§ Mr. HoyleTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the recent incident in the South Atlantic involving a Falkland Islands fishery protection vessel opening fire on a Taiwanese fishing boat. [85219]
§ Mr. Tony LloydWith Her Majesty's Government's approval, the Falkland Islands Government recently armed one of its Fisheries Protection Vessels (FPVs) with a 20mm Oerlikon cannon. On 15 May the armed FPV challenged an unlicensed Taiwanese fishing vessel which was 19 miles inside the Falkland Islands Outer Conservation Zone and appeared to be fishing. Messages and signals were passed by the FPV to the vessel which failed to respond. Warning shots were fired. After all warnings and warning shots had been ignored by the illegal vessel, the FPV sought and received permission from the Director of Fisheries of the Falkland Islands Government to fire directly at its bows. Another warning shot was fired followed by five single, aimed shots at the bow of the vessel. The illegal vessel was pursued out of Falkland Islands waters by the FPV, which acted in accordance with strict guidelines throughout the incident.