[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 86 (Wednesday, May 3, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 25785-25786]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-11025]


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DEPARTMENT OF STATE

[Public Notice 3306]


Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific 
Affairs; Certifications Pursuant to Section 609 of Public Law 101-162

April 27, 2000.
SUMMARY: On April 25, 2000, the Department of State certified, pursuant 
to Section 609 of Public Law 101-162 (``Section 609''), that 16 nations 
have adopted programs to reduce the incidental capture of sea turtles 
in their shrimp fisheries comparable to the program in effect in the 
United States. The Department also certified that the fishing 
environments in 25 other countries do not pose a threat of the 
incidental taking of sea turtles protected under Section 609. Shrimp 
imports from any nation not certified were prohibited effective May 1, 
2000 pursuant to Section 609.

EFFECTIVE DATE: May 3, 2000.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: David Hogan, Office of Marine 
Conservation, Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and 
Scientific Affairs, Department of State, Washington, DC 20520-7818; 
telephone: (202) 647-2335.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section 609 of Public Law 101-162 prohibits 
imports of certain categories of shrimp unless the President certifies 
to the Congress not later than 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 and has an incidental take 
rate comparable to that of the United States; or (2) that the fishing 
environment in the harvesting nation 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 July 2, 1999 
(Vol. 64, No. 130, Public Notice 3086).
    On April 25, 2000, the Department certified 16 nations on the basis 
that their sea turtle protection program is comparable to that of the 
United States: Belize, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, 
Guatemala, Guyana, Indonesia, Mexico, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Panama, 
Suriname, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, and Venezuela. Honduras, 
certified on these grounds in 1998, did not retain their certification. 
Honduras failed to demonstrate that its regulations requiring the use 
of sea turtle excluder devices (TEDs) were being adequately enforced. 
The Department expects that Honduras will take steps necessary to 
regain certification in 2000.
    The Department also certified 25 shrimp harvesting nations as 
having fishing environments that do not pose a danger to sea turtles. 
Sixteen nations have shrimping grounds only in cold waters where the 
risk of taking sea turtles is negligible. They are: Argentina, Belgium, 
Canada, Chile, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, the 
Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Russia, Sweden, the United Kingdom, 
and Uruguay. Nine nations only harvest shrimp using small boats

[[Page 25786]]

with crews of less than five that use manual rather than mechanical 
means to retrieve nets, or catch shrimp in using other methods that do 
not threaten sea turtles. Use of such small-scale technology does not 
adversely affect sea turtles. The nine nations are: the Bahamas, China, 
the Dominican Republic, Fiji, Haiti, Jamaica, Oman, Peru and Sri Lanka.
    Any shipment of shrimp harvested in Honduras with a date of export 
prior to May 1, 2000 will be allowed entry into the United States 
regardless of date of importation into the United States. That is, 
shipments of shrimp harvested in this country in transit prior to the 
effective date of the ban are not barred from entry.
    The Department of State communicated the certifications under 
section 609 to the Office of Trade Operations of the United States 
Customs Service in a letter transmitted on April 27, 2000.

    Dated: April 27, 2000.
R. Tucker Scully,
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Oceans, Fisheries and Space, U.S. 
Department of State.
[FR Doc. 00-11025 Filed 5-2-00; 8:45 am]
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