VZCZCXYZ0000
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHBU #0841/01 1981701
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 171701Z JUL 09 ZDK
FM AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4087
INFO RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 1338
RUCNMER/MERCOSUR COLLECTIVE
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHINGTON DC

UNCLAS BUENOS AIRES 000841 
 
SIPDIS 
SENSITIVE 
 
OES/OA FOR EVAN BLOOM AND GUSTAVO BISBAL 
OES PLEASE PASS TO NOAA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SENV EFIS PREL ECON PBTS AR UK
SUBJECT: ARGENTINE PROPOSAL ON COOPERATION FOR CONSERVATION OF THE 
PATAGONIAN TOOTHFISH 
 
¶1. (SBU) Charge received on July 15 a non-paper from Ambassador 
Antonio Trombetta, the Argentine MFA's Director of North American 
Affairs, and Marcelo Santos, National Director of Fishing 
Coordination at the Secretariat of Agriculture.  The non-paper is a 
proposed MOU between the GoA and the USG intended to comply with the 
Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources 
(CCAMLR), so that Argentina may resume exports of Patagonian 
toothfish to the U.S.  (Note:  These exports ceased in 2007, due to 
the GoA's refusal at that time to abide by NOAA regulations on 
reporting of catch locations.  End Note.)  Santos noted that the 
MFA's Director for Antarctic Affairs Ariel Mansi would lead the GoA 
delegation to the October CCAMLR meeting in Hobart, Australia.  The 
complete text of the non-paper in its original Spanish follows in 
para 5, and an informal translation by the GoA follows in para 4. 
Both texts were also e-mailed to OES/OA. 
 
¶2. (SBU) Trombetta cited the importance that the United States and 
Argentina place on preserving natural resources and noted that it 
was important for Argentina to resume exports of Patagonian 
toothfish (known in Spanish as "merluza negra") to the United 
States.  Santos indicated that Argentine exports of this item to the 
United States had reached US$16 million in 2006, the last full year 
before Argentina lost market access.  "We want this to progress 
quickly," Trombetta said, noting GOA interest in finalizing the 
matter before the October meeting.  Santos added that Argentina "had 
no problem complying with the requirement" about satellite 
transmission of fishing vessel locations, whether in real-time or in 
four-hour periods.  He said that the GOA could share this 
information directly with the USG (NOAA) or with CCAMLR Secretariat, 
though he noted that the CCAMLR had previously declined to accept 
such data on the grounds that they were not required. 
 
¶3. (SBU) Santos also explained that, due to Argentina's sovereignty 
dispute with the United Kingdom over the Malvinas/Falklands and 
other South Atlantic islands controlled by the U.K., the GoA did not 
have access to information on toothfish caught in one area that it 
considers to be Argentine territory -- the waters surrounding those 
islands.  That, he said, is the meaning of Paragraph II of the GOA's 
proposed text. 
 
¶4. (SBU) Informal GoA translation of non-paper: 
 
NON-PAPER 
 
DRAFT MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING BETWEEN THE UNDERSECRETARIAT FOR 
FISHERIES AND AQUACULTURE OF THE ARGENTINE REPUBLIC AND THE NATIONAL 
OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION OF THE UNITED STATES ON 
COOPERATION FOR THE CONSERVATION OF PATAGONIAN TOOTHFISH 
 
Wishing to promote cooperation between both Parties in the field of 
conservation of the Patagonian Toothfish species. 
 
Underlining the commitment of both Parties to the measures provided 
for in the Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living 
Resources (CCAMLR)) regarding the conservation of such species. 
 
Concerned about the negative impact of Illegal Fishing on the 
conservation of Patagonian Toothfish stocks. 
 
Noting that Illegal Fishing undermines the objectives of fisheries 
management and may provoke the destruction of a fishery or hamper 
the rebuilding of fish stocks, which may cause huge economic and 
social losses and have negative effects on food security and the 
marine environment. 
 
¶I. Agree on the following actions: 
 
¶1. To exchange satellite positions of fishing vessels of both flags 
that catch Patagonian Toothfish as target species. 
 
¶2. To exchange information on the control systems implemented by the 
Parties in relation to the catches of the said species by vessels of 
their respective flags. 
 
¶3. To explore cooperation mechanisms in the scientific field in 
order to develop joint initiatives regarding Patagonian Toothfish 
stocks. 
 
II. The Undersecretariat for Fisheries and Aquaculture of the 
Argentine Republic will not be able to exchange information on 
control systems implemented with regard to the catches of the said 
species in the waters surrounding the Malvinas Islands, due to the 
sovereignty dispute related to "the Question of the Malvinas 
Islands" derived from the illegitimate occupation of the Malvinas 
Islands, South Georgias and South Sandwich Islands and the 
surrounding maritime spaces by the United Kingdom of Great Britain 
 
and Northern Ireland.  This sovereignty dispute has been recognized 
by successive and repeated resolutions of the United Nations and 
declarations of the Organization of American States. 
 
¶5. (SBU) Non-paper in Spanish: 
 
NON-PAPER 
 
MEMORANDUM DE ENTENDIMIENTO ENTRE LA SUBSECRETARIA DE PESCA Y 
ACUICULTURA DE LA REPUBLICA ARGENTINA Y ADMINISTRACION NACIONAL 
OCEANICA Y ATMOSFERICA DE LOS ESTADOS UNIDOS SOBRE COOPERACION PARA 
LA CONSERVACION DE LA MERLUZA NEGRA 
 
Deseando promover la cooperacion entre ambas Partes en materia de 
conservacisn de la especie Merluza Negra. 
 
Subrayando el compromiso de ambas Partes con las medidas dispuestas 
en la Convencion para la Conservacion de Recursos Marinos Antarticos 
(CCRVMA) respecto de la conservacion de la citada especie. 
 
Preocupados por el impacto negativo de la Pesca Ilegal sobre el 
estado de conservacion de las poblaciones de Merluza Negra. 
 
Observando que la Pesca Ilegal impide el logro de los objetivos de 
la ordenacion pesquera pudiendo provocar la destruccion de una 
pesqueria o imposibilitar la reconstruccion de las poblaciones 
icticas, lo que puede producir grandes perdidas econsmicas y 
sociales y tener efectos negativos sobre la seguridad alimentaria y 
el medio ambiente marino. 
 
¶I.         Se acuerdan las siguientes acciones: 
 
1.-  Intercambiar las posiciones satelitales de las mareas de los 
buques pesqueros de ambas banderas que capturen Merluza Negra como 
especie objetivo. 
 
2.- Intercambiar informacion sobre los sistemas de control 
implementados por las Partes respecto de las capturas efectuadas por 
buques de las respectivas banderas respecto de la citada especie. 
 
3.- Explorar mecanismos de cooperacion en materia cientifica para 
desarrollar iniciativas conjuntas de investigacion respecto de las 
poblaciones de Merluza Negra. 
 
II.         La Subsecretaria de Pesca y Acuicultura de la Republica 
Argentina se vera imposibilitada de intercambiar informacion sobre 
los sistemas de control implementados respecto de las capturas de la 
citada especie efectuadas en aguas circundantes a las Islas 
Malvinas, en razon de la existencia de la disputa de soberania 
referida a la "Cuestion de las Islas Malvinas" derivada de la 
ilegitima ocupacion de las Islas Malvinas, Georgias del Sur y 
Sandwich del Sur y los espacios maritimos circundantes por parte del 
Reino Unido de Gran Bretana e Irlanda del Norte.  Dicha disputa de 
soberania se halla reconocida por sucesivas y reiteradas 
resoluciones de la Organizacion de las Naciones Unidas y 
declaraciones de la Organizacion de Estados Americanos. 
 
KELLY