Ecobreves – CENTRAL AMERICA: Ban on Shrimping Decreed

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GUATEMALA CITY, May 6 2006 (IPS) - Belize, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama and El Salvador have decreed a ban on fishing for shrimp during the entire month of May, reported the Guatemalan Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Food. The measure, which affects the Pacific coastline, including estuaries and lagoons, was agreed as a result of declining shrimp stocks and with the aim of ensuring the reproduction of the species, Minister Alvaro Aguilar explained to Tierramérica.

The coastal shrimp is from the “peneidae” family (Penaeus californiensis), and the ban encompasses commercial as well as subsistence shrimping, said the ministry in a statement.

In Guatemala, anyone who violates the government's ban will face fines the equivalent of 1,066 to 10,666 dollars.