Sea Turtle Conservation and Shrimp Imports Into the United States

You are subscribed to Collected Releases for U.S. Department of State. This information has recently been updated, and is now available. Sea Turtle Conservation and Shrimp Imports Into the United States 04/30/2021 02:36 PM EDT Office of the Spokesperson The Department of State protects sea turtles around the world through its certification program, which allows for the importation of wild-caught shrimp into the United States pursuant to Section 609 of Public Law 101-162 ("Section 609").  Each year the Secretary of State (or his delegate) certifies to Congress that governments and authorities of shrimp-harvesting nations and economies have programs to reduce the incidental taking of sea turtles in shrimp trawl fisheries. This year, the Department certified 35 nations and one economy and granted determinations for twelve fisheries as having adequate measures in place to protect sea turtles while harvesting wild-caught shrimp.  Annual certifications are based in part on overseas verification visits by a team composed of State Department and National Marine Fisheries Service representatives. Six of the world's seven species of marine turtles are listed as endangered or threatened under the Endangered Species Act.  The U.S. Government is currently providing technology and capacity-building assistance to other nations to contribute to the recovery of sea turtle species and help them certify under Section 609.  The U.S. Government also encourages legislation like Section 609 in other nations to prevent the importation of shrimp harvested in a manner harmful to protected sea turtles. For more information on the Certification to Congress, please see the Federal Register Notice published on April 30, 2021, 86 FR 23027.  For more information on U.S. government sea turtle conservation efforts, please visit the websites of the State Department's Office of Marine Conservation, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration , and the Fish and Wildlife Service . For press inquiries, contact OES-PA-DG@state.gov. Stay connected with the State Department: External links found in this content or on Department of State websites that go to other non-Department websites should not be construed as an endorsement of the views or privacy policies contained therein.    Update your subscriptions, modify your password or email address, or stop subscriptions at any time on your Subscriber Preferences Page. You will need to use your email address to log in. If you have questions or problems with the subscription service, please contact subscriberhelp.govdelivery.com. This email was sent to ignoble.experiment@arconati.us using GovDelivery Communications Cloud on behalf of: U.S. Department of State · 2201 C Street NW · Washington, DC 20520