Falkland Islanders call for referendum on plans for massive salmon farm

The 3,500 population is divided over the venture, which would bring investment and jobs, but critics claim the environmental cost would be too high

It is among the world’s last pristine wildernesses, with unique coastal waters rich in krill and squid that attract sea lions, elephant seals, dolphins and whales, and where penguins, of which there are five different species locally, outnumber people.

But plans to make the Falkland Islands, one the most remote and furthest-flung British overseas territories, a new frontier for salmon farming has split the 3,500-strong population. Now, people opposed to salmon farming are calling for a referendum because they have lost confidence in a consultation process they claim is biased towards the industry.