The Falkland Islands has appointed its first ever female Harbour Master.
Jo Cox, the new Harbour Master is an experienced Master Mariner. Much of her career has been spent on research ships, operated by the British Antarctic Survey, and as Master on RRS Discovery, operated by the National Oceanography Centre.
In addition to her seagoing experience she has also worked as Government Officer on the Island of South Georgia.
She said: “The Falkland Islands is an amazing place, with rich maritime heritage. I’m looking forward to building on that while driving forward maritime safety and standards in the new role.”
Jo is joined by Lydia Hutchinson, who will be taking up a role as Maritime Officer in the Falkland Islands. She has previously worked with Carnival UK, the Association of Port Health Authorities and previously attended Warsash Maritime Academy.
Lydia said: “Maritime is a real vocation and I’m really looking forward to working with the team in the Falkland Islands.
Daniel Wood, Head of the Falkland Islands Maritime Authority, said: “We’re very proud of our maritime work here and how far we have come in terms of what we’ve achieved. It’s great that we’ve appointed not only our first female Harbour Master in Jo but someone with such a good track record in the sector. It’s also great that we’ve added to the strength of the team with Lydia who will bring a wealth of experience to the role. This is a strong team and I’m looking forward to all that we will achieve together.”
Alison Leighton from the Maritime and Coastguard Agency is Programme Manager for the Conflict, Stability and Security Fund which works with Overseas Territories.
She said: “We’ve worked with the Falkland Islands Maritime Authority on so many exciting projects in the past few years with the team. I’m really looking forward to carrying on that work with Jo, Lydia and the rest of the team.”