Falkland Islands dispute is causing fishing ‘free-for-all’ in nearby Blue Hole

Warning that soaring number of vessels threaten fish stocks and environment as geopolitics prevents agreement to regulate area

The scale of unregulated fishing in a disputed region close to the Falkland Islands has reached an overwhelming" level that is threatening fish populations and the rich biodiversity of the area, politicians and environmentalists have claimed.

The Blue Hole", a stretch of the south Atlantic Ocean lying approximately 200 miles off the coast of Argentina and north of the Falkland Islands, is one of the only areas of sea that is not covered by a regional fishing agreement.