The American government has decided to stop imports of wild-caught shrimp from Mexico due to lack of compliance with US and Mexican turtle protection laws. Their probe confirmed that many of the Mexican trawlers were not using Turtle Excluder Devices (TEDs) – a contraption that can help turtles to escape drowning in shrimp nets up to 97 percent of the time.
The government said that the ban would continue until the US certifies that Mexico has adequately addressed the problem. The lack of TEDs is yet another example of the threat posed by shrimp operations in Mexico to highly endangered marine species.
The Gulf of California, part of NRDC’s Baja BioGem, is the only home of the vaquita and key habitat for 5 of the 7 species of endangered sea turtles: green turtle, hawksbill, olive ridley, loggerhead and leatherback. Known as “the aquarium of the world” with nearly 900 species of fish, it also provides more than half of Mexico’s seafood – more than the Gulf of Mexico.
Soon after the decision the Mexican Ministry of Environment (SEMARNAT) issued a strong resolution last year that banned trawling in the vaquita refuge in the Upper Gulf of California. Experts said that the shrimp and endangered species have been at odds in the region for decades, and the conflict is taking a toll on both. Vaquitas are facing extinction, sea turtles are threatened, and shrimp profits have been struggling due to less catch, depressed prices and rising fuel costs.
The US ban on shrimp imports has been a sensitive and controversial topic in Mexico. It is a strong measure that can be perceived as protectionist. People are resentful about potential loss of vital income and jobs. This is all understandable. However, at the end of the day, the intended goal here is to protect endangered sea turtles.
