Shrimp in the Western Gulf of Mexico -- A Transboundary Stock

Through the mid-1970´s, much of the Gulf of Mexico shrimp harvesting industry was established and capitalized on the ability to shrimp in domestic waters of the U.S. and the waters off the Mexican coast; operating about ten to eleven months of the year. In 1976, the Mexican government declared a 200 mile exclusive economic zone and negotiated a bilateral treaty with the U.S. to phase out all U.S. shrimping in their zone by January 1, 1980. The shrimp stocks in the Western Gulf of Mexico are a resource shared by both Mexico and the United States. Results of joint U.S./Mexico shrimp migration studies indicate that shrimp cross the international boundary in both north-south and south-north directions. The management activities of each nation, therefore, impact those of the other. In recent years, some of the South Texas fleet have shrimped in waters off the Mexican coast. The Mexicans operate almost entirely inshore and, therefore, the offshore resource is not being fully utilized. Until December, 1982, the Mexicans were not even enforcing their zone. This condition has now developed into conflict between the U.S. shrimp industry and Mexican gunboats and the U.S. shrimp industry and the U.S. Coast Guard.