US embassy cable - 03ROME677

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ROME 000677 
 
SIPDIS 
 
FROM THE U.S. MISSION TO THE UN AGENCIES IN ROME 
 
FOR OES/OMC STETSON TINKHAM/COLIN MCIFF 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS: EFIS, ETRD, SENV, ETRD, SENV, FAOEFIS, FAO 
SUBJECT: FAO FISHERIES PERSONNEL DISCUSS COFI 
 
 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
PAGE 02        ROME  00677  01 OF 02  191552Z 
 
REF: STATE 24762 
 
1. SUMMARY AND ACTION REQUEST: U.S. ALTERNATE PERMANENT 
REPRESENTATIVE MET WITH FAO COMMITTEE ON FISHERIES (COFI) 
SECRETARY BEN SATIA AND OTHER FISHERIES PERSONNEL ON 
 
SIPDIS 
FEBRUARY 12 TO PRESENT REFERENCED DEMARCHE AND TALKING 
POINTS AND TO DISCUSS THE AGENDA FOR THE UPCOMING COFI 
SESSION.  THE UNITED STATES WILL BE A MEMBER OF THE 
DRAFTING COMMITTEE, BUT PARTICIPATION IN THE BUREAU IS 
STILL TO BE DECIDED (SEE RELATED ACTION REQUEST, PARA 5). 
ICELAND HAS FORWARDED A PROPOSAL (SENT BY E-MAIL TO 
TINKHAM/MCIFF) RELATED TO COOPERATION BETWEEN THE FAO AND 
THE CONVENTION ON INTERNATIONAL TRADE IN ENDANGERED 
SPECIES OF WILD FAUNA AND FLORA (CITES), CALLING FOR COFI 
TO ESTABLISH AN EXPERT PANEL TO ASSESS PROPOSALS TO AMEND 
CITES APPENDICES I AND II.  FINALLY, PREPARATIONS ARE 
NEARING COMPLETION FOR THE NETWORK ENFORCEMENT GROUP 
MEETING THE WEEKEND PRIOR TO COFI.  END SUMMARY. 
 
2. U.S. ALTERNATE PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE MET ON 
FEBRUARY 12 WITH COFI SECRETARY BENEDICT SATIA AND OTHER 
FAO FISHERIES PERSONNEL.  REFERENCED DEMARCHE AND TALKING 
POINTS WERE PRESENTED, ALONG WITH A HARD COPY OF THE 
RECENT ECONOMIC PERSPECTIVES JOURNAL REGARDING FISHERIES 
ISSUES.  PER REF REQUEST, THE U.S. REPRESENTATIVE 
EMPHASIZED A DISCUSSION OF THE UN FISH STOCKS AGREEMENT 
(UNFSA) IMPLEMENTATION UNDER THE "OTHER MATTERS" AGENDA 
ITEM, AND WARNED THAT THE UNITED STATES, IN CONSULTATION 
WITH OTHERS, MIGHT PROPOSE CHANGES TO THE AGENDA FROM THE 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
PAGE 03        ROME  00677  01 OF 02  191552Z 
FLOOR.  SATIA APPRECIATED RECEIVING THE U.S. DEMARCHE AND 
STATED THAT HE AND OTHERS IN FAO FISHERIES WOULD, AS 
ALWAYS, STUDY THE DOCUMENT CAREFULLY IN ADVANCE OF THE 
SESSION BEGINNING MONDAY, 2/24. 
 
3. REGARDING THE UNFSA DISCUSSION, SATIA SAID THERE WAS 
NO NEED TO RAISE THE ISSUE UNDER "OTHER MATTERS." 
INSTEAD, HE SUGGESTED THAT IT BE PART OF THE DISCUSSION 
OF THE PROGRESS REPORT ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE CODE, 
WHICH BEGINS ON MONDAY (2/24) AFTERNOON (AGENDA ITEM 5) 
AND CONTINUES THROUGH TUESDAY (2/25) MORNING.  AS 
PRETEXTS, HE CITED PARAGRAPHS 63 - 67 OF THE PROGRESS 
REPORT (COFI DOC 3) WHICH DISCUSS UNFSA AND THE 
ESTABLISHMENT OF THE TRUST FUND, AND PARAGRAPH 90, 
REGARDING THE ROLE OF COFI.  HE ALSO CITED PARAGRAPH 23 
OF DOCUMENT 4 (RELATED TO MONITORING AND CONTROL OF 
VESSELS), UP FOR DISCUSSION UNDER THE SAME AGENDA ITEM, 
WHICH MENTIONS THE FISH CODE PROGRAM. 
 
4. SATIA VISIBLY CRINGED WHEN THE IDEA OF CHANGES TO THE 
AGENDA FROM THE FLOOR WAS RAISED, STATING THAT HE HOPED 
NOT TO "WASTE TIME" DEBATING THE AGENDA FOR THE MEETING, 
SINCE A FULL SLATE OF ITEMS IS ALREADY SCHEDULED AND 
EVENING OR WEEKEND SESSIONS ENVISIONED.  HE SPECIFICALLY 
MENTIONED THAT ISSUES SUCH AS CORAL REEFS, TURTLES AND 
DEEP SEA MATTERS COULD BE DISCUSSED UNDER IMPLEMENTATION 
OF THE CODE OR EVEN DURING THE ECOSYSTEMS DEBATE (ITEM 
11).  ABSENT ANY GUDANCE REGARDING WHAT CHANGES MIGHT BE 
PROPOSED, TE U.S. REPRESENTATIVE PROMISED ONLY TO RELAY 
SATA'S CONCERNS. 
 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
PAGE 04        ROME  00677  01 OF 02  191552Z 
5. DRAFTING COMMITTEE AND BUREAU:OECD CHAIR (NEW 
ZEALAND) WAS ABLE TO SECURE ONE EXTRA OECD SEAT ON THE 
DRAFTING COMMITTEE (SEVEN INSTEAD OF SIX), BUT STILL HAD 
DIFFICULTY WINNOWING DOWN THE LIST OF INTERESTED PARTIES. 
ABSENT A CONSENSUS, THE "FALLBACK" IS TWO MEMBERS PER 
REGIONAL GROUP.  THUS, BOTH THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA 
(NORTH AMERICA) WILL BE INCLUDED, WHILE THE EUROPEANS 
(ERG) WERE FORCED EITHER TO PICK TWO AMONGST THEMSELVES 
OR CONVINCE JAPAN TO STAND DOWN (IN THE END, SWEDEN 
WITHDREW).  STILL TO BE DECIDED IS THE FATE OF THE NORTH 
AMERICAN VICE CHAIR.  THE CANADIAN REPRESENTATIVE IS VERY 
RELUCTANT TO SERVE, AND IN FACT CANADA HAS SERVED AS VICE- 
CHAIR DURING THE PREVIOUS TWO COFI MEETINGS.  THE OECD 
CHAIRMAN WOULD LIKE THE UNITED STATES TO TAKE UP THE 
MANTLE.  ACTION REQUESTED: PLEASE ADVISE U.S. POSITION ON 
VICE CHAIRMANSHIP. 
 
6. THE REPRESENTATIVE FROM ICELAND FORWARDED BY E-MAIL A 
PROPOSAL RELATED TO CLOSER COOPERATION BETWEEN FAO AND 
CITES.  THE PROPOSAL SUGGESTS THAT COFI ESTABLISH AN 
EXPERT PANEL TO ASSESS PROPOSALS TO AMEND CITES 
APPENDICES I AND II.  THE PANEL, TO BE CHAIRED BY A 
SENIOR FAO FISHERIES RESOURCES OFFICER, WOULD PROVIDE 
CITES WITH AN ASSESSMENT CAPABILITY FROM THE FISHERIES 
SECTOR.  THE PANEL WOULD ASSESS PROPOSALS FOR AMENDMENTS 
THAT INVOLVE COMMERCIALLY EXPLOITED AQUATIC SPECIES.  THE 
PANEL'S "POINT OF DEPARTURE" WOULD BE THAT SUCH SPECIES 
WOULD ONLY BE INCLUDED IN THE APPENDICES IN EXCEPTIONAL 
CASES.  THE DRAFT PROPOSAL WAS FORWARDED BY E-MAIL TO 
TINKHAM/MCIFF. 
 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
PAGE 05        ROME  00677  01 OF 02  191552Z 
 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
                           UNCLASSIFIED     PTQ7247 
 
PAGE 01        ROME  00677  02 OF 02  191552Z 
ACTION OES-00 
 
INFO  LOG-00   NP-00    AGRE-00  AID-00   CEA-01   CG-00    CIAE-00 
      COME-00  CTME-00  DINT-00  DODE-00  DOEE-00  ITCE-00  DOTE-00 
      SRPP-00  EB-00    EXME-00  EUR-00   E-00     UTED-00  FMC-01 
      VC-00    FRB-00   H-01     TEDE-00  INR-00   IO-00    ITC-01 
      JUSE-00  L-00     VCE-00   AC-01    NSAE-00  NSCE-00  NSF-01 
      OIC-02   OMB-01   OPIC-01  PER-00   PM-00    PRS-00   ACE-00 
      SP-00    IRM-00   SSO-00   SS-00    STR-00   TEST-00  TRSE-00 
      T-00     USIE-00  EPAE-00  PMB-00   DRL-01   G-00     SAS-00 
        /011W 
                  ------------------3837DC  191611Z /38 
R 191503Z FEB 03 
FM AMEMBASSY ROME 
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 8331 
INFO AMEMBASSY REYKJAVIK 
 
UNCLAS SECTION 02 OF 02 ROME 000677 
 
SIPDIS 
 
FROM THE U.S. MISSION TO THE UN AGENCIES IN ROME 
 
FOR OES/OMC STETSON TINKHAM/COLIN MCIFF 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS: EFIS, ETRD, SENV, FAO 
SUBJECT: FAO FISHERIES PERSONNEL DISCUSS COFI 
 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
PAGE 02        ROME  00677  02 OF 02  191552Z 
7. FINALLY, PREPARATIONS FOR THE NETWORK ENFORCEMENT 
GROUP MEETINGS DURING THE WEEKEND OF FEBRUARY 22ND AND 
23RD ARE NEARING COMPLETION.  POST HAS WORKED CLOSELY 
WITH NOAA TO MEET THEIR REQUIREMENTS AND ANTICIPATES NO 
DIFFICULTIES. 
 
8. POST LOOKS FORWARD TO A SUCCESSFUL WEEK OF MEETINGS. 
 
HEILEMAN 
 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
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 2003ROME00677 - Classification: UNCLASSIFIED