US embassy cable - 05BOGOTA5276

UNCLAS BOGOTA 005276 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EFIS, SENV, ETRD, CO 
SUBJECT: COLOMBIA WANTS TO JOIN IATTC - BUT WITH CONDITIONS 
 
REF: 2004 State 179987 
 
1.   Summary:  The GOC has decided to ratify the Convention 
on the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC), and 
will apply to join the Commission at the upcoming IATTC 
meeting in June.  Colombia will ask the IATTC to grant 
certain conditions to "facilitate" Colombia's ratification 
of the convention.  End Summary. 
 
2.  On May 27, the GOC notified diplomats from IATTC member 
states that Colombia has decided to ratify the IATTC 
Convention, and will present its application to the 
Commission during the upcoming IATTC meeting in June. 
According to the GOC (and as transmitted in GOC diplomatic 
note 29792 (faxed and pouched to WHA)), the GOC will ask the 
IATTC to grant two conditions that will "facilitate" the GOC 
accession to the Commission. 
 
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Condition 1: Size of Catch 
-------------------------- 
 
3.  In 2002, IATTC members agreed to grant fishing 
permissions for the Eastern Pacific Ocean (EPO) to vessels 
listed on the IATTC's Regional Vessel Registry.  Nine 
Colombian vessels were registered at that time, resulting in 
an authorized capacity of 7,130 cubic meters of tuna per 
year. 
 
4.  As a condition for IATTC ratification, Colombia requests 
that the Commission increase its authorized capacity to 
14,046 cubic meters.  In addition, it requests that the 
IATTC recognize the additional capacity gained by Colombia 
when 5 Bolivian vessels were re-flagged to Colombian 
nationality.  Finally, Colombia wants assurances that the 
IATTC will consider increases in future capacity allowances, 
allow for growth in the industry. 
 
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Condition 2: Closure Periods 
---------------------------- 
 
5.  As a condition for its ratification of the IATTC 
Convention, Colombia is requesting a closure period 
transition until January, 2007.  During the transition, the 
GOC will require its fleet to stand down for 42 days, but 
will allow operators the flexibility to decide which of the 
two closure periods they will observe.  According to the 
GOC, the tuna fleet will use global positioning satellite 
tracking systems to monitor compliance. The GOC states this 
regime is required to protect the tuna processing industry 
from a 42 period of inactivity. 
 
6.  During the transition, the GOC will lobby the IATTC to 
change its closure period policy, hoping the Commission will 
adopt the Colombian policy of staggered closure periods 
elected by fleet operators.  When asked about strategies to 
prepare the tuna processing industry for compliance with the 
current IATTC closure period policy, the GOC repeated its 
plan to lobby the IATTC for change from the inside, backed 
by studies of the impact its staggered closure system has 
had on tuna populations in the EPO. 
 
7.  Comment:  Colombia's new focus on the IATTC was brought 
on by concerns over the GOC's non-compliance in 2004 with 
the IATTC closure period and questions raised in 2003 over 
the inclusion of a non-authorized vessel in Colombia's tuna 
fleet.  These issues became even more pressing in the 
context of negotiations toward a free trade agreement (FTA) 
between Colombia and the United States. 
 
WOOD