgia with Capt Miller, also a Falkland Islander on the Throsk to help in the removal of heavy heating oil from tanks throughout the Island.

Welcome back!

Section 2:

GOVERNOR’S REPORT ON THE MEETING OF EXECUTIVE COUNCIL ON THURSDAY 25 AUGUST 2005

Executive Council met on Thursday 25 August for its regular monthly meeting.

We had a number of fishing and maritime issues to address.  First, Executive Council considered recommendations by the Fisheries Committee for the fees to be charged for various categories of fishing licence during the 2006 season.  ExCo took decisions on all of the recommendations received from the Fisheries Committee with the exception of the fees for longline licences, which it returned to the Fisheries Committee for further consideration.  The details of the new fees are being published. 

Secondly, two decisions were taken with regard to the Elqui, the longliner which was recently arrested for illegal fishing in South Georgia waters. It was decided that, because of the circumstances leading to the berthing of the Elqui at FIPASS and the shared interest of FIG and the South Georgia Government in removing the vessel from further commercial use, harbour dues and berthing fees should be waived for the period of the lay-up.  It was also decided that the South Georgia Government should be licensed to scuttle the fishing vessel in Falklands waters.  The scuttling is likely to take place soon, following completion of the current clean-up work on the vessel. 

Listeners and readers may like to be reassured that the clean-up process has been extremely thorough.  It has involved the removal from the vessel of all hydraulic fluids, fuel, engine lubricating oils, paints, batteries, fishing and other associated gear, loose domestic equipment, refrigerant and welding gases, pyrotechnics and medical drugs.  All of these items have been safely disposed of ashore in the Falkland Islands.  The galley has been thoroughly cleaned to remove cooking oils, and all food and other waste has been removed and burnt.  All liferafts and other loose materials have also been removed.  Some objects of particular interest, including an old binnacle compass, have been offered to the Stanley Museum.  The result is that when the vessel is scuttled it will not cause any adverse environmental impact or hazard to shipping.  Both Falklands Conservation and the Marine Officer have been fully consulted and are content.

Still on maritime issues, ExCo had some more maritime fees to decide  – this time freight rates for the coastal shipping service, about which there has apparently been some confusion.  Full details of these rates are being published.

There are long-standing arrangements between FIG and the UK’s Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) under which the MCA provides various survey and certification services for the Falkland Islands Shipping Register.  A new Memorandum of Understanding has been agreed with the MCA.  ExCo approved the terms of this MoU. 

ExCo also approved the making of the Merchant Shipping (Registration of Ships) Amendment Regulations 2005.  The purpose of this amendment to the regulations is to clarify the way in which the Merchant Shipping Ordinance 2001 and the Merchant Shipping (Registration of Ships) Regulations 2001 apply to fishing vessels which were registered under the pre-2001 arrangements.  The effect of this is to make it clear that vessels already registered on the old Stanley Register are not obliged to meet the new and more stringent eligibility requirements of the Ordinance and Regulations in order to remain on the Register.

People may recall that at its July meeting ExCo amended the Offshore Petroleum Licensing Regulations 2000 in order to enable FIG to suspend the operation of the open door licensing system for offshore hydrocarbons exploration.  At last week’s meeting ExCo decided to exercise these powers and to close open door licensing throughout the controlled waters of the Falkland Islands for an indefinite period.  A notice will appear in the Gazette to that effect.

FIG has been invited by the UK Government to consider whether it wishes the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Kyoto Protocol of that Convention to be applied to the Falkland Islands.  Following some thorough research by the previous and current Environmental Planning Officers, it appears that it should be relatively easy for FIG to collect the statistics required and to meet the obligations imposed by the Convention on Climate Change and the Kyoto Protocol.  ExCo therefore agreed that the FCO should be informed that FIG wishes these arrangements to be applied to the Falkland Islands.  This means that the Falkland Islands will be making its own small contribution to global efforts to tackle the problem of climate change. 

The helicopter refuelling facility at Fox Bay has come to the end of its useful life and needs to be replaced.  ExCo approved various arrangements requested by the Ministry of Defence in connection with the construction of the new facility, and to the provision of a temporary fuel store for use during the construction.

There has been considerable local interest in the proposals by Cable and Wireless to establish a mobile phone service in the Falkland Islands.  In that connection the Planning and Building Committee had earlier in the week considered two applications from Cable and Wireless for the siting of mobile phone masts, and permission was sought from ExCo for the lease of Crown land on which to place these two masts.  ExCo agreed to grant the request in principle, but noted that the Planning and Building Committee had decided to defer until its next meeting consideration of the proposal to site a mast to the north of St Mary’s Walk.

A couple of Committee issues next.  ExCo agreed to the appointment of Mr Mike Evans as the new Rural Business Association representative on the Board of Falkland Landholdings.  ExCo also agreed the proposals for the restructuring of the Apprenticeship Committee, including a new Committee membership and new terms of reference.

Falklands Conservation carry out regular censuses of the principal bird species in the Falkland Islands.  Beauchene Island is a particularly important location for breeding colonies of black-browed albatross and rockhopper and gentoo penguins.  Falklands Conservation have sought permission to visit Beauchene Island to undertake censuses of these species.  ExCo gave their agreement to this.

Finally, the tricky issue of licensing the shooting of turkey vultures.  ExCo had a full discussion of a report by the Director of Agriculture.  Given the considerable local interest in this issue, I am recording the conclusions reached by ExCo in full, which were as follows:

The Governor’s power to issue licences to shoot protected birds should be delegated with respect to turkey vultures only to the Environmental Planning Officer (EPO).

In the absence of the EPO the delegated power should be exercised by the Director of Agriculture (DoA).

In exercising this delegated power the EPO/DoA should:

(i)  seek advice in respect of each licence application from representatives of the Tourist Board, Falklands Conservation, Farmers and the Department of Agriculture;

(ii)  limit any licence to the shooting of a maximum of twenty birds;

(iii)  require every licensee to provide a full report detailing when, where and how many birds were shot;

(iv)  ensure that the information submitted under (iii) above is passed to the Environmental Committee and Falklands Conservation.

The EPO should follow the procedures and criteria set out above in taking a decision on the licence applications received from Pebble Island and North Arm.

Applications for licences to shoot any other species of protected bird should be submitted to Executive Council.  Executive Council’s decision on any such application should take account of the views of the EPO and the bodies referred to in paragraph 2.3 (i) above.

Falklands Conservation should be invited to conduct a programme of Island-wide turkey vulture censuses with a view to identifying the size and status of the turkey vulture population, together with a study of turkey vulture feeding behaviour.

Section 3

RELEVANT INTERNET NEWS

BAS Press Release

Early Drake Passage Opening Led to Global Change

No: 12/2005   30 Aug 2005

New results shed light on how Antarctica became the icy, barren continent that we know today. British Antarctic Survey (BAS) scientists have discovered that 30-50 million years ago, South America and Antarctica split apart very rapidly. This formed the Drake Passage and resulted in a major global cooling. The findings are published in the latest issue of Earth and Planetary Science Letters.

Lead Author Dr Roy Livermore says ‘we deciphered the remarkable ‘herringbone’ pattern of ridges that were etched into the Earth’s crust beneath the remote Weddell Sea when South America moved away from Antarctica. This revealed that the two continents separated extremely quickly in geological time forming a shallow ‘gateway’ between the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. We estimate that this happened some ten to twenty million years earlier than the previous oldest estimate. Even a shallow (less than 1000 metres) gateway would have had a profound effect on Southern Ocean circulation and subsequently climate".

Such a gateway, by completing a circuit of water around Antarctica, eventually led to the formation of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current, the world’s largest deep current which now transports some 130 million cubic metres of water through the Drake Passage every second. The effect was to cut Antarctica off from warm southward flowing currents leaving it frozen and desolate.

This new research reinforces findings from deep-sea sediments cores taken from the Southern Ocean and supports the theory that the opening of the Drake Passage could have triggered the abrupt global cooling event and extensive growth of the Antarctic ice sheet 33-34 million years ago.

Paleogene opening of Drake Passage by Roy Livermore, Adrian Nankivell, Graeme Eagles and Peter Morris is published in Earth and Planetary Science Letters, Volume 236, pages 459-470.

British Antarctic Survey is a world leader in research into global issues in an Antarctic context. It is the UK’s national operator and is a component of the Natural Environment Research Council. It has an annual budget of around £40 million, runs nine research programmes and operates five research stations, two Royal Research Ships and five aircraft in and around Antarctica.

Issued by the British Antarctic Survey Press Office. Amanda Lynnes - tel: +44 1223 221414, mob:07740 822229, email:  a.lynnes@bas.ac.uk  Linda Capper - tel: +44 1223 221448, mob: 07714 233744, email:  l.capper@bas.ac.uk Author Contact: Dr Roy Livermore - tel: +44 1223 221572

© Copyright Natural Environment Research Council British Antarctic Survey 2004.

Section 4:

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

The Royal British Legion Meeting scheduled for Monday, 05 September has been cancelled due to holiday commitments.  The meeting will take place on the 10^th of October.

Section 5:

FIRS NEWS DIRECT: 30 AUGUST 2005

Compiled by Amy Johnson (AJ) and Stacy Bragger)

INDOOR FOOTBALL LEAGUE:

Sunday night saw two more matches being played in the Indoor Football League, with Lots a Leftovers and Bragger’s Boys both claiming three points.  Bragger’s boys stay top of the league.  The next round of fixtures will be played tonight with the Left Overs playing the Wanderers and Tyrell’s Squirls and Nuts taking on the No Namers.

FALKLANDS GUN CLUB:

The winter season carried on again for the Falklands Gun Club, with a 50-bird Skete Competition.  The wind and rain went against all shooters on the day but Stevie Burroughs managed to hold off all competition to take first place.  Jon Butler and Steve Dent were unable to find previous form but with constant problems with the low house bird and the wind, all shooters’ scores were well below the expected level.  The next arranged shoot is on the 11^th of September, which will be another skete competition.

FRESH PRODUCE SHORTAGES:

There will be some fresh produce shortages this week according to Stanley Growers.  The shortages are due to a full passenger flight from Chile resulting in minimal freight space.  Stanley Growers had anticipated a lack of freight space and had double booked the previous week but it was also heavily booked with passengers so they were unable to have the required volume on the plane.  Tim Miller from Stanley Growers said as long as more passengers do not book flights, they should be allocated 2500 kilos for the next flight.  Jenny Forrest from International Tours and Travel Ltd. said that space on the flights is mainly due to the school holidays but said that a flight due on 03 September wasn’t that full and that subsequent flights would have more space.

In other Stanley Growers News their salad production this coming season will be about six weeks late.  The delay is due to previously not being able to obtain an affordable heating fuel.  With help from the MoD and Stanley Services, they have overcome this problem for the time being.

LISTERIA IN MILK:

The latest tests for Listeria in milk from Beckside Dairy has proven to be negative.  Roger Diggle, the Chief Medical Officer, says that the current situation is that samples from all the individual cows were negative and last week’s tests in the packets of milk were negative.  He also said that it was too early for the people at risk to start drinking milk without it being boiled from the dairy.  The next set of test results are expected to be available on Thursday.

FISHING, SHIPPING AND HARBOUR NEWS:

From the weekend:  The Reefer Frio Oceanic came into Berkley Sound on Saturday for transshipping.  The tanker, Sentaurus, Trawler, New Polar came into Berkley Sound over the weekend and both left for Port William on Sunday.  The Shanghai Reefer entered Port William on Saturday for transshipping and left for the high seas the same day.  The Trawler Beatrix Norres also came into Port William on Saturday and left the same day to the Fishing Grounds.

(100X Transcription and Monitoring Service)

This article is the Property and Copyright of Falkland Islands News Network.

Tristan : Postcode Not So New For Tristan
Submitted by Tristan Times (Juanita Brock) 10.08.2005 (Current Article)

One of the nice things about having a Tristanian working for SARTMA is that the record can be set straight about various things, including the Island’s postcode. TDCU 1ZZ has been available for at least 18 months.

Photo (c) James Glass Tristan Times - the building that houses the Tristan Post Office

POSTCODE NOT SO NEW FOR TRISTAN

An Editorial by J. Brock (SARTMA-TdC)

Tristan's Administration Building where the Post Office is housed.

One of the nice things about having a Tristanian working for SARTMA is that the record can be set straight about various things, including the Island’s postcode.  TDCU 1ZZ has been available for at least 18 months and as early as April 2004 I have used it to help differentiate between Scotland and Tristan.  Indeed, people on the Island have said that Tristanians, their families, as well as families and friends living overseas have used the postcode for a long time before that.  The advertisement for the Short Guide to Tristan da Cunha, written by Anne Green and James Glass contains the Tristan Postcode, as well as a story on Tristan Times about snail mail. 

Today I got an enquiry from the BBC about the postcodes through the Tristan Times Online website, which that news agency visited quite frequently since it came on line in 2003.  I wondered why this subject was so important now.  It seems that it is not the postcode but it is the fact that an item ordered over the internet (it’s not clear if it was ordered from the Island) reached its buyer.

I, too, have run afoul of those pesky Internet forms.  Before South Atlantic Islands received their postcodes I used to put BR1 T1SH in the place provided.  It worked. 

Now, lets solve that other problem – cheaper Internet access from Tristan so that one doesn’t have to pay a small fortune for an item valued at only a few Pounds Sterling.

This article is the Property and Copyright of Tristan Times.