Ocean Garden Products Joins Groundbreaking Pact to Protect Sea Life
Corporate Leaders and Mexican Fishermen Band Together to
Preserve Sea of Cortez Fisheries
Puerto Peñasco, Sonora, MEXICO – August 4, 2005 – San Diego-based Ocean Garden Products, along with the Mexican fisherman and the Natural Resources Defense Council, has entered a landmark agreement to stop the unintended catch of the endangered vaquita marina porpoise and to wipe out illegal fishing in the Upper Gulf of California.
In anticipation of the 2005/2006 Mexican shrimp season, the parties will work together to protect the region’s sea life while keeping intact the historic fisheries that support thousands of local families. The pact calls for a ban on large-mesh gill nets, monitoring of the shrimp harvest, establishing a registry of legal fishermen, developing ways to make the fishery more economically viable, and seeking out environmentally-friendly boat engines, among other provisions.
Shrimping and fishing are mainstays in the Sea of Cortez with about 4,500 jobs dependent on the shrimp business in the towns of San Felipe, Puerto Peñasco and the Gulf of Santa Clara. The region’s shrimp industry encompasses approximately 1,200 two- or three-man boats, 100 large trawlers with seven-man crews, and six processing plants.
“We are extremely proud of the Mexican fishermen who were receptive to these ideas and willing to make changes in favor of the environment,” said John Filose, vice president of Ocean Garden. “The fishermen realized that their traditional, homegrown industry will be made more efficient and prestigious by continuing to offer high-quality, ecologically sound seafood.”
The pact’s success will require cooperation and expertise from diverse groups including fishermen, scientists, environmental organizations, and U.S. and Mexican government officials. Ocean Trust, an ocean conservation foundation, has been instrumental in talks about the vaquita marina and other sea life because of the unique research the group has conducted in the region.
The largest importer of Mexican shrimp into the U.S., Ocean Garden is dedicated to working on a global basis to ensure compliance with the unique trade and environmental regulations employed by governments around the world.
“No group is more concerned with the implementation and oversight of sustainable fishing practices than the Mexican seafood industry, whose livelihood depends on the viability of a long-term business,” continued Filose. “Harvesting their seas and aquaculture facilities in a sustainable manner allows Mexican Shrimp producers to catch or raise superior quality products year after year.”
Ocean Garden Products is a leading seafood importer based in San Diego, California. Founded in 1957, Ocean Garden is a founding member of the Mexican Shrimp Council (www.mexicanshrimp.org), a binational coalition consisting of Mexican Shrimp producers, processors, suppliers and marketers. For more information, please visit www.oceangarden.com.
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Contact:
Melissa Dennis, OutSmart
melissa.dennis@sbcglobal.net
Chef2Chef News Desk