Mexican certificates for shrimp origin cancelled

According to the agency, the certification document will no longer be required in order to export the shellfish to the US, both for shrimp grown in aquaculture and those caught in coastal waters.

The US government confirmed last week, that they had recertified Mexican exports of wild shrimp to the country, after verifying that vessels operating in the Gulf of Mexico and Pacific Ocean met the necessary requirements to protect sea turtles.

The checks carried out by inspectors from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) were ''100% satisfactory'', as they were found to be using devices which excluded the capture of sea turtles (TED) during shrimp fishing at sea.

Following confirmation of the recertification, the head of Conapesca, Ramon Corral Avila, estimates that shipments of the crustacean to the US market will generate US$340 million in foreign exchange.

In April, an order went into effect banning the importation of Mexican shrimp in the US. After negotiating with the US authorities, they agreed to issue a certificate of origin to differentiate shrimp from aquaculture and those that were caught in coastal waters, which they could then export.

That document should be accompanied by a DS-2031 Form from the State Department of the United States.

But the U.S. decided that the submission of this certificate is not mandatory, and Conapesca decided to cancel the process.

"The Government of Mexico, through the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Rural Development, Fisheries and Food (Sagarpa)-Conapesca, reiterates its willingness to continue working closely with local industry to continue implementing agreements that guarantee the full development of ecologically sustainable fishing, minimizing the impact on protected marine species in order to maintain international standards in this area," said Conapesca in an official press release.