State Dept. Releases List of Countries Certified to Export Shrimp to US
The State Department published its annual list of countries certified to export shrimp to the U.S. without a certification from a government official on State Form DS-2031. The qualified countries have met at least one of two conditions: they have a regulatory program for protection of sea turtles that's comparable to that of the U.S., or the fishing environment of the country poses no risk to sea turtles.
The Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs within the State Department rendered its decision on May 23, and the determination will be published in the Federal Register June 11.
The list of eligible countries and economies is the same as last year (see 2305240030). It includes Argentina, Australia (Northern Prawn Fishery, the Queensland East Coast Trawl Fishery, the Spencer Gulf, and the Torres Strait Prawn Fishery), the Bahamas, Belgium, Belize, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Denmark, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Estonia, Fiji, France (French Guiana), Gabon, Germany, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Iceland, Ireland, Italy (giant red shrimp), Jamaica, Japan (shrimp baskets in Hokkaido), Republic of Korea (mosquito nets), Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Panama, Peru, Russia, Spain (Mediterranean red shrimp), Sri Lanka, Suriname, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and Uruguay. Hong Kong is also part of this list.
Nations not listed above may export to the U.S. only shrimp harvested from aquaculture. Exporters also must provide the required declaration notice.
The State Department also categorized the differences in how countries catch shrimp. Countries with a comparable program to the U.S. include Colombia, Ecuador, El Salvador, Gabon, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Panama and Suriname. Argentina, Belgium, Canada, Chile, Denmark, Estonia, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Russia, Sweden, the United Kingdom and Uruguay harvest in an environment that poses no risk; the Bahamas, Belize, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Fiji, Jamaica, Oman, Peru and Sri Lanka employ practices that don’t pose a risk to sea turtles, State said.
State also is authorizing importation of shrimp under certain circumstances for certain uncertified countries, and will require certification from a government official from these countries on DS-2031. That includes shrimp harvested using turtle excluder devices from Australia's Northern Prawn Fishery, Queensland East Coast Trawl Fishery and Torres Strait Prawn Fishery; and French Guiana's domestic trawl fishery. It also applies without the turtle excluder device requirement to shrimp harvested in the Spencer Gulf region in Australia, with shrimp baskets in Hokkaido, Japan, with “mosquito” nets in the Republic of Korea, Mediterranean red shrimp (Aristeus antennatus) harvested in the Mediterranean Sea by Spain and giant red shrimp (Aristaeomorpha foliacea) harvested in Italy.