Falkland Islands Fisheries

Six new postage stamps

In 1987 a Fisheries Conservation Zone was introduced around the Falkland Islands in response to concerns about uncontrolled fishing in the South Atlantic. The introduction of this managed fishery enabled fishing licence fees to be levied and these fees have transformed the economic fortunes of the Falkland Islands. Before the Conservation Zone was introduced the annual revenue collected by the Government was around 5 million pounds. By 1989 this had risen considerably to 29 million pounds. A total of £420 million has been raised from fishing license fees in the first twenty years.
The Falklands' fishery is modest in size in world terms. However it's distinctive feature is that it is primarily based on squid which accounts for around 75% of catches. In a typical year approximately 200,000 tons of squid are supplied to world markets making the Falklands a significant player in the global squid trade.

Two species of squid

There are two species of squid in the fishery: Illex argentinus, which is the biggest in terms of volume, value and also size of the squid. Typical annual catches are around 150,000 tons with much of the catch destined for the Far East although significant amounts also go to Europe; Loligo gahi are caught by large stern trawlers almost all of which are registered in the Falklands. These Squid are frozen on board and produce a delicious product. In addition, the Falkland Islands waters are also an important producer of various finned fish species including Blue Whiting, Hoki and Hake.

Commemorative stamps issue

To celebrate the success of the Falklands Fisheries the Post Office has released this special commemorative stamp issue. The lower 3 values (3p, 11p and 25p) provide us with a glimpse of life aboard a busy fishing vessel in favorable conditions. Of course the South Atlantic Ocean is renowned for its severe weather and the tranquil scenes shown on these stamps can radically transform into quite extreme conditions within a matter of hours. Many of the fishing ships operate 24 hours a day, with the fishermen working in shifts. With the extreme weather conditions and vicious waves, working on deck is an intimidating and hazardous occupation, which is undertaken with a great deal of precision and skill.

Postage stamps in detail

Issue: Falkland Islands, 24 February 2007
Design: Michael Hattersley
Print: offset by BDT International
Stamp sizes: 28.45 x 42.58 mm
Perforation: 14 per 2cms

More information

Postage Stamps 2007
Stamps Falkland Islands
Falkland Islands Definitives
Bleaker Island
Brunel's ss Great Britain
Maritime Heritage

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