| | |  Business News 
US Ban on MEX Shrimp to End in October
 The News
go to original
March 31, 2010
 |  | All seafood exports from Mexico to the United States, including high seas shrimp, river fish and aquaculture, amount to nearly US$340 million per year. |  | | |
Washington, D.C. – The Mexican representative of Aquaculture and Fishing, Ramón Corral Avila, acknowledged yesterday that the actions of three Mexican shrimp boats triggered the U.S. embargo on high seas shrimp imports. However, Corral said he is confident that the embargo will be lifted in October 2010.
The U.S. Department of State put an embargo on Mexican shrimp because three Mexican boats had closed their Turtle Excluder Device (TED), which lets sea turtles escape from fishing nets.
“Three shrimp boats kept their TED closed, leaving sea turtles defenseless; that’s where the problem comes from: three boats,” Corral said in a press conference with Mexican media in the Mexican embassy in Washington, D.C.
The embargo, which will be implemented on April 20, will have a US$90 million impact on high seas shrimp exports. The primary states affected by the embargo will be Sonora, Sinaloa and Tamaulipas, the fishing industry of which sustains approximately 10,000 direct jobs and more than 20,000 indirect jobs.
All seafood exports from Mexico to the United States, including high seas shrimp, river fish and aquaculture, amount to nearly US$340 million per year. Neither aquaculture or river fishing will be affected by the embargo.
Nonetheless, Corral said that he met with representatives of the U.S. Department of State to negotiate the re-integration of Mexican shrimp into the U.S. market before the 2010-2011fishing season, which will start in October, in exchange for the training of Mexican fishermen.
“What we managed to do is negotiate an accelerated agenda to re-inspect and re-certify the Mexican shrimp industry this year,” the Mexican Ambassador to Washington, Arturo Sarukhan, declared.
“If the Mexican industry complies with the law designed to prevent the accidental capture of sea turtles, it will have the possibility to export to the United States again,” he added.
Corral attributed Mexico’s breach of contract to the lack of information and training of Mexican fishermen. Many of them believed that keeping their TED open would imply losing shrimp, although the device only affects 2 percent of productivity, he explained.
“The last training courses were given two years ago, and I think this is one of the main reasons (for the problem),” Corral said as he expressed his confidence in the positive results of training courses, several of which have already been resumed with the support of the U.S. government.
“We believe that the U.S. Department of State is satisfied with Mexico’s efforts and commitment to reaching re-certification before the beginning of the 2010-2011 fishing season,” he said. “Economically speaking, the embargo does not have such a big impact; however, it does have an effect on our reputation,” Corral added.
|
|
| |
Vallarta Weddings
Tell a Friend
Site Map
Print this Page
Email Us