So, its 35 years on and the Falkland Islands still has the legacy of the conflict. Mines on beaches around the islands. Some amazing work has been done by the defining teams. Its hard to imagine how many mines were placed here. The problem is being tackled and hopefully it will soon be solved. I’m intrigued by some coverage that suggests the islands would be better to retain the mines in order to protect conservation. I think the argument goes along the lines of; penguins don’t trigger the mines but if cleared tourists might trouble the penguins. Thats fine when the mines stay in one place but the fact is that these mines are moving as the sand and the coastline moves so we won’t always know where they are located. Surely its better to remove them?
The background to the current demining project can be found here