DEMARCHE ON NO ANCHORING PROPOSAL

UNCLAS THE HAGUE 001776 SIPDIS STATE FOR OES/OA - JOHN BARNES STATE PASS NOAA/N/IP LINDY JOHNSON E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EMIN EWWT KSCA PHSA SENV NL SUBJECT: DEMARCHE ON NO ANCHORING PROPOSAL REF: STATE 109225 ¶1. IN RESPONSE TO REFTEL, WE CONTACTED MARTEN KOOPMANS, SENIOR STAFFER IN THE DUTCH TRANSPORT MINISTRY'S TRANSPORT SAFETY DEPARTMENT, WHO WILL HEAD THE DUTCH DELEGATION TO THE IMO SUBCOMMITTEE MEETING ON SAFETY OF NAVIGATION (NAV). KOOPMANS TOLD US THAT THE U.S. PROPOSALS HAVE BEEN DRAWN UP IN CLOSE COOPERATION WITH THE DUTCH. DUTCH TRANSPORT MINISTRY ADVISOR LAMEIJER, WHO CHAIRS THE NAV SUBCOMMITTEE WORKING-GROUP ON ROUTING, HAS BEEN IN DIRECT CONTACT WITH NOAA POC LINDY JOHNSON. ¶2. KOOPMANS SAID THAT, DESPITE OVERALL DUTCH SUPPORT FOR THE PROPOSALS, THERE IS ONE MINOR POINT FOR CONCERN. HE SAID THERE IS A SMALL RISK THAT THE IMPLICIT EFFECT OF ESTABLISHING "NO ANCHORING" AREAS MAY BE THAT IT WILL GIVE SHIPPERS THE OPPORTUNITY TO USE OTHER DELICATE AREAS, THAT HAVE NOT BEEN ASSIGNED AS SUCH. ¶3. THE DUTCH DELEGATION WILL CONSIST OF KOOPMANS, LAMEIJER, AND NAV SUBCOMMITTEE CHAIRMAN KEES POLDERMAN. SCHNEIDER