INFORMATION REQUEST FROM NATION OF INTEREST FOR

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 STATE 105747 SENSITIVE SIPDIS ACCRA FOR REO E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EFIS SENV ETRD EK SUBJECT: INFORMATION REQUEST FROM NATION OF INTEREST FOR PURPOSES OF THE HIGH SEAS DRIFTNET FISHING MORATORIUM PROTECTION ACT ¶1. This is an action cable; see para. 5. Background -------------- ¶2. Under recent changes to the High Seas Driftnet Fishing Moratorium Protection Act (Moratorium Protection Act) contained in the Magnuson Stevens Reauthorization Act (MSRA),the Dept. of Commerce is required to produce a biennial report to Congress that lists nations the United States has identified as having vessels engaged in illegal, unregulated and unreported (IUU) fishing activities or fishing activities that result in the bycatch of protected living marine resources (PLMRs). Once nations have been identified, there is a notification and consultation process. Subsequent to these processes, the United States will certify whether the government of an identified nation has provided evidence that corrective action has been taken with respect to the activities identified in the report to Congress. The absence of sufficient steps by an identified nation to address IUU fishing and/or bycatch of protected living marine resources may lead to prohibitions on the importation of certain fisheries products into the United States from that nation, the denial of port privileges for vessels of that nation, and/or other measures. ¶3. The first biennial report is due to Congress in January ¶2009. NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS),in consultation with the Department and other agencies, has initiated two parallel processes to determine which nations should be identified for IUU fishing or bycatch of protected living marine resources. As part of the IUU fishing identification process, the United States is contacting nations that are of interest for having vessels that allegedly were engaged in IUU fishing activity during calendar years 2007 and/or 2008. (Note: NOAA is still considering information relevant to the identification process for bycatch of PLMRs. While no nation has yet been determined to be a nation of interest for Bycatch, we will be undertaking outreach to nations whose fishing fleets operate in areas where the Bycatch of PLMRs is possible. End Note.) ¶4. For purposes of the Moratorium Protection Act, and in NMFS policy measures implementing it, ''IUU fishing'' is defined as fishing activities that violate conservation and management measures required under an international fishery management agreement to which the United States is a party, including catch limits or quotas, capacity restrictions and bycatch reduction requirements; overfishing of fish stocks shared by the United States, for which there are no applicable international conservation or management measures or in areas with no applicable international fishery management organization or agreement that has adverse impacts on such stocks; STATE 00105747 002 OF 003 SUBJECT: INFORMATION REQUEST FROM NATION OF INTEREST FOR PURPOSES OF THE HIGH SEAS DRIFTNET FISHING MORATORIUM PROTECTION A and fishing activity that has an adverse impact on seamounts, hydrothermal vents, and cold water corals located beyond national jurisdiction, for which there are no applicable conservation or management measures or in areas with no applicable international fishery management organization or agreement. End Background. Action Request and Talking Points -------------- ¶5. Action request: Post is requested to approach, at the highest possible level, host government officials in relevant ministries/departments, in particular fisheries/agriculture, foreign affairs, and possibly environment and/or trade, to convey the points below. Post should also feel free to draw as necessary from other portions of this cable. ¶6. Begin talking points: As your government is aware from our cooperative work in global fora such as the FAO and in regional fisheries management organizations, the United States is very concerned about the impacts of illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing. In January 2007, the reauthorization of the United States' chief fisheries management statute, the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, included a number of provisions aimed at eliminating IUU fishing and addressing fishing activities that adversely impact protected living marine resources, such as marine mammals and sea turtles. As the United States presented in several previous international meetings, these new provisions require the United States to identify nations whose fishing vessels have been engaged in IUU fishing or bycatch of protected living marine resources. The first list of identified nations will be included in a report to the U.S. Congress in January 2009. After a notification and consultation process, the United States will certify whether the government of an identified nation has taken appropriate corrective action to address the activities identified in the January 2009 report. If an identified nation has not taken sufficient steps to address IUU fishing and/or bycatch of protected living marine resources by its vessels, the United States may deny port privileges for vessels of such nation and prohibit the importation of certain fisheries products. To begin this process, the United States has collected and reviewed relevant information that may indicate that certain vessels were engaged in IUU fishing activities during calendar years 2007 and/or 2008. We are now reaching out to the flag States of these vessels to gather additional information and seek clarification. In the case of Equatorial Guinea, we note that correspondence circulated to members of the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Living Marine Resources (CCAMLR) indicates that a fishing vessel on the CCAMLR IUU vessel list flagged to Equatorial Guinea (Golden Dragon) was sighted illegally fishing inside the CCAMLR Convention Area in April 2008 STATE 00105747 003 OF 003 We also note that correspondence circulated to members of CCAMLR alleges that a fishing vessel on the CCAMLR IUU vessel list flagged to Equatorial Guinea (Tropic) was sighted illegally fishing inside the CCAMLR Convention Area in January 2008 (see CCAMLR COMM CIRC 08/5). The United States would be very interested to receive responses to the following questions: --Has Equatorial Guinea taken any punitive action against vessels that are listed on the CCAMLR IUU vessel list? Have any actions been taken to address recent alleged illegal activities of these vessels? --What other steps have Equatorial Guinea taken to ensure effective monitoring and control of its fleet and support vessels, such as transshipment/carrier vessels? Specifically, what are the requirements for vessel registration and licensing and which part of the government is responsible for these activities? --What punitive actions can Equatorial Guinea take against its vessels that are found to be operating illegally? What law or laws provide the basis for monitoring, control and enforcement of the fishing fleet and support vessels of Equatorial Guinea? The United States welcomes any information Equatorial Guinea may be able to provide, particularly on any corrective actions or other measures that Equatorial Guinea has taken to control its fleet and meet its international obligations. The United States would like to work with appropriate officials from Equatorial Guinea on ways to address any problems of IUU fishing and determine what assistance may be needed. This matter is of utmost importance, and we strongly encourage your country to provide us with relevant information concerning these matters as soon as possible. Any response provided by Equatorial Guinea will be thoroughly considered in the preparation of the first biennial report to Congress, due January 2009, on identifications. End talking points. ¶7. NMFS POC on this matter is Laura Cimo of the Office of International Affairs. She can be reached as follows: Phone: 301-713-9090, Fax: 301-713-9106, unclass e-mail: laura.cimo@noaa.gov. Department POC is OES/OMC: Deirdre Warner-Kramer, phone 202-647-2883. ¶8. Department and NMFS greatly appreciate Posts' assistance on this very important matter and look forward to receiving any responses from host government. Timely responses are critical given January 2009 deadline for transmitting the first biennial report to Congress on identifications. Post should feel free to contact NMFS POC with any questions, requests for additional information or clarification, or comments regarding the relevant U.S. laws, information on alleged IUU fishing activities, cooperative assistance that may be needed, or any related matters. RICE