Cablegate: Canadian Coast Guard to Conduct Seismic Surveys in Disputed

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VZCZCXRO0989
RR RUEHGA RUEHHA RUEHQU RUEHVC
DE RUEHOT #2356 2161734
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 041734Z AUG 06
FM AMEMBASSY OTTAWA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 3375
INFO RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC
RULSJGA/COMDT COGARD WASHDC//G-OPR//
RUCNCAN/ALL CANADIAN POSTS COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS OTTAWA 002356

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

WHA/CAN, OES/OA (TIRPAK, SMITH), L/OES (ROACH, BINIAZ), IO/T,
EB/TRA,

DOD FOR INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

COASTGUARD FOR INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PBTS EMIN EPET PREL SENV UN CA
SUBJECT: Canadian Coast Guard to conduct Seismic Surveys in Disputed
Beaufort Sea

Ref: (A) Ottawa 2294
(B) E-mail Locklear-Tirpak August 3

1. Canada's Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade
(DFAIT) in a telephone conversation on August 3, informed the
Embassy that the Canadian Coast Guard icebreaker Louis St. Laurent
is proceeding to the disputed area of the Beaufort Sea where its
crew will conduct seismic studies over the next few weeks. These
studies will be used to support Canada's forthcoming claim to extend
its sovereignty over the seabed and subsurface to the edge of the
continental shelf, as per UNCLOS Article 77 (see Ref A for details).

2. Tyler Cummings of DFAIT's U.S. relations division told Emboff
that as Canada contends that this area of the Beaufort Sea is in
their possession, Canada will not be making a formal "Application
for Consent to Conduct Marine Scientific Research" and that
informing us was being done simply as a courtesy of the GoC to the
USG. Cummings indicated that when American flag vessels have
conducted research in this disputed zone that the USG has likewise
provided a verbal "head's up" to Canada but that no formal
documentation has been exchanged.
WILKINS

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