Ecuador encourages shrimps inclusion in the US Seafood Import Monitoring Program

A bill recently passed by the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee and the Commerce, Justice and Science Appropriations Subcommittee, which seeks to include shrimp within the Seafood Import Monitoring Program, has been applauded by leaders within the National Chamber of Aquaculture of Ecuador. 

José Antonio Camposano, the chamber's executive president, said his organization belives that shrimp’s inclusion within the program will elevate responsible producers. 

“We are very pleased to see the announcement that shrimp will be added to the U.S. monitoring program, as we firmly believe it’s time for responsible producers to stand up in favor of strong standards and improved traceability in the seafood industry,” Camposano said. “All consumers deserve access to the highest quality products, and through this program, U.S. consumers will have improved knowledge and access to shrimp produced to the highest environmental and social standards.”

Camposano said Ecuador’s shrimp farming sector has embraced a new antibiotic-free initiative, helping to further “improve the region’s position as a provider of premium shrimp.”

The United States imports 91 percent of the seafood it consumes, of which 25 percent is shrimp. Last April, Ecuador exported more than 80 million pounds of shrimp to the United States, according to Urner Barry statistics.