Courtesy of SeafoodNews.com:
President Biden announced on Monday that the U.S. will not be imposing trade measures on Mexico as part of efforts to protect the endangered vaquita.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services (USFWS), under the U.S. Department of the Interior, announced in mid-May that they notified Congress that “Mexican nationals are violating the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) by engaging in trade or taking of totoaba and vaquita, pursuant to the Pelly Amendment to the Fishermen’s Protective Act.” Secretary Deb Haaland wrote in a letter to Vice President Kamala Harris and House of Representatives Speaker Kevin McCarthy that “Mexico has failed to stem the illegal harvest and commercial export of totoaba” and that the illicit trade has “direct negative impacts on the survival of the vaquita, which become entangled and drown in illegal gillnets set for totoaba.”
The President had 60 days from the Secretary’s certification to notify Congress of any action. Sanctions were one action that the President could have taken. However, in his letter to the Speaker on Monday, Biden said he would not be directing the Secretary of the Treasury to “impose trade measures on Mexican products.” Instead, Biden is taking other actions, which include the following:
“Relevant executive departments and agencies (agencies) to convene a high-level dialogue with the Government of Mexico to discuss the steps it will take to reduce illegal trafficking of totoaba and enhance conservation of the vaquita. Through this dialogue, the United States will encourage Mexico to strengthen and implement its CITES compliance action plan and comply with all relevant CITES decisions regarding totoaba and vaquita, including expansion of enforcement efforts beyond the ZTA. The United States will also establish a schedule of at least quarterly meetings with the Government of Mexico to review its CITES Compliance Action Plan implementation, with a focus on enhanced monitoring and enforcement actions to prevent and deter totoaba fishing and trafficking, including seizures, arrests, and prosecutions. The United States will also include totoaba and vaquita enforcement matters on the agenda for the next High Level Security Dialogue with Mexico.”
“Relevant agencies to coordinate efforts to assist and support Mexico’s compliance, anti‐trafficking, anti-corruption, and other measures as appropriate. If requested by the Government of Mexico, the United States will assist Mexico with relevant training and capacity building.”
“The Secretary of the Interior, in coordination with the Secretary of Commerce, Secretary of State, and the United States Trade Representative, among other agencies as appropriate, to develop an assessment by July 2024, of Mexico’s enforcement actions and implementation of its CITES Compliance Action Plan.”
With that said, the Secretary of the Interior, the Secretary of Commerce, Secretary of State and the U.S. Trade Representative will continue to monitor Mexico’s enforcement actions. They will also provide President Biden with a report no later than one year from June 17, 2023 on whether the actions listed above have reduced the illegal harvesting and trafficking of totoaba and the enhanced conservation of the vaquita.
“I believe that continued focus is required to curtail the illegal taking of and commercial trade in totoaba and to support conservation efforts,” wrote Biden. “These actions hold the most promise of reducing illegal trade in totoaba and instituting effective conservation of the vaquita.”