FAO FISHERIES PERSONNEL DISCUSS COFI

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ROME 000677 SIPDIS FROM THE U.S. MISSION TO THE UN AGENCIES IN ROME FOR OES/OMC STETSON TINKHAM/COLIN MCIFF E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EFIS ETRD SENV ETRD SENV FAOEFIS FAO SUBJECT: FAO FISHERIES PERSONNEL DISCUSS COFI UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 02 ROME 00677 01 OF 02 191552Z REF: STATE 24762 ¶1. SUMMARY AND ACTION REQUEST: U.S. ALTERNATE PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE MET WITH FAO COMMITTEE ON FISHERIES (COFI) SECRETARY BEN SATIA AND OTHER FISHERIES PERSONNEL ON SIPDIS FEBRUARY 12 TO PRESENT REFERENCED DEMARCHE AND TALKING POINTS AND TO DISCUSS THE AGENDA FOR THE UPCOMING COFI SESSION. THE UNITED STATES WILL BE A MEMBER OF THE DRAFTING COMMITTEE, BUT PARTICIPATION IN THE BUREAU IS STILL TO BE DECIDED (SEE RELATED ACTION REQUEST, PARA 5). ICELAND HAS FORWARDED A PROPOSAL (SENT BY E-MAIL TO TINKHAM/MCIFF) RELATED TO COOPERATION BETWEEN THE FAO AND THE CONVENTION ON INTERNATIONAL TRADE IN ENDANGERED SPECIES OF WILD FAUNA AND FLORA (CITES),CALLING FOR COFI TO ESTABLISH AN EXPERT PANEL TO ASSESS PROPOSALS TO AMEND CITES APPENDICES I AND II. FINALLY, PREPARATIONS ARE NEARING COMPLETION FOR THE NETWORK ENFORCEMENT GROUP MEETING THE WEEKEND PRIOR TO COFI. END SUMMARY. ¶2. U.S. ALTERNATE PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE MET ON FEBRUARY 12 WITH COFI SECRETARY BENEDICT SATIA AND OTHER FAO FISHERIES PERSONNEL. REFERENCED DEMARCHE AND TALKING POINTS WERE PRESENTED, ALONG WITH A HARD COPY OF THE RECENT ECONOMIC PERSPECTIVES JOURNAL REGARDING FISHERIES ISSUES. PER REF REQUEST, THE U.S. REPRESENTATIVE EMPHASIZED A DISCUSSION OF THE UN FISH STOCKS AGREEMENT (UNFSA) IMPLEMENTATION UNDER THE "OTHER MATTERS" AGENDA ITEM, AND WARNED THAT THE UNITED STATES, IN CONSULTATION WITH OTHERS, MIGHT PROPOSE CHANGES TO THE AGENDA FROM THE UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 03 ROME 00677 01 OF 02 191552Z FLOOR. SATIA APPRECIATED RECEIVING THE U.S. DEMARCHE AND STATED THAT HE AND OTHERS IN FAO FISHERIES WOULD, AS ALWAYS, STUDY THE DOCUMENT CAREFULLY IN ADVANCE OF THE SESSION BEGINNING MONDAY, 2/24. ¶3. REGARDING THE UNFSA DISCUSSION, SATIA SAID THERE WAS NO NEED TO RAISE THE ISSUE UNDER "OTHER MATTERS." INSTEAD, HE SUGGESTED THAT IT BE PART OF THE DISCUSSION OF THE PROGRESS REPORT ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE CODE, WHICH BEGINS ON MONDAY (2/24) AFTERNOON (AGENDA ITEM 5) AND CONTINUES THROUGH TUESDAY (2/25) MORNING. AS PRETEXTS, HE CITED PARAGRAPHS 63 - 67 OF THE PROGRESS REPORT (COFI DOC 3) WHICH DISCUSS UNFSA AND THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE TRUST FUND, AND PARAGRAPH 90, REGARDING THE ROLE OF COFI. HE ALSO CITED PARAGRAPH 23 OF DOCUMENT 4 (RELATED TO MONITORING AND CONTROL OF VESSELS),UP FOR DISCUSSION UNDER THE SAME AGENDA ITEM, WHICH MENTIONS THE FISH CODE PROGRAM. ¶4. SATIA VISIBLY CRINGED WHEN THE IDEA OF CHANGES TO THE AGENDA FROM THE FLOOR WAS RAISED, STATING THAT HE HOPED NOT TO "WASTE TIME" DEBATING THE AGENDA FOR THE MEETING, SINCE A FULL SLATE OF ITEMS IS ALREADY SCHEDULED AND EVENING OR WEEKEND SESSIONS ENVISIONED. HE SPECIFICALLY MENTIONED THAT ISSUES SUCH AS CORAL REEFS, TURTLES AND DEEP SEA MATTERS COULD BE DISCUSSED UNDER IMPLEMENTATION OF THE CODE OR EVEN DURING THE ECOSYSTEMS DEBATE (ITEM 11). ABSENT ANY GUDANCE REGARDING WHAT CHANGES MIGHT BE PROPOSED, TE U.S. REPRESENTATIVE PROMISED ONLY TO RELAY SATA'S CONCERNS. UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 04 ROME 00677 01 OF 02 191552Z ¶5. DRAFTING COMMITTEE AND BUREAU:OECD CHAIR (NEW ZEALAND) WAS ABLE TO SECURE ONE EXTRA OECD SEAT ON THE DRAFTING COMMITTEE (SEVEN INSTEAD OF SIX),BUT STILL HAD DIFFICULTY WINNOWING DOWN THE LIST OF INTERESTED PARTIES. ABSENT A CONSENSUS, THE "FALLBACK" IS TWO MEMBERS PER REGIONAL GROUP. THUS, BOTH THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA (NORTH AMERICA) WILL BE INCLUDED, WHILE THE EUROPEANS (ERG) WERE FORCED EITHER TO PICK TWO AMONGST THEMSELVES OR CONVINCE JAPAN TO STAND DOWN (IN THE END, SWEDEN WITHDREW). STILL TO BE DECIDED IS THE FATE OF THE NORTH AMERICAN VICE CHAIR. THE CANADIAN REPRESENTATIVE IS VERY RELUCTANT TO SERVE, AND IN FACT CANADA HAS SERVED AS VICE- CHAIR DURING THE PREVIOUS TWO COFI MEETINGS. THE OECD CHAIRMAN WOULD LIKE THE UNITED STATES TO TAKE UP THE MANTLE. ACTION REQUESTED: PLEASE ADVISE U.S. POSITION ON VICE CHAIRMANSHIP. ¶6. THE REPRESENTATIVE FROM ICELAND FORWARDED BY E-MAIL A PROPOSAL RELATED TO CLOSER COOPERATION BETWEEN FAO AND CITES. THE PROPOSAL SUGGESTS THAT COFI ESTABLISH AN EXPERT PANEL TO ASSESS PROPOSALS TO AMEND CITES APPENDICES I AND II. THE PANEL, TO BE CHAIRED BY A SENIOR FAO FISHERIES RESOURCES OFFICER, WOULD PROVIDE CITES WITH AN ASSESSMENT CAPABILITY FROM THE FISHERIES SECTOR. THE PANEL WOULD ASSESS PROPOSALS FOR AMENDMENTS THAT INVOLVE COMMERCIALLY EXPLOITED AQUATIC SPECIES. THE PANEL'S "POINT OF DEPARTURE" WOULD BE THAT SUCH SPECIES WOULD ONLY BE INCLUDED IN THE APPENDICES IN EXCEPTIONAL CASES. THE DRAFT PROPOSAL WAS FORWARDED BY E-MAIL TO TINKHAM/MCIFF. UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 05 ROME 00677 01 OF 02 191552Z UNCLASSIFIED UNCLASSIFIED PTQ7247 PAGE 01 ROME 00677 02 OF 02 191552Z ACTION OES-00 INFO LOG-00 NP-00 AGRE-00 AID-00 CEA-01 CG-00 CIAE-00 COME-00 CTME-00 DINT-00 DODE-00 DOEE-00 ITCE-00 DOTE-00 SRPP-00 EB-00 EXME-00 EUR-00 E-00 UTED-00 FMC-01 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 PER-00 PM-00 PRS-00 ACE-00 SP-00 IRM-00 SSO-00 SS-00 STR-00 TEST-00 TRSE-00 T-00 USIE-00 EPAE-00 PMB-00 DRL-01 G-00 SAS-00 /011W -------------- 3837DC 191611Z /38 R 191503Z FEB 03 FM AMEMBASSY ROME TO SECSTATE WASHDC 8331 INFO AMEMBASSY REYKJAVIK UNCLAS SECTION 02 OF 02 ROME 000677 SIPDIS FROM THE U.S. MISSION TO THE UN AGENCIES IN ROME FOR OES/OMC STETSON TINKHAM/COLIN MCIFF E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EFIS ETRD SENV ETRD SENV FAOEFIS FAO SUBJECT: FAO FISHERIES PERSONNEL DISCUSS COFI UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 02 ROME 00677 02 OF 02 191552Z ¶7. FINALLY, PREPARATIONS FOR THE NETWORK ENFORCEMENT GROUP MEETINGS DURING THE WEEKEND OF FEBRUARY 22ND AND 23RD ARE NEARING COMPLETION. POST HAS WORKED CLOSELY WITH NOAA TO MEET THEIR REQUIREMENTS AND ANTICIPATES NO DIFFICULTIES. ¶8. POST LOOKS FORWARD TO A SUCCESSFUL WEEK OF MEETINGS. HEILEMAN UNCLASSIFIED > 2003ROME00677 - Classification: UNCLASSIFIED