The threat from the United States not to renew Mexico's annual certification for shrimp exports has led businessmen to consider the possibility of this product being redirected to other markets, including the domestic one.
Alfonso Rosiñol De Vecchi, president of the Baja California delegation of the National Chamber of Fishing and Aquaculture Industries (Canainesca), explained in an interview with Causa Natura about the effects that the lack of this certificate from the United States would have on the value chain and the domestic shrimp market.
The issuance of these certificates for trawling shrimp depends on annual reviews to reduce the bycatch of sea turtles. The comparability of programs from both countries is reviewed through legislation, the use of Sea Turtle Excluding Devices (DETs) and training.
At the end of March, the National Aquaculture and Fisheries Commission (Conapesca) stated that the United States authorities were reviewing the results of four visits that take place every two years, in Campeche, Mazatlán, Puerto Chiapas, Puerto Juárez, Puerto Peñasco, Salina Cruz, San Blas and Tampico. Conapesca reported that the United States alleges the finding of an inappropriate use of DETs and that the chances of suspending annual certification “are high”.
— The United States government could soon apply a suspension against Mexican shrimp. What impact would this have on this fishery in Baja California?
— It wouldn't be as strong because shrimp isn't one of the strongest fisheries we have. There are not so many boats that fish for shrimp in San Felipe, much less compared to other states in the country, such as Sinaloa and Sonora. Guaymas, Puerto Peñasco, Mazatlán and other places have a gigantic fleet compared to ours.
But the (national) impact it would have would be a very strong thing for everyone, because one of the main markets for Mexican shrimp is, precisely, the United States. And we are very concerned that despite being informed that we have a passing grade from this process that we go through every year, the United States is thinking of closing entry to the market.
— What is known about the ratings?
— All we know is that we came a little lower than the ratings of previous years, but it's still a passing grade, to which we no longer know the reasoning behind wanting to close the market.
— What would happen if the certificate is not renewed?
— And what's going to end up happening is that you have to look for other markets. A lot of product may be shipped to the interior of the country. If this were the case, because of the volume of shrimp we are talking about, the market would flood and the price would fall. So it is a situation that for the people involved in the fishery would be devastating at the national level. Shrimp is very important at the national level.
— How many are engaged in the shrimp fishery in Baja California?
— Although there are not that many of us in Baja California, it is important to highlight that those people who do dedicate themselves to shrimp will have a very hard impact, given that shrimp will be the number one product with which they can support themselves as families to live with.
I think we can talk about a couple of hundred people, if we involve the value chain, which involves packers and ships. In the value chain, the impact must be on many people, because surely as the product is going to be sent inside, the added value given to it will not be the same, we know that the price will be impacted.
— From the United States, the issue of Turtle Excluding Devices is being reviewed, why has it been so difficult to solve in the eyes of the neighboring country?
— As far as we know right now, the problem with the rating has to do with the fact that the qualifiers say that there was not enough oversight on the part of the Mexican authorities over the use of excluders. That's what we know, not that they haven't been used, but that there's no evidence that there was sufficient oversight that they were being used.
For the years we have been doing this, I imagine that the use was the same as in other years, but what was missing was simply this revision that came about because of the pandemic.
We just talk about social distancing, about staying in a bubble with the people you work with. So the authority could not have the same number of inspectors jumping from one boat to another, doing the checks it did previously, because that could have meant the spread of the virus.
— In what other ways did the pandemic affect?
— The other issue that impacted is that you need to keep crews trained. You have to give them courses to reinforce the techniques and everything involves the use of these excluders. And because of the pandemic, for the same reasons, of not being able to give hundreds or thousands of courses to fleets from ship to ship. So it was not possible to have this same training exercise as it had been in previous years.
— The list for the United States will be published in May, do you think we are in good weather to answer questions?
— We trust that the Mexican authorities are doing the same, we know that a delegation was going to be sent to Washington to work on the issue directly. Headed by Conapesca and Sader, and we know that they know the subject perfectly well enough to talk to the American authorities and to be able to explain this situation and let them see that the qualification is approving. But now it will depend on the attitude of the authority of that country. Because we could have six months and if there is no will from that country, because maybe there is another interest, then they won't open up to you. And if a week goes by, but there is a willingness to listen to the Mexican authorities to state their case, then it could be achieved.
— What is the role of private initiative in these conversations?
— We are seeing the possibility of them being accompanied by members of the industry as additional support, and we know that done that way, if there is the will of the other party, it must be possible to reverse this possible decision that has been taken so far.
— When you mention the support of industry members are you referring to the support of commissions that will travel?
Yes, it would be in case there were any questions about something that is rather operational, and that the authority is not on top of the ships and something like that had to be addressed, and be able to respond to it immediately. Because I tell you, the authority is aware of the issues and must be able to address and respond to them.
— If the certificate is not renewed this season, would it be necessary to seek renewal starting the next season? What would happen at halftime?
— It is a situation in which we have not seen each other, because in Mexico we have been complying with this for many years, if not a couple of decades already. We pioneered the use of excluders. We were the ones looking for this type of work to be done. So we're not in a situation where I can tell you exactly what's going on.
What we are seeing is trying to solve it for this season, that is, right now. But if this is not the case, we will have to start a forced march to look for markets that can receive this shrimp, including the Mexican one. But the ideal is that they were others so as not to flood the Mexican market.
And then we would begin to evaluate what the future would be, because right now what we need is to move forward with the present and the livelihood of Mexican families right now, the thousands of families that are involved in this problem.
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