VZCZCXYZ0000
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHSN #2181/01 2492055
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 062055Z SEP 06
FM AMEMBASSY SAN SALVADOR
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 3652
INFO RUEHZA/WHA CENTRAL AMERICAN COLLECTIVE
RUEHDG/AMEMBASSY SANTO DOMINGO 0641
RUEHME/AMEMBASSY MEXICO 6289
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHINGTON DC

UNCLAS SAN SALVADOR 002181 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ECON EFIS SENV ES
SUBJECT: SALVADORAN PAYMENT OF IATTC DUES AND LETTER FOR SECRETARY 
RICE 
 
REF:  STATE 137743 
 
¶1. (U) SUMMARY:  Econoff delivered reftel demarche on non-payment of 
Inter-American Tropical Tuna Comission (IATTC) contributions to the 
Center for the Development of Fisheries and Aquaculture (CENDEPESCA) 
director Manuel Fermin Oliva and Fisheries Coordinator Sonia 
Salavarria.  They understand the need for the payment, but could not 
say when El Salvador will pay, citing budgetary issues and the 
timing of the fiscal year as well as the cost of the program.  Oliva 
and Salavarria also provided copies of letters addressed to 
Secretary Rice and Secretary of Commerce on dolphin safe tuna 
 
SIPDIS 
labeling requirements.  The letters are to be presented by the 
Embassies of the signatory countries in Washington at a date to be 
determined.  The letters have not been officially released by the 
parties and should be handled accordingly.  END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2. (U) Econoff met with CENDEPESCA director Manuel Fermin Oliva and 
with the Fisheries Coordinator Sonia Salavarria to discuss the 
non-payment of contributions to the IATTC for FY2006.  Oliva said 
the funds have to be requested from the Ministry of Finance, which 
is currently working on next year's budget, and Oliva said they will 
wait for a more opportune time to request the funds.  No partial 
payments have been made; Oliva and Salavarria are confident El 
Salvador will pay but cannot say when.  Another issue for CENDEPESCA 
is the timing of the fiscal year for the IATTC, which is different 
than the calendar year based system used in El Salvador, 
complicating the payment process. 
 
¶3. (U) Oliva and Salavarria reaffirmed their interest in 
participating in the IATTC and the Agreement on the International 
Dolphin Conservation Program (AIDCP), and the importance of these 
programs for maintaining the Eastern Pacific Ocean ecosystem.  They 
also spoke about the rising costs of the IATTC, the structure of the 
organization, and that there could come a point where El Salvador 
would not be able to pay steadily rising contribution levels.  They 
said to offset rising costs the organization should look at ways to 
cut overhead, including the possible movement of the office from La 
Jolla, California to a lower cost location. 
 
¶4. (SBU) Salavarria provided econoff with copies of identical 
letters addressed to Secretary Rice and Secretary of Commerce 
Gutierrez which focus on the dolphin safe tuna label and problems 
faced by exporters seeking to enter the U.S. tuna market.  Originals 
of these letters will be delivered in Washington by the embassies of 
the interested parties on a date to be determined.  These copies 
have not been approved for release by the interested parties, so 
please handle accordingly.  The following is an unofficial 
translation of letters, copies of which will be faxed to WHA/CEN and 
OES/OMC. 
 
Begin Text 
 
El Salvador, August 23, 2006 
 
It is a pleasure to greet you and, at the same time, we refer to you 
an issue that is of utmost importance to our nations in the 
fisheries, environmental and socioeconomic areas as they relate to 
tuna fishing, dolphin conservation and the protection of the 
maritime ecosystem of the Eastern Pacific Ocean. 
 
As you know, since we have addressed this issue with your government 
in the past, 15 countries including the United States of America, 
have subscribed to the Agreement on the International Dolphin 
Conservation Program (AIDCP), which has served to successfully 
promote responsible fishery practices, effectively achieving, with 
transparency and scientific information, both the sustainability of 
the tuna fishery and the integral protection of the different 
species of the maritime ecosystem, especially dolphins, with that 
said, this Agreement has achieved recognition from international 
organizations such as the United Nations Organization for Food and 
Agriculture (FAO) and well known environmental NGOs, among others. 
 
 
The countries that are members of the Agreement on the International 
Dolphin Conservation Program (AIDCP) have committed since 1991 to 
the implementation of the "dolphin safe" concept that is within the 
subscribed fishery agreements, and even though the United States has 
conducted activities to comply with its commitments, including its 
participation in the judicial process, to date, there is a different 
"dolphin safe" definition to that of the Agreement, which prevents 
the effective access of our tuna products and limits the 
implementation of the free trade agreements that have been signed 
with your country. 
 
The adoption and implementation in the United States of the "dolphin 
safe" concept that is established would not only maintain the APICD 
but also will provide an effective access to the U.S. market, 
removing unfair trade barriers. 
 
 
Despite the continuous efforts that our governments and industries 
have made to comply with the Agreement, the acceptance of tuna in 
the United States is significantly limited if it lacks the "dolphin 
safe" certification.  Without which, discriminates and impedes sales 
on an equal basis, affects the competitiveness of our products in 
the U.S. market and generates a negative impact in the development 
of our fishery industries, since the U.S. market is the objective of 
many of the countries signing this letter. 
 
We consider that while the internal process continues in the United 
States to implement the "dolphin safe" concept, which has been going 
on for more than 10 years now, we cannot continue to allow it to 
affect our tuna fisheries development; thus we request the 
administration of the United States to disclose publicly before the 
relevant private entities of your country related to the sales of 
tuna, the official position of your government on this issue. 
 
This would contribute significantly to stop the continued 
deterioration of our industries resulting from the perception that 
the tuna fishing industry in our countries is not sustainable and 
does not respect the maritime environment and that the U.S. 
government is opposed to it.  This in light of the fact that U.S. 
commercial companies on many occasions have shown their interest in 
purchasing the product but only if it is consistent with the policy 
of their own government. 
 
We consider that the above can be accomplished through informative 
events in the United States, like the ones that have successfully 
taken place in other parts of the APICD,  conducted under the 
organization and leadership of the government of the host country. 
For that, our countries are in the best disposition to support such 
events.  We hope that the events could start in Washington D.C., on 
the soonest date possible. 
 
Sincerely, 
 
Hector Hernandez Amador 
Agriculture and Livestock Secretary 
Honduras 
 
Mario E. Salaverria 
Minister of Agriculture and Livestock 
El Salvador 
 
Mario Salvo Horvilleur 
Agriculture and Forestry Minister 
Nicaragua 
 
Bernardo Lopez 
Vice Minister of Agriculture, Renewable Natural Resources and Food 
Guatemala 
 
Guillermo Salazar N. 
Minister of Agriculture and Livestock Development 
Panama 
 
Mario Castellanos 
Secretary of State 
 
SIPDIS 
Belize 
 
Javier Trujillo Arriaga 
SENASICA/SAGARPA Director 
Mexico 
 
Leandro Mercedes 
Agriculture Under Secretary 
Dominican Republic 
 
End Text. 
 
Barclay