US embassy cable - 05LIMA4910

UNCLAS LIMA 004910 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
OES FOR RAYMOND ARNAUDO 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: AY, EFIS, SENV, ETRD, PE 
SUBJECT: PERU: DEMARCHE CONCERNING CCAMLR TOOTHFISH ISSUES 
 
REF: STATE 189443 
 
(U)  1. This is an action request.  Please see paragraph 6. 
 
2. (U) SUMMARY:  Econoff delivered Reftel demarche to the GOP 
Foreign Ministry and Fisheries section of the Production 
Ministry on October 17 and met with key actors on November 
16.  Industry and government contacts contend that Peruvian 
vessels comply with paper documentation requirements for 
toothfish catches, but they were lacking in information as to 
electronic reporting requirements.  Peru is improving its 
inspection, enforcement and electronic reporting capability. 
Post requests detailed information regarding the reporting 
requirements to pass to industry and government points of 
contact.  END SUMMARY. 
 
3. (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 October 17.  Velasquez 
requested that she meet with Econoff after discussing 
toothfish reporting requirements of the Convention for the 
Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) 
with appropriate government officials.  On November 17, 
Econoff met with Velasquez, as well as Marco Espino, Director 
of Environmental and Scientific Issues at the Peruvian 
Antarctic Institute; 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. 
 
4. (SBU) Ponce and Vertiz explained that Peruvian-flagged 
fishing boats are complying with Catch Documentation Scheme 
(CDS) requirements for use of the Dissostichus Catch 
Documents, or DCDs, and he showed Econoff a sample Peruvian 
DCD. Econoff explained the electronic catch documentation 
scheme (e-CDS); after a long discussion it appeared that, 
despite having several weeks to digest Reftel talking points, 
there remains a lack of information as to the scheme and how 
Peruvian boats can comply.  The Production and Foreign 
ministry representatives assured Econoff of the GOP's intent 
to ensure its fishing boats use e-CDS, and Econoff agreed to 
gather specific details.  Econoff also referred the parties 
present to the CCAML Spanish language website.  Vertiz noted 
that although Peru was a party to the CCAML Convention, it 
was not a member of the Commission, perhaps accounting for a 
lack of GOP information regarding the new e-CDS system. 
 
5.  (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 control its fisheries.  Catches landed in 
Peruvian ports are now certified on embarkation and landing 
(species and weight); captains and crew licenses are also 
verified.  After a history of little oversight, the Fisheries 
Vice Ministry is still catching up but is aggressively 
exerting control over the various fishery industries.  Ponce 
noted that it has only been over the past several years that 
the fishing industry in Peru has earnestly been modernizing 
communication equipment to comply with various reporting and 
communications requirements. 
 
6.  (SBU) Action request: Econoff found the various 
government representatives eager to comply with CCAML 
conservation measures but uninformed as to e-CDS.  Post 
requests more specific information to assist the GOP in 
implementing e-CDS.  Point of contact is Economic and ESTH 
Officer Howell Howard, telephone (51)(1)618-2414, email 
howardhh@state.gov. 
STRUBLE