BRAZIL: TURTLE/SHRIMP 2009 CERTIFICATION UNDER

UNCLAS BRASILIA 000651 SENSITIVE SIPDIS OES/OMC FOR J.HOGAN E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: SENV EFIN ETRD BR SUBJECT: BRAZIL: TURTLE/SHRIMP 2009 CERTIFICATION UNDER PUBLIC LAW 101-162- MEDIA NOTE DELIVERED REF: STATE 45122 (U) THIS CABLE IS SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED AND NOT FOR INTERNET DISTRIBUTION. ¶1. (SBU) On May 18, 2009, the Deputy Chief of Mission provided both the head of Brazil's Secretariat for Aquaculture and Fishing (SEAP) (which is a unit within the Presidency and separate from the Agriculture Ministry) Altemir Gregolin and the Ministry of Exterior Relations' (MRE) Director of the Department for the Environment and Special Themes Luis Alberto Figueiredo Machado with a copy of the May 4 Media Note contained in REFTEL. That Media Note concerned Public Law 101-162 and the protection of sea turtles from harmful shrimp fishing practices. In pertinent part, the Media Note states that "[i]f shrimp products are from a non-certified country [such as Brazil], a government official of the harvesting nation must also certify the shrimp was caught without harming sea turtles. . . . However, the Department of State must determine in advance that a country wishing to use this exception has in place an enforcement and catch segregation system for making such individual shipment certifications. Presently, only Brazil and Australia have shown that they have a system in place for specific fisheries." ¶2. (SBU) This information was also provided to Francisco Osvaldo Barbosa, International Affairs Advisor for SEAP; Fernando Lyrio, Head of the Office for International Affairs for the Ministry of the Environment; Maria Ines Miranda, Advisor to the president for the Brazilian EPA (IBAMA); and Fernando Coimbra, the MRE' Director of the Division for the Environment. KUBISKE