Faeroe islands

I was in contact with my KIMO colleagues in the Faeroe Islands today to find out who was coming to the next meeting in Fano, Denmark, later this month.

The Føroya Kommunufelag will be represented again, and it is good to see that my friends have been re-elected and will be with us to debate major issues about the maritime environment.

Their major concern remains global warming, and just how this could destroy their entire way of life.

To try to combat this, they are furiously setting up onshore windfarms and developing wave power to complement this -- exactly as we should be doing in the Western Isles. They are currently planning to connect to the Western European grid, and export electricity, via Shetland, as they see their future intimately tied to the sale of renewable energy and the development of cutting edge technology.

I've tried to persuade them to tie in via the Western Isles, but the uncertainty over the inter-connector makes them very nervous. And who can blame them.

The picture shows Parliament Square, with the Prime Minister's office being the turfed building in the right foreground. I'm looking forward to my next visit to meet again the Fisheries Minister and his officials - all of whom seem to have sailed with Lewismen at some time or other!