BRAZILIAN SEABIRD BYCATCH NPOA

UNCLAS ROME 001234 SIPDIS FROM THE U.S. MISSION TO THE UN AGENCIES IN ROME DEPT FOR OES/OMC E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: SENV EFIS TBIO KSCA EUN SUBJECT: BRAZILIAN SEABIRD BYCATCH NPOA REF: A) BRASILIA 479 B) KOTOK/BERTON 2/22 E-MAIL ¶1. AS A FOLLOW UP TO AND UPDATE OF REF B) E-MAIL, U.S. MISSION PROVIDES THE FOLLOWING FORMAL RESPONSE TO REF A) INQUIRY REGARDING THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A BRASILIAN NATIONAL PLAN OF ACTION (NPOA) FOR SEABIRD BYCATCH. ¶2. INITIALLY, ALT PERM REP SPOKE WITH JEREMY TURNER, CHIEF OF THE FISHING TECHNOLOGIES SERVICES, PART OF THE FISHERIES INDUSTRIES DIVISION OF THE UN FOOD & AGRICULTURAL ORGANIZATION (FAO). WHAT TURNER SAID WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DIFFERENT FROM THE CONTENTS OF REF A), WHICH SUGGESTED THAT FAO HAD BEEN SLOW TO RESPOND TO APPEALS FOR HELP FROM CEMAVE, PART OF THE GOB'S ENVIRONMENT MINISTRY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE CONSERVATION OF WILD BIRDS. INSTEAD, TURNER STATED THAT THE FAO HAD BEEN "PUSHING, PUSHING, PUSHING" FOR THE GOB TO ACCEPT FAO FUNDS (USD 10,000) TO GET STARTED. ACCORDING TO TURNER, THE PROBLEM IS THE GOB'S LACK OF A PROCEDURAL WAY OF ACCEPTING OUTSIDE FUNDING FROM AN ORGANIZATION LIKE THE FAO. HE CITED A 12/16/02 E-MAIL IN WHICH THE LOCAL FAO REP IN BRASILIA REPEATED THE SAME MESSAGE. ¶3. TURNER ADMITTED THE FAO HAD BEEN SLOW TO MOVE IN THE FIRST HALF OF 2002, BUT SAID THEY HAD BEEN PUSHING THE ISSUE SINCE MID-YEAR. FAO WAS CONSIDERING THE DISBURSAL OF FUNDS DIRECTLY TO WHOMEVER THE GOB CHOOSES IN ORDER TO SOLVE THE FUNDING PROBLEM, BUT EVEN FAO'S OWN ACCOUNTANTS ARE UNSURE IF THAT IS POSSIBLE. SO THE FAO CONTINUES TO SEARCH FOR A WAY OF GETTING THE MONEY TO THE RIGHT PLACE. ¶4. ALT PERM REP CALLED ON SENIOR FISHERIES OFFICER WILFRIED THIELE (WORKS DIRECTLY FOR TURNER, WHO IS AWAY FOR TWO WEEKS) ON 3/19 FOR AN UPDATE. THIELE COMMENTED THAT THE SEARCH GOES ON FOR A PROPER FUNDING MECHANISM, AND THAT THE PROBLEM IS NOT UNIQUE TO BRAZIL. HE OPINED THAT ULTIMATELY, THE RESOLUTION WILL INVOLVE TRANSFERRING FUNDS TO THE BRAZILIAN FAO REP, WHO MAY BE ABLE TO PAY FROM ACTUAL INVOICES SUBMITTED. MEANWHILE, THE FUNDS CONTINUE TO SIT IN ROME. ¶5. IT IS IRONIC THAT AT THE SAME TIME THAT FAO AND BRAZILIAN AUTHORITIES ARE STRUGGLING TO FIND A MECHANISM FOR UTILIZING THE $40,000 FROM FAO, FAO DIRECTOR GENERAL JACQUES DIOUF TRAVELED TO BRAZIL TO ANNOUNCE A $1 MILLION CONTRIBUTION FROM FAO'S REGULAR PROGRAM FOR TECHNICAL COOPERATION FOR ASSISTANCE TO BRAZIL'S "ZERO HUNGER" PROGRAM. ACCORDING TO THE FEBRUARY 14, 2003 FAO PRESS RELEASE, THESE FUNDS WILL BE USED, INTER ALIA TO DESIGN AND OFFER CAPACITY-BUILDING COURSES TO COUNTER THE EFFECTS OF DROUGHT AND BOLSTER THE PROFITABILITY AND PRODUCTIVITY OF THE RURAL POPULATIONS OF NORTH-EASTERN BRAZIL. HALL NNNN 2003ROME01234 - Classification: UNCLASSIFIED