VZCZCXRO7463
PP RUEHMA
DE RUEHC #5747/01 2762149
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 022144Z OCT 08
FM SECSTATE WASHDC
TO RUEHMA/AMEMBASSY MALABO PRIORITY 0516
INFO RUEHAR/AMEMBASSY ACCRA PRIORITY 2593
RUCPDOC/USDOC WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY 4587
RUCPDC/NOAA NMFS SILVER SPRING MD PRIORITY

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 STATE 105747 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
ACCRA FOR REO 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EFIS SENV ETRD EK
SUBJECT: INFORMATION REQUEST FROM NATION OF INTEREST FOR 
PURPOSES OF  THE HIGH SEAS DRIFTNET FISHING MORATORIUM 
PROTECTION ACT 
 
¶1. This is an action cable; see para. 5. 
 
Background 
---------- 
 
¶2. Under recent changes to the High Seas Driftnet Fishing 
Moratorium 
Protection Act (Moratorium Protection Act) contained in the 
Magnuson 
Stevens Reauthorization Act (MSRA), the Dept. of Commerce is 
required to 
produce a biennial report to Congress that lists nations the 
United States 
has identified as having vessels engaged in illegal, 
unregulated and 
unreported (IUU) fishing activities or fishing activities 
that result in 
the bycatch of protected living marine resources (PLMRs). 
Once nations 
have been identified, there is a notification and 
consultation process. 
Subsequent to these processes, the United States will certify 
whether the 
government of an identified nation has provided evidence that 
corrective 
action has been taken with respect to the activities 
identified in the 
report to Congress.  The absence of sufficient steps by an 
identified 
nation to address IUU fishing and/or bycatch of protected 
living marine 
resources may lead to prohibitions on the importation of 
certain fisheries 
products into the United States from that nation, the denial 
of port 
privileges for vessels of that nation, and/or other measures. 
 
 
¶3. The first biennial report is due to Congress in January 
¶2009.  NOAA's 
National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), in consultation 
with the 
Department and other agencies, has initiated two parallel 
processes to 
determine which nations should be identified for IUU fishing 
or bycatch 
of protected living marine resources.  As part of the IUU 
fishing 
identification process, the United States is contacting 
nations that are 
of interest for having vessels that allegedly were engaged in 
IUU fishing 
activity during calendar years 2007 and/or 2008. (Note: NOAA 
is still 
considering information relevant to the identification 
process for bycatch 
of PLMRs.  While no nation has yet been determined to be a 
nation of 
interest for Bycatch, we will be undertaking outreach to 
nations whose 
fishing fleets operate in areas where the Bycatch of PLMRs is 
possible. 
End Note.) 
 
¶4. For purposes of the Moratorium Protection Act, and in NMFS 
policy 
measures implementing it, ''IUU fishing'' is defined as 
fishing activities 
that violate conservation and management measures required 
under an 
international fishery management agreement to which the 
United States 
is a party, including catch limits or quotas, capacity 
restrictions and 
bycatch reduction requirements; overfishing of fish stocks 
shared by the 
United States, for which there are no applicable 
international conservation 
or management measures or in areas with no applicable 
international fishery 
management organization or agreement that has adverse impacts 
on such stocks; 
 
STATE 00105747  002 OF 003 
 
SUBJECT: INFORMATION REQUEST FROM NATION OF INTEREST FOR 
PURPOSES OF  THE HIGH SEAS DRIFTNET FISHING MORATORIUM 
PROTECTION A 
and fishing activity that has an adverse impact on seamounts, 
hydrothermal 
vents, and cold water corals located beyond national 
jurisdiction, for which 
there are no applicable conservation or management measures 
or in areas with 
no applicable international fishery management organization 
or agreement. 
End Background. 
 
Action Request and Talking Points 
--------------------------------- 
 
¶5. Action request:  Post is requested to approach, at the 
highest possible 
level, host government officials in relevant 
ministries/departments, in 
particular fisheries/agriculture, foreign affairs, and 
possibly environment 
and/or trade, to convey the points below.  Post should also 
feel free to draw 
as necessary from other portions of this cable. 
 
¶6. Begin talking points: 
 
As your government is aware from our cooperative work in 
global fora such as 
the FAO and in regional fisheries management organizations, 
the United States 
is very concerned about the impacts of illegal, unreported, 
and unregulated 
(IUU) fishing. 
 
In January 2007, the reauthorization of the United States' 
chief fisheries 
management statute, the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation 
and Management 
Act, included a number of provisions aimed at eliminating IUU 
fishing and 
addressing fishing activities that adversely impact protected 
living marine 
resources, such as marine mammals and sea turtles. 
 
As the United States presented in several previous 
international meetings, 
these new provisions require the United States to identify 
nations whose 
fishing vessels have been engaged in IUU fishing or bycatch 
of protected 
living marine resources.  The first list of identified 
nations will be 
included in a report to the U.S. Congress in January 2009. 
 
After a notification and consultation process, the United 
States will certify 
whether the government of an identified nation has taken 
appropriate 
corrective action to address the activities identified in the 
January 2009 
report. 
 
If an identified nation has not taken sufficient steps to 
address IUU fishing 
and/or bycatch of protected living marine resources by its 
vessels, the 
United States may deny port privileges for vessels of such 
nation and 
prohibit the importation of certain fisheries products. 
 
To begin this process, the United States has collected and 
reviewed relevant 
information that may indicate that certain vessels were 
engaged in IUU 
fishing activities during calendar years 2007 and/or 2008. 
 
We are now reaching out to the flag States of these vessels 
to gather 
additional information and seek clarification. 
 
In the case of Equatorial Guinea, we note that correspondence 
circulated to 
members of the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic 
Living Marine 
Resources (CCAMLR) indicates that a fishing vessel on the 
CCAMLR IUU vessel 
list flagged to Equatorial Guinea (Golden Dragon) was sighted 
illegally 
fishing inside the CCAMLR Convention Area in April 2008 
 
STATE 00105747  003 OF 003 
 
 
We also note that correspondence circulated to members of 
CCAMLR alleges 
that a fishing vessel on the CCAMLR IUU vessel list flagged 
to Equatorial 
Guinea (Tropic) was sighted illegally fishing inside the 
CCAMLR Convention 
Area in January 2008 (see CCAMLR COMM CIRC 08/5). 
 
The United States would be very interested to receive 
responses to the 
following questions: 
 
--Has Equatorial Guinea taken any punitive action against 
vessels that are 
listed on the CCAMLR IUU vessel list?  Have any actions been 
taken to 
address recent alleged illegal activities of these vessels? 
 
--What other steps have Equatorial Guinea taken to ensure 
effective 
monitoring and control of its fleet and support vessels, such 
as 
transshipment/carrier vessels?  Specifically, what are the 
requirements 
for vessel registration and licensing and which part of the 
government is 
responsible for these activities? 
 
--What punitive actions can Equatorial Guinea take against 
its vessels that 
are found to be operating illegally?  What law or laws 
provide the basis 
for monitoring, control and enforcement of the fishing fleet 
and support 
vessels of Equatorial Guinea? 
 
The United States welcomes any information Equatorial Guinea 
may be able to 
provide, particularly on any corrective actions or other 
measures that 
Equatorial Guinea has taken to control its fleet and meet its 
international 
obligations.    The United States would like to work with 
appropriate 
officials from Equatorial Guinea on ways to address any 
problems of IUU 
fishing and determine what assistance may be needed. 
 
This matter is of utmost importance, and we strongly 
encourage your country 
to provide us with relevant information concerning these 
matters as soon 
as possible. 
 
Any response provided by Equatorial Guinea will be thoroughly 
considered 
in the preparation of the first biennial report to Congress, 
due January 
2009, on identifications. 
 
End talking points. 
 
¶7.     NMFS POC on this matter is Laura Cimo of the Office of 
International 
Affairs.  She can be reached as follows: Phone: 301-713-9090, 
Fax: 301-713-9106, unclass e-mail: laura.cimo@noaa.gov. 
Department 
POC is OES/OMC: Deirdre Warner-Kramer, phone 202-647-2883. 
 
¶8.     Department and NMFS greatly appreciate Posts' 
assistance on this very 
important matter and look forward to receiving any responses 
from host 
government.  Timely responses are critical given January 2009 
deadline for 
transmitting the first biennial report to Congress on 
identifications.  Post 
should feel free to contact NMFS POC with any questions, 
requests for 
additional information or clarification, or comments 
regarding the relevant 
U.S. laws, information on alleged IUU fishing activities, 
cooperative 
assistance that may be needed, or any related matters. 
RICE