Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
02ROME5602
2002-11-19 07:19:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Rome
Cable title:  

CLOSING THE DRIFTNET LOOP IN ITALY

Tags:  EFIS SENV PHSA ETRD IT MARITIME 
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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ROME 005602 

SIPDIS

OES FOR DAS WEST; OMC FOR TINKHAM, PLE

COMMERCE FOR NOAA/NMFS/IA
UNCLASSIFIED

PAGE 02 ROME 05602 01 OF 02 190838Z

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EFIS SENV PHSA ETRD SENV PHSA ETRD IT ITEFIS MARITIME
SUBJECT: CLOSING THE DRIFTNET LOOP IN ITALY

REFS: A) STATE 135156 B) TINKHAM-SIGNORETTI MEETING

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ROME 005602

SIPDIS

OES FOR DAS WEST; OMC FOR TINKHAM, PLE

COMMERCE FOR NOAA/NMFS/IA
UNCLASSIFIED

PAGE 02 ROME 05602 01 OF 02 190838Z

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EFIS SENV PHSA ETRD SENV PHSA ETRD ITALY'>IT ITEFIS MARITIME
SUBJECT: CLOSING THE DRIFTNET LOOP IN ITALY

REFS: A) STATE 135156 B) TINKHAM-SIGNORETTI MEETING


1. SUMMARY. DESPITE SEVERAL FOLLOW-UPS, POST HAS NOT YET
RECEIVED A COMPREHENSIVE REPLY TO REF A DEMARCHE. HOWEVER,
GOI OFFICIALS HAVE ASSURED US ILLEGAL DRIFTNETTING HAS BEEN
PROSECUTED EFFECTIVELY AND THAT THE PHENOMENON IS GOING TO
EXPIRE. A COPY OF THE 2000 AND 2001 ENFORCEMENT REPORTS WERE
GIVEN TO OES STETSON TINKHAM WHEN HE WAS IN ROME LAST WEEK.
THE SUMMARY OF 2002 DRIFTNET DATA AND THE FISHERIES DG'S
LETTER WILL BE SENT BY FAX. END SUMMARY.


2. POST SENT REF A DEMARCHE TO FISHERIES DG ATTILIO TRIPODI
ON JULY 22. AT THE END OF SEPTEMBER, WE RECEIVED THE 2000
AND 2001 PORT CAPTAINCY ENFORCEMENT REPORTS, WHICH
UNFORTUNATELY AGGREGATED ALL INSPECTION DATA. DRIFTNET
VIOLATIONS COULD NOT BE DISAGGREGATED. WE ASKED FOR
DRIFTNET-ONLY STATISTICS SOON AFTERWARDS. SINCE WE HAD NOT
RECEIVED ANY ANSWER, WE SUBMITTED THE SAME REQUEST AGAIN ON
NOVEMBER 4, REQUESTING THE INFORMATION ON DRIFTNET NETS
DISPOSAL AS WELL. UNFORTUNATELY, TRIPODI TOLD US THAT IT
WOULD BE VERY DIFFICULT TO EXTRACT DRIFTNET-SPECIFIC
ENFORCEMENT DATA FROM THE 2000 AND 2001 STATISTICS, AND
ASKED FOR MORE TIME. HOWEVER, TRIPODI SENT US A LETTER
WHERE STATING THAT HE HAD REQUESTED THE 2002 (SIC)
ENFORCEMENT DATA. WE IMMEDIATELY CALLED AND EMPHASIZED
AGAIN THAT WE NEEDED 2000 AND 2001 DATA. IN THE LETTER
UNCLASSIFIED

PAGE 03 ROME 05602 01 OF 02 190838Z
TRIPODI ADDED THAT "2002 DRIFTNET MONITORING ACTIVITY HAS
BEEN INCISIVE AND SATISFACTORY" (SEE PARA 6 FOR INFORMAL
TRANSLATION OF THE LETTER).


3. WHILE WAITING FOR A REPLY FROM TRIPODI, POST ALSO SPOKE
WITH COMM. PIETRO VERNA, THE HEAD OF THE NATIONAL CENTER FOR
FISHERY CONTROL. VERNA SENT US THE 2002 DRIFTNET
ENFORCEMENT DATA ON NOV. 4. THE PORT AUTHORITIES HAVE
DEDICATED 15,101 HOURS AND 93,614 NAUTICAL MILES TO DRIFTNET
MONITORING IN THE PAST SEASON. DURING THEIR MONITORING
ACTIVITY, THEY HAVE CAUGHT AND SEIZED THE NETS OF 9 ILLEGAL

DRIFTNET VESSELS IN PALERMO, 44 IN CALABRIA, 19 IN CATANIA,
12 IN BARI, 2 IN NAPLES, AND 17 IN SARDINIA (BELONGING TO
SICILIAN FISHERMEN). COM. VERNA WAS SATISFIED WITH THE
ABOVE-MENTIONED RESULTS AND WAS CONFIDENT THAT THE DRIFTNET
ISSUE IS RESOLVED: "THERE WILL BE ALWAYS VIOLATORS, BUT
ALMOST NONE". HE ALSO ADDED THAT "ONCE ALL THE FISHERMEN
RECEIVE THE CONVERSION MONEY (STILL SOME OF THEM HAVE NOT
RECEIVED IT) AND HAVE THEIR EXPENSIVE NETS SEIZED, THEY WILL
DEFINITIVELY STOP DRIFTNETTING".


4. COMMENT: THE EU DRIFTNET BAN ENTERED INTO FORCE ON
JANUARY 1, 2002 AND ALL DRIFTNETS ARE NOW ILLEGAL. ONLY
ABOUT 80 DRIFTNET VESSELS HAD NOT APPLIED TO THE CONVERSION
PLAN AND HAD NOT SURRENDERED THEIR NETS. IN THEORY, THEY
WERE THE ONLY ONES STILL ABLE TO DRIFTNET. SINCE THE PC
ISSUED 103 VIOLATIONS, THE PORT AUTHORITIES APPEAR TO HAVE
INTERCEPTED THESE DRIFTNET VESSELS AND GOI MONITORING
ACTIVITY HAS BEEN VERY EFFECTIVE THIS YEAR. END COMMENT.


5. DRIFTNET QUESTIONS
UNCLASSIFIED

PAGE 04 ROME 05602 01 OF 02 190838Z

- SANCTIONS LAW : NEVER APPROVED

- BILATERAL ENFORCEMENT WITH OTHER EU MED COUNTRIES AND/OR
EU INSPECTORS IN 2000-2001:

2000: JUNE 21/ JULY 14 AND JULY 19/AUGUST 11 - GREECE-ITALY
JOINT INSPECTION ACTIVITIES AT SEA (OUTCOME NOT MENTIONED)
2001: JULY 21-25 AND SEPTEMBER 27-30 - GREECE-ITALY JOINT
INSPECTION ACTIVITIES BY PLANE (OUTCOME NOT MENTIONED)
2002: NOT MENTIONED IN THE 2002 PLAN - WHICH IS A VERY
GENERAL DOCUMENT, MENTIONING ARTICLES OF LAW AND ENFORCEMENT
CAPABILITY (E.G. PERSONNEL, N. OF BOATS AND PLANES, BUDGET,
ETC.) BUT NO MONITORING ACTION PLAN.

- STATUS OF IMPLEMENTATION OF ITALY'S VESSEL MONITORING
SYSTEM:

ACCORDING TO THE EU REGULATION 28/47 ALL EU VESSELS LONGER
THAN 24 METERS MUST HAVE THE BLUE BOX ON BOARD. CURRENTLY
ALL 613 REQUIRED ITALIAN VESSELS HAVE THE BLUE BOX ON BOARD.
ACCORDING TO COMM. MANCINI, ABOUT 140 VESSELS ARE
EXPERIENCING PROBLEMS, A PART OF WHICH COULD BE ALSO DUE TO
INTENTIONAL SABOTAGE TO THE INSTRUMENT. MOREOVER, DUE TO
HIGH COSTS OF SATELLITE MONITORING, THE VESSEL DATA ARE
TRANSMITTED EVERY 6 HOURS INSTEAD OF 2 AS THE EU RULE

UNCLASSIFIED

UNCLASSIFIED PTQ0235

PAGE 01 ROME 05602 02 OF 02 190838Z
ACTION OES-00

INFO LOG-00 NP-00 AGRE-00 AID-00 CEA-01 CG-00 CIAE-00
CTME-00 DINT-00 DODE-00 DOEE-00 ITCE-00 DOTE-00 SRPP-00
DS-00 EB-00 EXME-00 EUR-00 E-00 UTED-00 VC-00
FRB-00 H-01 TEDE-00 INR-00 IO-00 ITC-01 JUSE-00
L-00 VCE-00 AC-01 NSAE-00 NSCE-00 NSF-01 OIC-02
OMB-01 OPIC-01 PA-00 PM-00 PRS-00 ACE-00 P-00
SP-00 SSO-00 SS-00 STR-00 TEST-00 TRSE-00 T-00
USIE-00 EPAE-00 PMB-00 DSCC-00 DRL-02 G-00 NFAT-00
SAS-00 /011W
-------------- 0AEE7D 190838Z /38
R 190719Z NOV 02
FM AMEMBASSY ROME
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 6973
INFO USEU BRUSSELS 2961
USDOC WASHDC
AMEMBASSY PARIS
AMEMBASSY LONDON
AMEMBASSY MADRID
AMEMBASSY DUBLIN
AMEMBASSY LISBON
AMEMBASSY ATHENS

UNCLAS SECTION 02 OF 02 ROME 005602

SIPDIS

OES FOR DAS WEST; OMC FOR TINKHAM, PLE

COMMERCE FOR NOAA/NMFS/IA
UNCLASSIFIED

PAGE 02 ROME 05602 02 OF 02 190838Z

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EFIS SENV PHSA ETRD SENV PHSA ETRD IT ITEFIS MARITIME
SUBJECT: CLOSING THE DRIFTNET LOOP IN ITALY

REQUIRES. THE MONITORING NETWORK INCLUDES ROME AND 13 MAJOR
ITALIAN PORTS.

- DETAILS ON THE FINAL DISPOSITION OF SEIZED OR SURRENDERED
DRIFTNETS: POST ASKED AGAIN THIS INFORMATION ON NOVEMBER 4
AND WAS PROMISED TO RECEIVE A REPLY "SOON".

- RESULTS OF ITALY'S COAST GUARD (CG),AND POLICE SHORESIDE
AND AT-SEA BOARDING AND INSPECTION PROGRAMS FOR 2000-2001
(OVERALL ACTIVITY)

2000 2001
CG POLICE CG POLICE

INSPECTIONS AT SEA 8,856 30,000 19,420 34,000
INSPECTIONS IN PORTS2,187 5,972 13,657 4,883
ADMIN. VIOLATIONS 2,705 3,970 4,300 4,490
ADMIN. SEIZURES 1,091 772 1,323 947
PENAL VIOLATION 564 1,358 913 1,358
PENAL SEIZURES 309 739 507 1,202


6. BEGINNING OF EMBASSY INFORMAL TRANSLATION OF DG
TRIPODI'S LETTER DATED NOVEMBER 14, 2002

AFTER HAVING RECEIVED YOUR NOTE, WE HAVE REQUESTED THE 2002
UNCLASSIFIED

PAGE 03 ROME 05602 02 OF 02 190838Z
(SIC!) DRIFTNET ENFORCEMENT DATA FROM ALL ENFORCEMENT
AUTHORITIES (PORT CAPTAINCIES, CARABINIERI AND CUSTOM
POLICE). AS SOON AS THE REQUESTED DATA ARE AVAILABLE WE
WILL IMMEDIATELY SEND THEM TO THE EMBASSY. HOWEVER, WE
THINK IT IS APPROPRIATE TO ENSURE YOU THAT ALL DRIFTNET
CONVERSION PLAN MEASURES HAVE BEEN CARRIED OUT BOTH
ADMINISTRATIVELY AND OPERATIONALLY (DISPOSAL OF NETS AND
MONITORING ACTIVITY). MOREOVER, DURING THE 2002 CAMPAIGN,
WE PLANNED AND CARRIED OUT AN INTENSE MONITORING ACTIVITY
WHICH INVOLVED ALL ENFORCEMENT AUTHORITIES, AND THE PORT
CAPTAINCIES IN PARTICULAR, AND HAD SATISFACTORY RESULTS AS
SHOWN IN THE ATTACHED SUMMARY.

END OF EMBASSY INFORMAL TRANSLATION.

SKODON

UNCLASSIFIED

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2002ROME05602 - Classification: UNCLASSIFIED