Shrimpers Ask US to Suspend Import Certifications for Peruvian, Guatemalan Shrimp
The Southern Shrimp Alliance and Port Arthur Area Shrimpers’ Association are asking the State Department to suspend certifications for imported shrimp from Peru and Guatemala.
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The domestic shrimpers say that the Peruvian shrimping industry accidentally catches endangered sea turtles, and "has adopted no measures to limit the harm caused by these takings." They say that Guatemala doesn't collect data on whether its shrimp trawlers accidentally capture endangered sea turtles.
The U.S., under Section 609, is not supposed to import wild-caught shrimp that were harvested in a way that harmed endangered sea turtles. In addition to challenging the validity of the certifications for Peru and Guatemala, the shrimpers say large volumes of wild-caught shrimp are imported from countries without any certifications.
“For decades now, American shrimpers have had to work with turtle excluder devices,” said Captain Kyle Kimball, president of the Port Arthur Area Shrimpers’ Association. “The Section 609 program puts foreign fishermen who want to sell into this market on equal footing with us. This is a simple issue of fairness, and we are grateful to the State Department and NOAA Fisheries for improving enforcement over the last few years.”