[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 213 (Monday, November 8, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 61825-61826]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-24210]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF STATE

[Public Notice: 11574]


Certification of Mexico

ACTION: Notice of country certification.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: On October 21, 2021, the Department of State certified to 
Congress that Mexico's turtle excluder device (TED) program was 
determined to again be comparable to the United States program. Wild-
caught shrimp harvested in Mexico is again eligible to enter the United 
States in accordance with Section 609(b)(2)(A) and (B).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jared Milton, Section 609 Program 
Manager, Office of Marine Conservation, Bureau of Oceans and 
International Environmental and Scientific Affairs, Department of 
State, 2201 C Street NW, Washington, DC 20520-2758; telephone: (202) 
647-3263; email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section 609 of Public Law 101-162 (``Sec. 
609'') prohibits imports of wild-caught shrimp or products from shrimp 
harvested with commercial fishing technology unless the President 
certifies to the Congress by May 1, 1991, and annually thereafter, that 
either: (1) The harvesting nation has adopted a regulatory program 
governing the incidental taking of relevant species of sea turtles in 
the course of commercial shrimp harvesting that is comparable to that 
of the United States and that the average rate of that incidental 
taking by the vessels of the harvesting nation is comparable to the 
average rate of incidental taking of sea turtles by United States 
vessels in the course of such harvesting; or (2) the

[[Page 61826]]

particular fishing environment of the harvesting nation does not pose a 
threat of the incidental taking of sea turtles in the course of shrimp 
harvesting. The President has delegated the authority to make this 
certification to the Secretary of State (``Secretary'') who further 
delegated the authority within the Department of State 
(``Department''). The Revised Guidelines for the Implementation of Sec. 
609 were published in the Federal Register on July 8, 1999, at 64 FR 
36946.
    The Department suspended the certification of Mexico, effective May 
1, 2021, because its sea turtle protection program was no longer 
comparable to that of the United States. The Government of Mexico 
subsequently implemented a plan of action to strengthen sea turtle 
conservation in its shrimp trawl fisheries, resulting in significantly 
improved use of turtle excluder devices by its fishing industry, as 
verified by a team of representatives from the Department and the 
National Marine Fisheries Service. The Department has now certified 
Mexico under Sec. 609(b)(2)(A) and (B).
    The Department has communicated this decision under Sec. 609 to the 
Office of Trade of U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

Constance Arvis,
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Oceans, Fisheries, and Polar Affairs, 
Department of State.
[FR Doc. 2021-24210 Filed 11-5-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4710-09-P