R 051018Z MAY 09
FM AMEMBASSY ABIDJAN
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 5126

UNCLAS ABIDJAN 000295 
 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EFIS SENV AORC ETRD FAO IV
SUBJECT: DEMARCHE ON STATUS OF NEW PORT STATES AGREEMENT 
 
REF: STATE 41986 
 
¶1. (U) Emboff delivered demarche in reftel on April 30 to Dr. 
Jeanson Djobo, Director of Fisheries at the Ministry of 
Animal Production and Fisheries.  Djobo, who said he attended 
the second session of the FAO Technical Consultation in 
January 2009 in Rome, was not aware of the next round of the 
Technical Consultation to be held in Rome May 4-8, 2009. 
Djobo said he would call the Mission of the Republic of Cote 
d'Ivoire to the FAO to ask that a member of its staff  cover 
the meeting. 
 
¶2. (U) Djobo said the U.S. position is logical.  But, he 
stated that before the Government of the Republic of Cote 
d'Ivoire can formulate its position, he will need to seek 
legal counsel regarding the implications of having the 
eventual agreement be a freestanding instrument or one that 
is concluded under the auspices of the FAO.  Djobo noted that 
one way of combating the movement of illegal, unreported, and 
unregulated vessels to non-party ports in order to land their 
catch would be to enact measures prohibiting all commercial 
export of fish from such ports. 
 
 
NESBITT