However, he has also stressed the importance to the Falklands’ economy of the UK and the EU striking a trade deal by the end of the year in order to preserve their market access to the continent. Mr Hyslop, who took over from after the retirement of predecessor Sukey Cameron last year after 36 years in the role, was speaking at an event at Falklands House in Westminster aimed at boosting tourism to the Islands following the launch of a new LATAM flight from Sao Paolo in Brazil to Mount Pleasant Airport.

He told Express.co.uk: “The Falkland Islands are proud to be a member of the British family.

“When we had our referendum in 2013 we voted by 99.8 percent to remain British and that’s not up for question.

“That’s the set will of the people and that’s something we really discussed – we are British.”

Nevertheless, the UK’s decision to leave the bloc had consequences for Falkland Islanders, Mr Hyslop added.

He said: “What Brexit is showing us, it has made us painfully aware how reliant we are on one specific sector.

“The bulk of our revenue as an economy comes from fishing.

“So what we need to look at is diversifying our economy.

“Fishing will still be very, very important but we need to look at things like tourism.”

As such, the event represented an ideal opportunity to showcase what the island had to offer, with the launch of the new flight predicted to result in an estimated increase in economic activity of more than £2million annually as well as encouraging growth in the tourist, retail and hospitality sectors.

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Mr Hyslop said: “This office is like a window or a gateway to the islands in the UK, where we have that very strong link between the Falklands and it is a great opportunity to get more people in the UK to come and visit the Islands.”

Mr Hyslop explained that 94 percent of Falkland Island exports went into the EU – with a third of all the squid imported by Spain coming from there.

Unlike another British overseas territory, Gibraltar, the Falklands was not part of the EU and therefore did not vote in the 2016 referendum, Mr Hyslop said.

As such, it, like all the other overseas territories, was signatory to the Overseas Association Decision, an agreement with the EU which allowed market access.

He said: “Currently because it’s a British overseas territory, it’s tariff and quota free.

“But when the UK leaves the EU on January 31, if they are unable to negotiate a deal that allows that to continue, we will then be subject to tariffs.

“As a territory we do not question Brexit – it’s the choice of the UK to leave.

“If the UK people want to leave the European Union, that is entirely up to them.

“But because they’ve chosen to leave, it has this impact on us, so therefore it is very important for us for the UK and the EU to do a deal that continues our tariff relief and market access.”

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