The ban is expected to take effect within one month.
On Wednesday, the National Oceanic Fisheries Agency (NMFS), a unit of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), issued a notice banning U.S. importers from buying wild shrimp and sardines from Mexico, citing the protection of the California Bay dolphin (vaquita porpoise).
Endorsed by the U.S. Wildlife Conservation Act, the Center for Biodiversity, and the Animal Welfare Association, the NMFS circular covers 77 tariff headlands, including nearly all shrimp and sardines.
The NMFS did not mention a specific implementation time for the ban, but it is expected to take effect within a month. Mexican exporters must provide a "certificate of acceptance" issued by the Mexican government confirming that their catch was not produced in the Gulf of California and that they were not fished using trawls, purse seines, or slings.
Mexico is the sixth largest exporter of shrimp products in the United States, with exports totaling 29,561 tons worth US$304 million in 2019, most of which are farmed South American white shrimp, with a small proportion of wild shrimp, mainly produced in the Gulf of California and the Gulf of Mexico. In Mexico, many exporters are accustomed to packing wild shrimp from both regions in a uniform package, which is a case where proof must be provided.
Historically, mexican fishing boats have used illegal tools to harm wildlife. In 2017, the Mexican government, under international pressure, agreed to ban most of the fishing activities that endanger the habitat of the baby dolphins, and the U.S. government agreed to give Mexico a five-year remediation period, which expires on March 1, 2021.
California Bay Dolphin (vaquita porpoise)
Unfortunately, the problem of non-compliance in Mexico remains repeated and the Government's commitments have not been implemented to date. In a recent report in October 2019, the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society discovered in one day that 70 small Mexican fishing boats were illegally using purse seines in the habitat of small dolphins. The Mexican Shrimp Industry Association issued a statement saying that it would not take any form of support for illegal activities, and the raw shrimp purchased by any enterprise could not be determined to be legally fished.
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