La Jornada – A free way to export shrimp to the US this year: Conapesca

Mexico City. Mexican shrimp can continue to be exported freely to the United States in 2022, after that country’s government on Friday published in the federal registry the annual certificate of marketing in its territory, according to the National Aquaculture and Fisheries Commission (Conapesca).

In this way, Mexico retains the crustacean certification for another year after inspection visits to the country’s main fishing ports by US authorities, which verified compliance with similar measures to protect sea turtles in the catch.

This was the result of the work of the Awareness and Training Program on the Construction, Installation and Proper Use of Turtle Exclusion Devices (DET) and Fish Exclusion Devices (DEP), which Conapesca has intensified since 2021, says Conapesca’s statement.

The US Department of State issued the certification to Mexico, a country that has adopted programs to reduce sea turtle by-catch in shrimp fisheries.

This, in accordance with Article 609 of the legislation of the neighboring country in the north, according to which approved countries that have adopted the program are recognized.

It has been reported that pursuant to Section 609 of Public Law 101-162, the United States annually checks the comparability of sea turtle protection programs based on three criteria: regulation or legislation; Law enforcement, reflected in the proper use of TEDs, and training.

The Mexican shrimp certification was recalled in October 2021, following a ban in May of that year for misusing TEDs.

Representatives of the Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the United States Department of State made inspection visits to fishing ports to Mexico, in October 2021 and February 2022.