[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 90 (Wednesday, May 10, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Page 24962]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-11450]
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DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs
[Public Notice 2199]
Certifications Pursuant to Section 609 of Public Law 101-162
SUMMARY: On April 28, 1995, the Department of State certified, pursuant
to Section 609 of Public Law 101-162, that 9 countries with commercial
shrimp trawl fisheries in the Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean and Western
Atlantic Ocean (Belize, Brazil, Columbia, Guyana, Honduras, Mexico,
Nicaragua, Panama, and Venezuela) have adopted programs to reduce the
incidental capture of sea turtles in such fisheries comparable to the
program in effect in the United States. The Department certified that
the fishing environment in two other countries (Costa Rica and
Guatemala) does not pose a threat of the incidental taking of sea
turtles protected under Public Law 101-162. The Department was unable
to issue certifications on April 28 for Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago,
and French Guiana and, as a result, shrimp imports from these countries
were prohibited effective May 1, 1995 pursuant to Public Law 101-162.
EFFECTIVE DATE: May 10, 1995.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Hollis Summers, Office of Marine Conservation, Bureau of Oceans and
International Environmental and Scientific Affairs, Department of
State, Washington, DC 20520-7818; telephone: (202) 647-3940.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section 609 of Public Law 101-162 prohibits
imports of shrimp from certain nations unless the President certifies
to the Congress by May 1 of each year either: (1) That the harvesting
nation has adopted a program governing the incidental capture of sea
turtles in its commercial shrimp fishery comparable to the program in
effect in the United States; or (2) that the fishing environment in the
harvesting nations does not pose a threat of the incidental taking of
sea turtles. The President has delegated the authority to make this
certification to the Department of State. Revised State Department
guidelines for making the required certifications were published in the
Federal Register on February 18, 1993 (58 FR 9015).
The countries subject to the provisions of Public Law 101-162
include Belize, Brazil, Columbia, Costa Rica, French Guiana (EC),
Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Suriname,
Trinidad and Tbago, and Venezuela. On April 28, 1995, the Department of
State certified that 11 of the 14 affected countries have met, for the
current year, the requirements of the law. The countries that did not
receive a certification at that time were Trinidad and Tabago,
Suriname, and French Guiana. As a result, shrimp imports from Trinidad
and Tabago were prohibited pursuant to Public Law 101-162 effective May
1, 1995. The ban on shrimp imports from Suriname (in effect since May
1, 1993) and French Guiana (in effect since May 1, 1992) remain in
place.
The countries that received a certification on April 28, 1995, were
Belize, Brazil, Columbia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Guyana, Mexico,
Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, and Venezuela; with Trinidad and Tobago
certified on May 9, 1994. Of these, the Department certified that the
fishing environment in Costa Rica and Guatemala does not pose a threat
of the incidental taking of sea turtles protected by Public Law 101-
162. (In both these countries, the commercial shrimp trawl fleet
operates exclusively in the Pacific Ocean with no activity on the
Caribbean side.) The Department certified that the other ten countries
have adopted a program to reduce the incidental capture of sea turtles
in the commercial shrimp trawl fishery comparable to the U.S. program.
In reviewing information for the purpose of making the
certifications, the Department looked at three principal elements of
each country's program: The legal and/or regulatory framework
establishing the TED requirement for all commercial shrimp trawl
vessels, except those specifically exempt under the Department's
guidelines; (2) the implementation of the requirement and the extent to
which TEDs are in use on all such vessels; and (3) the efforts of each
country to monitor and enforce the TED requirement to ensure
compliance. Because each country that received a certification this
year has established and is implementing the legal requirement to use
TEDs, the Department will place particular emphasis in making future
certifications on the third element, monitoring and enforcement of the
TED requirement.
Dated: April 28, 1995.
R. Tucker Scully,
Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Oceans.
[FR Doc. 95-11450 Filed 5-9-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4710-09-M
