Mexico works to get the U.S. to lift the embargo on shrimp fishing

The Mexican government is working to get the United States to lift the embargo on coastal shrimp fishing (which does not require the use of turtle excluders), after the United States suspended the certification of this catch in June, because the turtle protection program is not comparable to the one used by that country on its coasts, informed the Sader.

Most of the national shrimp production corresponds to coastal fishing, which due to the size of its nets does not require the use of turtle excluders. During the 2020-2021 Pacific shrimp season, production was 32,783 tons. Of these, 18,808 tons correspond to smaller vessels (coastal: estuaries, bays, and lagoons) and 13,975 tons to larger or offshore vessels, informed the National Commission of Aquaculture and Fisheries (Conapesca).

In a press release, Sader informed that it is looking for an alternative to allow the export of coastal shrimp to the United States and avoid economic and social effects to this sector. It added that the Ministries of Agriculture, Economy, and Foreign Affairs, as well as the National Commission of Aquaculture and Fisheries, are working in coordination for this purpose.

Conapesca informed that there is an economic and social impact for the welfare of more than 63 thousand Mexican fishermen and their families, as well as for more than 254 thousand people who depend on this activity.

It recalled that the verification visits by US authorities were only to larger trawlers, where 118 technical deficiencies were found in 130 Sea Turtle Excluder Devices (TEDs), and not to smaller coastal vessels that from June 1, 2021, cannot export Mexican shrimp to the United States.

The observations made by the U.S. authorities were directly related to technical specifications, and at no time were sea turtles caught in the nets. He added that the government has the technical and operational capacity to issue a certificate of origin that allows exports of shrimp from the shore, while the certification of shrimp from the high seas is recovered, which is expected to occur after the verification visits.