Decision comes as company focuses on their mission of eco responsibility

Fort Lauderdale (September 13th) – NETUNO USA, US lead importer of Snapper and Grouper, will discontinue Parrotfish, and are imploring others to do the same.  

“Parrotfish are like the ‘bees’ of the coral reefs,” says Andre Brugger, Sustainability & Compliance Manager at NETUNO. “They graze macro algae over the reefs in a process called bioerosion and together with the algae, dead parts of reefs are transformed inside the fish into sand. The fish excrete the sand, helping sand dynamics in the sandy beaches near corals (adult parrotfish can excrete up to 2,300 KG sand/year). They control algae population on the reef, which is imperative, otherwise the excess of this algae can smooth the reef and can end up killing them.”

In the Caribbean islands, Parrotfish, or “Pez Loro” is a delicacy and a very popular fish to eat fried or stewed. NETUNO’s customer base is predominantly Caribbean, and it was one of the most popular selling items for the company. The decision to stop carrying it was solely to support their overall sustainability mission. At the same time, studies and reports imploring islanders to stop eating Parrotfish have gained traction, such as Nature Conservancy’s #PassOnParrotfish campaign.

“Of course, the question becomes at which point do you choose profit over the mission? And we were just not interested in that. We’ve decided that no amount of profit would be worth contributing to a growing problem.” Luciano Bonaldo, NETUNO’s President and Co-Owner on why they’ve made this decision now. “We hope if enough vendors make this choice, we can eliminate the supply of Parrotfish in the market. But it takes all of us. We implore our customers to stop buying it. If there’s no demand, there’s no market.”

 About NETUNO
Since 1993 NETUNO has devoted itself to producing the highest quality frozen seafood in the market, while maintaining a strong commitment to sourcing from sustainable fisheries and using commercially responsible practices by monitoring fish stock, reducing by-catch and minimizing waste and energy. When you buy NETUNO brand seafood, be assured that you are serving the highest quality seafood. Learn more at www.netunousa.com.