Appellate Court Rejects Government Challenge to Ban on Importation of Some Mexican Seafood; Ability of SIMP to Stop Illegal Shrimp Imports at Issue in Court Case

On Monday, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (Federal Circuit) rejected the U.S. Government’s appeal of a preliminary injunction issued by the U.S. Court of International Trade (CIT) in July 2018 ordering the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) “to ban the importation of all fish and fish products from Mexican commercial fisheries that use gillnets within […]

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Court of International Trade Orders Federal Government to Ban the Importation of Some Mexican Seafood

This morning, the U.S. Court of International Trade ordering the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) “to ban the importation of all fish and fish products from Mexican commercial fisheries that use gillnets within the vaquita’s range.”  The Court’s order was for a preliminary injunction pending final adjudication of a lawsuit brought by the Natural Resources Defense Council, Inc., the […]

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Proposed Critical Habitat for Loggerhead Sea Turtles

The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) has issued a proposed rule for the designation of critical habitat for the threatened Northwest Atlantic Ocean Distinct Population Segment (DPS) of the loggerhead sea turtle. http://www.shrimpalliance.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Loggerhead-NWA-DPS-Critical-Habitat-Proposed-Rule-July-2013.pdf   This designation of critical habitat was fully expected as the follow-on to the 2011 final rule revising the listing of loggerhead sea turtles under the ESA […]

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New TED Compliance Rules in Effect

SSA urgently reminds all Gulf and South Atlantic shrimp trawl fishermen that they are now subject to a new system for protecting sea turtles.    As explained in further detail below, these new requirements are a result of the settlement earlier this year of a lawsuit filed by several environmental organizations against NMFS. These new requirements place a new fleet-wide performance […]

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1 Comment on New TED Compliance Rules in Effect

Press Release on NOAA’s Denial of ENGO Petitions

Contact: Deborah Long,  804.360.0074   NOAA Denies Petitions to Restrict Shrimping Due to Unexplained Sea Turtle Deaths   Tarpon Springs, FL—The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) has denied three separate petitions that would have immediately shutdown the U.S. shrimp industry due to a large number of unexplained sea turtle deaths in the Gulf of Mexico.  The rationale provided by NMFS […]

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NMFS Denies Oceana petition, SSA Comments on Scoping Documents

NOAA Denies Oceana Petition On August 3rd, NOAA denied the final of three separate petitions from environmental groups that sought emergency closures or restrictions of shrimp fishing due to a large number of unexplained sea turtle deaths in the Gulf of Mexico. The strong actions of the agency are a huge victory for the shrimp industry.  The final denial letter […]

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NOAA Denies Oceana Petition

“In summary, because we have substantially accomplished or begun actions requested in your petition and determined that emergency or interim measures or regulations are not warranted at this time, we are denying your petition.” – 8-3-11 NOAA denial of Oceana Petition “While the June 2010 spike in Mississippi sea turtle strandings correlated strongly with the opening and closing of the […]

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Commentary on Sea Turtles

Go to Oceana’s web-site and you’ll see this (http://act.oceana.org/letter/l-turtles-gulf/): Save Turtles From Dying Shrimp nets are drowning turtles, but they don’t have to. Dead sea turtles are washing up on Gulf shores by the hundreds. More are falling uncounted onto the ocean floor. They are victims of drowning, caught in shrimp nets and unable to escape. Shrimp nets don’t have […]

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