1/30/17

1

The Falklands/Malvinas: Past,

present and the future

Michael Harte with material from Harry Keys and Karen Williams

1/30/17

2

V

1/30/17

3

Falkland Islands (420), 12,000 sq kmTasmania 68,400 sq km, Belgium 30,500 sq km, New Hampshire USA 24,000 sq km

Did indigenous people discover

and/or settle in the Falklands?

• Suitable currents and only 500 km from South American landmasses (c.f. NZ)

• Harpoon-spear and canoe of Fuegan design found but no unequivocal evidence (e.g. middens) of indigenous settlement

• Islands were uninhabited when discovered by Europeans

1/30/17

4

Who discovered the

Falklands?

• Claims of discovery by Europeans-Spanish (1540), Portugese and English (1590 or 1592)

• No consensus among historians

1690 John Strong’s Welfare

Naming & 1st landing

• 1690: English Captain John Strong in the ship Welfare 1st documented landing: named Falkland Sound

• 1708: The name Falkland Islands first used

• 1764: Îles Malouines (St Malo) — given to the islands by French explorer Bougainville

• The Spanish name Islas Malvinas, evolved from the French, a century later

Named Falkland Sound, channel separating the islands in honour of

his sponsor Anthony Cary, 5th

Viscount Falkland

1/30/17

5

Port Louis 1764

Port Egmont, (Saunders Island) 1765/66

1766 France surrendered its claim and jurisdiction to Spain, which renamed the French colony Puerto Soledad

1816 claim by the Argentine confederation (becoming independent) to Spain's territories in the South Atlantic

Apparently these settlements were not aware of each other initially

When and why jurisdiction

became controversial?

• Started when Spain discovered Port Egmont then captured it in 1770

• Spain ceded its claim to Britain in 1771

• But they still held to Treaty of Utrecht (c1450AD) which divided South America only between Spain and Portugal

• 1774-1830s economic misfortunes of Britain, European wars, resource management and [post] colonial tensions all stoked the fires

Mike photo

1/30/17

6

Resettlement, regulation,

widening dispute

• 1823-1829 Argentina supported German-born merchant Luis Vernet to develop a permanent colony and regulate foreign whalers and sealers

• 1831 dispute over hunting rights led to raid by US warship

Ø declaration that the island was “free of government”

Falklands settlement 1824

1832-1840: a key period

• 1832 Argentine confederation installed a garrison reasserting rule but a mutiny may have destabilised it

• 1833 British force reasserted rule then left

• Vernet’s deputy and other settlement leaders murdered by gauchos

• British force restored law• 1840 British crown colony

established & Scottish settlers established farms

1/30/17

7

“Miserable boghole” - Stanley 1849

Ongoing dispute, economic

decline, possible solution

• Argentina continued to object to Britain’s recolonisation

• After WW2, the economy was affected by declining wool prices, political uncertainty and hence population decline

• 1966-1968, 1977-1981: UK Argentina had confidential discussions about possible transfer of jurisdiction

WW2 gun emplacement near Port Stanley

1/30/17

8

Falklands/Malvinas war April-June

1982¨ April: Argentina invades South Georgia & Falklands: domestic situation in Argentina a contributing factor¨June: UK forces retaliate and reoccupy, leaving expanded military presence¨2012: 1,300 military personnel, 50 MOD civil servants and 500 civilians

Minefields

• 134minefieldswhereArgentinaforcesthoughttheBritishforcesmightland

• Areasofcoastlinestilloutofbounds

• Nowslowlybeingclearedagain

Signs at Gypsy Cove

1/30/17

9

35 years after the war

Falklands/Malvinas status

• A British Overseas Territory, making its own laws, raising own taxes, deciding own budget

• UK view- occupancy since 1833; islanders wishes in accordance with UN charter of rights to self determination

• Argentina view- acquired the Falklands from Spain in 1816, considers that the UK illegally occupied them in 1833; islanders do not have self determination rights because islands are Argentina

March 2013 referendum: 99.8% voters favoured remaining under British rule

1/30/17

10

MuchmoretoFIthangardengnomes,cutehouses&penguins!

Today

• Nearly 3,000 residents in 2016

• Majority Island born and living in Stanley, identifying as FI or “British”,10% St Helena, 6.4% Chile, + France, Gibraltar, Scandinavia

• Full employment

• Free health care

• Free education (including university)

1/30/17

11

Economy

• Fishing accounts for 40% of all economic activity & 60% of FIG income

• No government debt (~ 200 GBP million in FIG reserves)

• Fully funded compulsory “private” pension scheme

• National income ~ £35,000/person

• Financially self-sufficient

Fishing

Trade,hospitalityComs &FinanceGovt

Agriculture

Construction

Transport

Other

Stanley

• Capital city

• Village parish, international responsibilities

• Port facilities

• Shopping

• Oil operations

• Churches

• Schools

• Hospital

1/30/17

12

Camp & Islands

• Cultural identity of Islands

• Wool

• Meat, lamb and mutton

• Tourism

• Population declined, now stable ~ 400

• Settlements in the East and West - extensive road network

• Outer-Islands depend on FIGAS, shipping service

Defense

• UK maintains a military base ~ 3,000 people

• Combined navy, air force, army command

• Little impact on economy – kept separate

• Falkland Island Defense Force – separate from UK

• FIDF responsible for FI defense, fishery patrols (air and sea), terrestrial search and rescue

1/30/17

13

Tourism

• 50,000 cruise ship passengers a year

• 2,000 long stay tourists + 1,500 military tourists

• Income in Stanley but 4,000 passengers crowd a town of 2,000 people!

• Limited hotel beds in Stanley

• Self catering in Camp

• Mostly wildlife, military history and Stanley marathon

Oil and Gas

• Drilling late 90s found no commercial hydrocarbons

• Survey in the 00s led to new drilling in 2010 and in 2012 commercial quantities found to the north

• Expected to be flowing commercially 2018-2020

• Exploration continues in deeper waters to the south

• Game-changer for the Islands• Economic, social, environmental

impacts• Managing expectations of wealth• Low oil prices have slowed

development down

1 2 3 4 5

6 7 8 9 10

11 12 13 14 15

16 17 18 19 20

21 22 23 24 25

26 27 28 29 30

Quadrants within Falkland Islands Designated Area

Block layout within quadrants

Falkland Islands Designated Area

Exploration well

Argentine Licence BlocksSpecial Area of Co-operation

Falkland Islands Licence Blocks

200 Bathymetry; contours at 200 metres,then at 500, 1000, 2000 etc. thereafter

CAA

A B

C DF

I

L

0 50 100KILOMETRES

A

R

SQ

PON

M

1/30/17

14

Environment

• Home to vast colonies of penguins and albatrosses

• Breeding grounds for sea lions, elephant seals and fur seals

• 15 species of whales and dolphins

• More than 160 native flowering plant species

• At least 200 species of birds

Conservation Partnerships

• SouthAtlanticEnvironmentalResearchInstitute&partners

• FalklandIslandsConservation(NGO)• Privatelandowners(protection&

restoration)• Fishingindustry(fisheries

conservation)• FIGEnvironmentandPlanningDept.

1/30/17

15

Falklands - conclusion

• Fascinating history• Immense change since 1982• Dynamic economy• Commitment to conservation• Tremendous prospects for the

future• Challenges in managing

future growth and prosperity