US embassy cable - 03TEGUCIGALPA583

UNCLAS TEGUCIGALPA 000583 
 
SIPDIS 
 
GUATEMALA FOR COMATT: DTHOMPSON 
STATE FOR WHA/CEN 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EFIS, SENV, ETRD, ECON, HO 
SUBJECT: GOH PROPOSAL FOR SHRIMP RECERTIFICATION 
 
REF: (A) SECSTATE 06760 (B) TEGUCIGALPA 116 (C) SECSTATE 
54094 
 
1. (U) Summary and Action Request.  On February 19, 2003, 
the Honduran Ministry of Agriculture, along with the 
Department of Fisheries, sent the Embassy their proposal for 
improvement of enforcement of turtle excluder device (TED) 
regulations (ref a) following the January 2003 decision to 
decertify Honduras, effectively banning the exportation of 
wild Honduran shrimp to the U.S.  Immediate tasks the GOH 
plans to undertake include sanctioning vessels found in 
violation of TEDs requirements, reactivation of an agreement 
between private, military and government agencies to finance 
patrolling and auditing of vessels, canceling fishing 
licenses of boats found in violation of fishing regulations, 
inspecting all fishing vessels in port during the off-season 
prior to issuance of new licenses, and creation of new 
fishing laws to give the GOH better legal grounds for 
prosecution of boat owners found in violation.  The Minister 
has requested assistance from the US for training of 
officials and fishermen. Department is requested to provide 
guidance for a response to this training request.  End 
Summary. 
 
2. (U) EconOff notified GOH officials in January 2003 of the 
failed TEDs inspection and subsequent pending de- 
certification from exportation of Honduran commercially 
harvested shrimp to the U.S. as a result of their failure to 
comply with TEDs requirements (ref b).  In response to the 
demarche and inspection report (ref a), the Ministry of 
Agriculture, along with its Department of Fisheries, have 
come up with a plan for improving fishing regulations and 
compliance with TEDs requirements.  In order to avoid 
evasion of the country's fisheries regulations, especially 
that part dealing with TEDs devices, the GOH plans on taking 
the following steps: 
 
     - The GOH is sanctioning and fining the ships that were 
found in violation of TEDs with the nets sewn closed in the 
amount of L 50,000.00 lempiras (approximately USD 2,900) 
each for the vessels Wendy Weather, Admiral, and Carnival V. 
 
     - Reactivation of the agreement between the Department 
of Fisheries (Digepesca), the National Merchant Marines, the 
Honduran Naval Forces, and the Caribbean Association of 
Fisheries in order to finance patrols, fishing controls and 
auditing of fishing vessels, both aboard the fishing ships 
and at the processing plants at the time of off-loading of 
their catch. 
 
     - Canceling the fishing licenses of the shrimp boats 
that fail to correctly install and/or utilize TEDs devices. 
 
     - Complete inspections of all shrimp fishing vessels 
that will be in port during the off season from February 1, 
2003 to July 16, 2003, in order to ensure that all boats 
have the required TEDs devices installed prior to issuance 
of a fishing license. 
 
     - Continue to convene periodic meetings between GOH 
officials and representatives of the fishing industry 
(APESCA) to establish a guide for better control and 
performance of fishing activities. 
 
     - Immediate application of Ministerial Agreements for 
regulation of acts which infringe on the National Fishing 
Law, its regulations and annexes. 
 
     - Drafting and adoption of a new Fishing Law and 
regulations in order to have a legal instrument that will 
permit the GOH to severely sanction shrimp or other fishing 
boat owners who are in violation of the law. 
 
     - Request assistance from the U.S. Fisheries Service 
(through the State Department OES Bureau) for the training 
of Honduran inspectors and fishermen in the installation, 
manufacturing and maintenance of TEDs devices. 
 
3. (U) Note: EmbOff was approached on a 2/27 trip to Roatan 
by several shrimp fishermen asking what the GOH was doing to 
rectify Honduras' failure of the TEDs inspection and 
subsequent exclusion of importation of captured shrimp. 
Both GOH officials and fishermen are aware of the potential 
economic impact of the failed inspection and express a 
desire to rectify the situation as expeditiously as 
possible.  End note. 
 
PALMER