The Economist - Letters
July 2004

Ending the Shrimp Wars

NEWS - China, Vietnam Illegally Dump Shrimp on U.S. Markets

Editor
The Economist
25 St. James Street
London, SW1A 1HG

Dear Editor:

Though U.S. shrimpers cheer anti-dumping tariffs, they are no closer to solving the problem of how to manage the wild fishery ( Shrimp Wars, July 10). Responding to open-access incentives, shrimpers drive up industry costs and contribute to the incidental killing of sea turtles and juvenile fish. Unless the incentives change, the industry s future is bleak.

A better alternative would be rights-based management. If shrimpers had exclusive quota shares that can be freely bought and sold, the industry would likely downsize and reshape itself to produce lower cost, higher value shrimp for consumers who want fresh, healthy seafood and better stewardship of the environment. Regardless of the final ruling on tariffs, imported, farm-raised shrimp will continue to be a major force in the market. Whether a properly managed wild fishery can compete is yet to be tested.

Sincerely,

Peter M. Emerson
Environmental Defense
Senior Economist
44 East Ave. Ste #304
Austin, TX 78701
(512) 478-5161
pemerson@environmentaldefense.org