UK fishermen can appeal over Falklands fishing snub

A BRITISH fishing firm has won the right to appeal against a controversial decision to hand lucrative licences to foreign rivals.

It emerged last week that £75 million of licences in the South Atlantic have been handed to firms from Norway, Chile and New Zealand, while applications from two British-based companies were rejected.

Six licences allowing access to 200 square miles around the British overseas territory of South Georgia – near the Falkland Islands – for four years were granted in February.

The owner of one of the rejected firms launched a judicial review into the decision, and the High Court in London has ruled that he can appeal.

Rupert Street, of South Georgia Fisheries, welcomed the decision and said it showed ‘the law in Britain is here to help us’.

Mr Street said: ‘I am delighted to have won the first stage of the judicial review process so quickly. We will be taking this all the way.

‘By taking this action on behalf of British fishing interests we are showing to our Commonwealth partners as well as our own fishermen that the law in Britain is here to help us.’