The Calamari Wars

Falklands Island wreck ship

After  already 30 years the Falklands waters are still rough, three decades have passed from the war British – Argentina conflict that has now come back to the first page of the diplomatic agendas of those two countries and commercial interested allies since a year ago was discovered new petroleum water marine reserve highly lucrative and since the British has been for 180 year from the colonial times and with little argument to go and sit down on a diplomatic table for justify their presence in the Falkland Island claimed from Argentina since 1820 and at only 500km from la Patagonia in the Argentinian Sea.
The David Cameron Government is looking  to create a protected marine zone around the South Georgia Islands (1300Km from Falkland Islands and also claimed by Argentina) with the reason if Argentina want to initiate any commercial or economic activity around they will need ask first for the British authorization.
Reached that point Argentina has launched several new measures, first asking their neighbours (Uruguay, Brazil and Chile) to not allow British flag ships with Falkland Island destination stop in their ports and the second measure is encouraging Argentinian fisherman’s to prevent the squid (Illex type) that start their life in the River Plate water to reach the Falkland’s waters.

Illex Squid. Photo by NOAA

For almost two decades Argentina and the Falkland’s islands co-operated on sustainably fishing of the squid. But now the Federal Fishing Council allow to fish two months early with the idea to catch the squid before to start their migration to the Falkland Islands for feed before move  to deepest water to breed and die. Catching so early the squid when still small can damage the stock, apparently Argentina allow that something similar happen with the southern blue whiting now unviable for commercial exploitation. Falkland’s economy is highly dependent of their fishing licence sales where the Illex Squid species is the most valuable. The Falklands Squid season will be start late this February where fisherman boats for the big fishing powerhouses like Spain, Russia, Japan and Korea will be waiting for a legal catch meanwhile another 100 fisherman fleet mainly from China and Taiwan will be catching also the very appreciated Illex Squid in East Asia.

At the moment seem like the only loser are the Ilex’s and again the ocean biodiversity and the winners the same fat cats as always.

Squid Nutrition Properties x 100g

Calories	Protein	Fat	Phosphorus	Potassium	Iron
81	17	1,3	221	90	1,7

More about the conflict: 

Princess Cruises angered that Falklands blocked ship with Argentines from docking

More Argentina dirty politics:  Trained dogs searching for dollars

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The Calamari Wars