Dutch seek U.S. cooperation on marine conservation

UNCLAS THE HAGUE 001727

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR EUR/WE
STATE FOR EAP/RSP/TC, OES/OMC
COMMERCE FOR NOAA/NMFS
INTERIOR FOR FWS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ECON EFIS SENV FWS INPFC NFMS PHSA NL
SUBJECT: Dutch seek U.S. cooperation on marine conservation



1. Summary: During a recent meeting, an Agriculture Ministry
official responsible for Law of the Sea issues inquired about U.S.
position on three marine resources issues: cooperation on Regional
Fish Management Organizations (RFMOs),genetic research on the high
seas, and a third agreement under the UN Convention on the Law of
Sea. Please see action request in para 5. End Summary.


2. Hans Nieuwenhuis, Policy Advisor for International Affairs in
the Agriculture Ministry Department of Nature, asked Global Officer
about the status of the Regional Fish Management Organization (RFMO)
for the Northern Pacific Ocean. He said he understood that Russia,
Japan and the U.S. were interested in creating a general RFMO that
would cover all marine resources in the Northern Pacific Ocean, as a
counterpart to the Southern Pacific RFMO established by Australia,
New Zealand and Chile. In addition, he asked whether the U.S. would
support a conference of all the RFMOs that deal with marine
resources. Such a conference would be separate from the annual
conference among RFMOs that deal only with tuna fish. Nieuwenhuis
said the Dutch would be interested in working with the U.S. to
organize such a conference.


3. Nieuwenhuis noted that the Dutch Government supported the
establishment of a new legal framework under the Law of the Sea to
control the extraction of living organisms from non-territorial
waters for genetic research. He said the GONL did not support the
U.S. position, which he said he understood to be that harvesting the
seas for marine resources for genetic research and for food are
sufficiently similar to be covered by the same agreements.
However, the GONL also does not support the G-77 position that
genetic research is "the common heritage of mankind" as defined in
the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. He said the EU position was
that there should be a separate framework developed under the Law of
the Sea to manage marine resources used for genetic research.


4. Additionally, Nieuwenhuis said the Dutch supported negotiation
of a third implementing agreement under the Law of the Sea to cover
biodiversity beyond national boundaries. He believes this is
required under the 2002 World Summit for Sustainable Development
which proposed the development of marine protected areas in
international waters. Nieuwenhuis expressed the view that a network
of marine protected areas outside territorial waters cannot be
established without a third implementing agreement under the Law of
the Sea. Nieuwenhuis said he understood that U.S. does not support
negotiation of a new legal framework for genetic diversity and does
not support a third implementing agreement under Law of the Sea.
However, he said he hoped the U.S. and the G-77 countries could at
least "agree to disagree" on how to best manage the exploitation of
marine resources beyond territorial waters.


5. Action Request. Please provide guidance on the USG position on
a new mechanism under the Law of the Sea to manage marine resources
from non-territorial waters. Additionally, please advise on the
status of RFMO for the Northern Pacific region, and whether the U.S.
would support the Dutch proposal for a global conference of non-tuna
RFMO's.

ARNALL