Review of Falkland Islands Finfish Fisheries

HMC worked with project partners to review the approach and capacity of the Falkland Islands Government (FIG) Department of Natural Resources, to deliver efficient and effective management of Falkland’s finfish fisheries, including an assessment of the extent to which the objectives of the Fisheries Ordinance were being met.

This work provided the first full review of the finfish management to help the FIG identify future management strategies, implementation priorities, institutional changes and governance approaches that will help support profitable, and sustainable fisheries that benefit the Falkland Islands.

The work focused on the operational components of the current fisheries management processes, including assessment of the stock statuses and provision of harvesting advice, the programme of scientific activities, the approach to allocation of annual catch entitlements, and the control and enforcement system. It also considered the wider context of that management system by investigating the capacity, resources, and organisational aspects of the FIG in seeking to deliver efficient fisheries management. Consideration was given to both meeting the objectives of the 2005 Fisheries Ordinance, and identifying the potential future roles of fisheries stakeholders in the delivery of effective fisheries management.

Key messages:

• We reviewed the current Falkland Island Government’s approach and capacity for effective management of their finfish fisheries
• Our work identified how fully the objectives of the Fisheries Ordinance were being met
• Ultimately, this helped the Falklands Island Government identify future management strategies, priorities, institutional changes and governance approaches to support profitable, sustainable fisheries.