PERU: DEMARCHE ON NEW REQUIREMENTS SWORDFISH AND

UNCLAS LIMA 004925 SIPDIS SENSITIVE NOAA FOR KBLANKENBEKER AND D STEPHAN OES FOR D WARNER-KRAMER E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ETRD EFIS SENV PE IATTC SUBJECT: PERU: DEMARCHE ON NEW REQUIREMENTS SWORDFISH AND TUNA IMPORTS REF: A. STATE 202817 ¶B. LIMA 4910 ¶1. (U) SUMMARY: Econoff delivered Reftel demarche in English and Spanish to the GOP Foreign Ministry and Fisheries section of the Production Ministry on November 5, and met with the GOP fisheries team on November 16. Industry and government contacts contend that Peruvian vessels comply with IATTC documentation requirements for tuna exports. Peruvian fishboats catch little tuna but Peruvian processors export frozen tuna bought from other nationals to the U.S. Peru is improving its inspection, enforcement and reporting capability. Fisheries Vice Ministry officials pledged to work diligently to ensure U.S. import requirements are met. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (U) Econoff delivered Reftel demarche to Vice Minister of Fisheries (Ministry of Production) Alfonso Miranda and Maria Elvira Velasquez, Counselor for Maritime Jurisdiction in the Ministry of Foreign Relations on Novemeber 5. Velasquez requested that she meet with Econoff after discussing the Tuna and Swordfish demarche with appropriate government officials. On November 17, Econoff met with Velasquez, as well as Jorge Vertiz, Director of Fisheries Production and Extraction in the Vice Ministry of Fisheries (Ministry of Production); Admiral Raul Ponce, Director of Enforcement in the Vice Ministry of Fisheries; and Liliana Gomez, Counselor for Maritime and Antarctic Issues in the Foreign Ministry. Econoff also met with Richard Innuritegui Director of National Fisheries Association on November 14; the Association's members include all processors and fishboat companies who fish commercially (legally),but not artisanal (small-scale subsistence) fishermen. Econoff also showed meeting attendees documents from Reftel website. ¶3. (U) Ponce and Vertiz asserted that Peruvian-flagged fishing boats are now complying with tuna documentation requirements of the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC). Ponce said that there was one fishing vessel that they knew of catching tuna; Innuritegui echoed this assessment for his association. Peruvian fish processors do freeze significant amounts of tuna caught by foreign-flagged vessels who deliver their catch in Peruvian waters; the frozen tuna is exported, much of it to the U.S. Vertiz and Ponce both said that they were fairly certain that fish processors were complying with re-export certificate requirements, but they pledged to make certain in light of the demarche. Innurritegui likewise said that he would get distribute the talking points and website information to the fish processors in his association. ¶4. (SBU) Enforcement chief Ponce related what Vice Minister of Fisheries told DCM and Econoff on October 19, that the Production Ministry has come a long way in improving environmental aspects of the fisheries industry. Ponce said that the GOP has realized that illegal, unregulated and unreported (IUU) catch of all commercial species was costing Peru significant revenue, in addition to the deleterious conservation consequences. The GOP now has an extensive system in place to inspect and regulate its fisheries. Ministry of Prduction officials verify the species and weights of catches delivered to Peruvian fish processors. After acknolweding a history of less than ideal oversight of the fishing industry, Ponce concluded that the Fisheries Vice Ministry is still catching up but is now aggressively exerting control. STRUBLE