US embassy cable - 03ROME3413

UNCLAS ROME 003413 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
FROM THE U.S. MISSION TO THE UN AGENCIES IN ROME 
 
DEPT FOR EB, OES/OMC, IO/EDA AND EAP/EP 
DEPT PLEASE PASS USTR FOR AMB ZOELLICK 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ETRD, EFIS, SENV, FAO 
SUBJECT: THIRD AD HOC MEETING OF IGO'S ON WORK PROGRAMS 
    RELATED TO SUBSIDIES IN FISHERIES 
 
1. SUMMARY.  THE UNITED NATIONS FOOD AND AGRICULTURE 
ORGANIZATION (FAO) CONVENED THE THIRD AD HOC MEETING OF 
INTERGOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS (IGOS) ON WORK PROGRAMS 
RELATED TO SUBSIDIES IN FISHERIES 23-25 JULY 2003 AT FAO 
HEADQUARTERS IN ROME.  THE MEETING PRODUCED A CLEARER 
VISION FOR FUTURE FAO WORK IN ESTABLISHING THE LINKAGES 
BETWEEN SUBSIDIES AND FISHING CAPACITY AND ILLEGAL, 
UNREGULATED AND UNREPORTED (IUU) FISHING.  END SUMMARY. 
 
2. THIS AD HOC MEETING WAS UNLIKE THE TWO PREVIOUS 
MEETINGS, IN THAT THE FAO SECRETARIAT USED A CONSULTANT 
TO PREPARE A PROPOSED WORK PROGRAM AND BROUGHT THREE 
ACADEMICS WITH EXPERIENCE IN SUBSIDIES ANALYSIS TO LEAD 
THE DISCUSSION OF THE WORK PROGRAM.  THE 25TH MEETING OF 
THE FAO COMMITTEE ON FISHERIES (COFI), DISAPPOINTED WITH 
THE SLOW PROGRESS TOWARDS USEFUL ANALYSIS OF THE 
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SUBSIDIES AND EXCESS FISHING 
CAPACITY AND BETWEEN SUBSIDIES AND IUU FISHING, HAD GIVEN 
FAO CONSIDERABLE GUIDANCE IN HOW TO PROCEED. 
 
3. THE CONSULTANT'S PRESENTATION CENTERED ON HOW TO APPLY 
THE GUIDANCE FROM COFI TO THE PROBLEM THROUGH A CLASSIC 
APPROACH TO STUDY DESIGN.  THIS INCLUDED:  (1) STATING 
THE MANDATE FOR THE STUDY AND THE "FRAMEWORK" WITHIN 
WHICH IT WOULD BE APPLIED; (2) LISTING THE QUESTIONS TO 
BE ANSWERED BY THE STUDY; (3) DESCRIBING THE METHODOLOGY; 
(4) DESCRIBING THE EXPECTED RESULTS; AND (5) BY PROVIDING 
A LIST OF ISSUES TO BE DISCUSSED BY THE AD HOC MEETING TO 
TEST THE STUDY DESIGN AND TO SEE IF OTHER WORK, ALREADY 
    COMPLETED OR IN PROGRESS IN IGOS, MIGHT BE RELEVANT. 
 
4. REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE PERMANENT COMMISSION FOR THE 
SOUTH PACIFIC (CPPS), THE CARIBBEAN COMMUNITY AND COMMON 
MARKET (CARICOM), THE ASSOCIATION OF SOUTH-EAST ASIAN 
NATIONS (ASEAN), THE UNITED NATIONS ENVIRONMENT PROGRAMME 
(UNEP), THE ORGANIZATION FOR ECONOMIC COOPERATION AND 
DEVELOPMENT (OECD), THE ASIA-PACIFIC ECONOMIC COOPERATION 
(APEC) FISHERIES WORKING GROUP AND THE WORLD TRADE 
ORGANIZATION (WTO) PARTICIPATED IN THE MEETING.  THE IGO 
REPRESENTATIVES EACH PRESENTED BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS OF THE 
ON-GOING SUBSIDIES POLICY DIRECTIONS AND STUDY RESULTS OF 
THEIR RESPECTIVE ORGANIZATIONS.  OES/OMC OFFICER STETSON 
TINKHAM, CURRENT LEAD SHEPHERD (CHAIR) OF THE APEC 
FISHERIES WORKING GROUP, DESCRIBED INVOLVEMENT BY LEADERS 
OF EACH OF THE 21 APEC ECONOMIES IN APEC PRIORITY-SETTING 
AND SUGGESTED THAT MIGHT BE USEFUL IN MOVING THE SUBSIDY 
AGENDA FORWARD.  OTHERS DESCRIBED THEIR RESPECTIVE ROLES 
IN SUBSIDIES WORK, AS WELL AS THE DIFFICULTIES THEY WERE 
EXPERIENCING IN CARRYING OUT THIS WORK. 
 
5. THE CONSULTANT HAD BEGUN WITH THE RESULTS OF THE 
DECEMBER 2002 FAO EXPERT CONSULTATION ON "IDENTIFYING, 
ASSESSING AND REPORTING ON SUBSIDIES IN THE FISHING 
INDUSTRY."   SHE REFINED THE SERIES OF "GUIDELINES" 
DEVELOPED AT THE DECEMBER MEETING INTO THE STUDY DESIGN 
PRESENTED AT THIS AD HOC MEETING.  THE MEETING CONCLUDED 
THAT THE CONSULTANT HAD DEVELOPED A GOOD STUDY DESIGN, 
BUT THAT THE MODEL SHE RECOMMENDED FOR USE IN DETERMINING 
THE IMPACT OF SUBSIDIES ON OVERCAPITALIZATION AND ON IUU 
FISHING NEEDED TO BE TESTED WITH "REAL WORLD" DATA. 
    BASIL SHARP, ONE OF THE ACADEMIC EXPERTS INVITED TO THE 
MEETING BY FAO, AGREED TO "RUN" THE MODEL WITH FISHERIES 
DATA TO WHICH HE HAD ACCESS. FAO PLANS TO USE THE CASE 
STUDIES DEVELOPED USING THE MODEL TO INFORM THE 
DISCUSSION AT AN INTER-GOVERNMENTAL CONSULTATION ON 
SUBSIDIES IN FISHERIES.  THAT CONSULTATION IS CURRENTLY 
SCHEDULED TO TAKE PLACE IN MID-2004. 
 
6. THE RESULTS OF THE DECEMBER 2002 CONSULTATION ARE 
AVAILABLE FROM THE FAO IN FAO FISHERIES REPORT NO. 698 
(FIPP/R698)  ISSN 0429-9337.  THE DRAFT REPORT OF THE AD 
HOC MEETING IS AVAILABLE FROM OES/OMC (CONTACT STETSON 
TINKHAM BY E-MAIL AT TINKHAMSX(AT)STATE.GOV . 
 
HALL 
 
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	2003ROME03413 - Classification: UNCLASSIFIED