WORK on Marine Managed Areas (MMAs) in the Falkland Islands has been paused “until we find out what happens at the end of the consultation phase for the salmon” MLA Michael Goss has confirmed to Penguin News.
A draft policy on MMAs had been put together and was approved for consultation in September 2025. However this consultation has not yet been run.
Going into more detail about why the work on MMAs has been paused MLA Goss explained, “the biggest issue is that a fair amount of the areas identified [for MMAs] could potentially have a knock on point in regards to salmon farming as well. The two things are in a very strange way intrinsically linked but obviously completely separate.”
MLA Goss added that the MMA work is “in effect ready to proceed in its current format, but the stumbling block is the current consultation phase that we are currently going through.”
Penguin News asked MLA Goss whether the prioritising of consultations was putting the potential for profit ahead of the environment. He responded, “it is not in any way, shape, or form down to profit margins, what it is in fact is trying to ensure that the current system and in particular the consultation phase that we are currently going through is adhered to, to the letter of the law.”
MLA Goss added that his Camp constituents were “very keen” to see the MMAs created, alongside work to uphold them as “safe areas.” He continued that the idea has been well received and it was a piece of work “we should be look to push ahead with and try to get over the line.”
Put to MLA Goss whether the two consultations could have been run in tandem, it was his opinion that would have “mired down the system even more” and would have had a “detrimental effect.”
He added, “it’s just one of those unfortunate circumstances where we’re just having to set that one on the back burner for now.”
