PBI-Guatemala accompanies the CCR as it experiences threats for defending territory from shrimp industries

Published by Brent Patterson on May 14, 2024

On May 10, PBI-Guatemala posted:

“On Monday #PBI accompanied a member of the Council of Communities of Retalhuleu (CCR) in the capital, in order to denounce before various protection institutions the threats they are suffering in relation to the defence of the territory and the struggle against large shrimp industries.

The South Coast region continues its struggle against the sugar cane and shrimp industries present in the territory and their adverse effects on the communities, in relation to access to water, small-scale agriculture and life.”

In October 2018, the Global Seafood Alliance posted: “Guatemala’s shrimp-farming industry – despite the lack of suitable areas and facing numerous challenges including various major shrimp diseases – has adopted a new, highly intensive system of small ponds and shorter cycles that can produce as much as 27,216 kg/ha/cycle. The estimated 120 shrimp farmers are expected to produce close to 25,000 metric tons of farmed shrimp in about 1650 ha of ponds in 2018.”

In May 2022, the Seafood Media Group reported: “Guatemala’s ‘Free Press’ reported that in 2021, Guatemala’s aquaculture and fishery exports will reach 134 million US dollars, and exports to Spain, the United States, Mexico, the Netherlands, France, South Africa, Portugal and other countries, of which 78 million US dollars are shrimp products. Guatemala has developed an intensive shrimp farming system that will boost shrimp exports in 2021, said Alexander de Beausset, vice-president of the aquaculture and fisheries department at Agexport [the Guatemalan Association of Exporters] in Guatemala.”

With Spain, the United States, Mexico, the Netherlands, France, South Africa and Portugal noted as export markets for Guatemala in 2021, we note that in 2003 the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations indicated: “According to their value, the Guatemalan shrimp exports in 2003 were distributed as follows: United States, 54 percent; Europe (Spain and France), 44 percent; other, 2 percent.”

And earlier this week, Echemi.com reported: “Last year, Guatemala exported approximately 3 million kilograms of shrimp to Mexico via the Ciudad Hidalgo customs in Chiapas. The border closure [now re-opened] jeopardized around 5,000 jobs and directly impacted the economies of 20 communities in southern Guatemala.”

Now, according to the Caribbean News Global, Guatemala’s deputy minister for integration and foreign trade Hector Marroquín was in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in March of this year noting “the potential for growth by expanding exports to include products like speciality coffee and shrimp.”

PBI-Guatemala has accompanied the Community Council of Retalhuleu (CCR) since April 2020.