Europe opens doors to Belize seafood

There is good news tonight for Belizean fishermen and seafood farmers, as the European Union has now fully opened its doors to our fisheries exports. The decision to elevate Belize to List One status means that as of the end of October we can export fisheries products to any and all of the fifteen members states. Previously, with a level two certification, Belize could only export to a single E.U. country. The effect of the new status is significant as shrimp prices in the U.S. market have been steadily declining, while European prices have generally remained higher. The E.U. will also expand next year to twenty-five members and presents a large potential market. The successful effort to achieve the new status was spearheaded by the Shrimp Growers Association, along with BAHA, the Ministry of Investment and Trade, and Belize Embassy in Brussels. Farmed shrimp is expected to become Belize’s largest single export, with revenues approaching one hundred million dollars in 2003.