In a high-tension public assembly held in Stanley, members of the legislative body of the British occupation administration closed ranks against the demands of the inhabitants and the Salmon Free Malvinas (SFF) collective, flatly rejecting the holding of a referendum on the installation of the large-scale salmon industry.

The official position was expressed through several colonial legislators ( MLAs ), who justified their refusal by citing the local institutional structure and the continuity of the questioned technical consultation process:

Doubts about oversight and a rising cost of $390,000

The meeting revealed a marked discontent among residents, particularly regarding the mechanisms for validating and controlling the responses sent to the consultation process (both in digital and paper format).

Faced with suspicions of manipulation, the administration's Policy Director, Maeve Daly-Llamosa , attempted to temper the criticism by stating that legitimacy checks would be conducted, although she admitted it was "a delicate balance." Similarly, legislator Roger Spink downplayed potential irregularities, declaring publicly: "This isn't about a single vote, this is a consultation. And if a couple slip through the net, I don't think they'll be statistically significant."

The meeting also confirmed that the total cost of this stage — including official trips to countries with aquaculture industries and the hiring of external consultants — will amount to approximately 285,000 pounds sterling (more than 360,000 dollars) of public funds.

Key aspects of the scenario towards October 30th

Element of the conflict

Current situation under the colonial scheme

Resolution mechanism

Public opinion consultation (non-binding) open until October 30. A referendum is definitively ruled out.

Final decision-making body

The 8 members of the illegitimate Legislative Assembly will determine whether to enable licenses starting in November.

Disputed project

8 to 16 open sea cage centers (50,000 t/year) and 2 land-based plants powered by Unity Marine ( Fortuna Ltd / F-Land ApS ).

Fundamental question

Use of data provided by the company itself, lack of independent studies of carrying capacity and risk of contamination in waters claimed by Argentina.

By dismissing the direct democratic route, the British occupiers concentrate a resolution with high environmental and geopolitical impact in eight people, deepening the distance between the commercial claims of the fishing consortiums and the demand for conservation in the marine ecosystem of the South Atlantic.

Sources:

Mercopress with information from Penguin News