Shrimp is in short supply. That's what restaurateurs all over Belize are reporting: a spike in prices and a scarcity in supply.

It's yet another side effect of the COVID-19 pandemic and the change in tourist traffic that made shrimp growers uncertain about production needs.

It's a problem that's putting pressure on two industries but it's, fortunately, one that the experts tell us won't last too long.

And Caribbean Shrimp Ltd. made sure to tell us not to be alarmed by the empty ponds, They've been drained for the harvests and will be restocked the moment they dry out. It's all part of an ongoing rotation that has taken place for years. The company also wished to assure consumers that their shrimp are growing but have yet to reach market size.

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Related story:

US bans shrimp imports from Mexico based on inadequate sea turtle protections

The United States on Friday announced a ban on shrimp imported from Mexico after the country failed to adhere to mandated sea turtle protections during shrimp harvesting, The Associated Press reports.

The U.S. "suspended the certification of Mexico because its sea turtle protection program is no longer comparable to that of the United States," the State Department said.

The U.S. ordered that Mexico put protections in place ensuring sea turtles don't get caught in trawl nets, industrial sized nets dragged underwater that often result in by-catch, or unintentionally caught animals. Mexico enacted a requirement that fishermen use sea-turtle-exclusion devices on the nets to prevent this from happening, but for unknown reasons the U.S. State Department determined the expectations were not being met.

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