We utterly reject Daniel Filmus’s remarks in his interview with Luke Harding (Falklands: Argentina warns drilling could lead to oil disaster, 27 October) and the implication that hydrocarbons activities carried out by the Falkland Islands government are environmentally reckless. The Falkland Islands have a long history of responsible environmental stewardship, and we pride ourselves on protecting and safeguarding our unique environment.
The Falkland Islands government has responsibility for issuing licences and regulating the industry, and extraction offshore is regulated to UK North Sea standards, which are recognised as one of the highest standards of safety regulation anywhere in the world. The government is committed to transparency, and all environmental impact statements submitted are made available for public consultation.
Mr Filmus’s portrayal of the Falkland Islands hydrocarbons industry is skewed, alarmist, and represents yet another example of the Argentine government’s futile efforts to damage the Falklands economy. It is in no way an accurate description of the flourishing industry that is already planning its next round of drilling in 2015, nor the commitments the Falkland Islands government has made to developing an oil and gas industry that is economically and ecologically sustainable.
Roger Edwards
Chair of the legislative assembly of the Falkland Islands
