Section 609 (Public Law 101-162) Public Comments

The effective enforcement of this section 609 program is one of the most important ways the federal government can protect endangered sea turtles and provide the U.S. shrimp fishery with a more level playing field in having to compete with shrimp imports that have overwhelmed the U.S. marketplace and driven prices to levels that can no longer sustain shrimp fishing operations. The failure of NMFS and the State Department to effectively enforce this statutory mandate puts U.S. shrimpers at a severe competitive disadvantage – and damages the health of those endangered and threatened sea turtle populations for which the U.S. shrimp fisheries are held directly accountable.