Supply Chain Roundtable
Mexican Snapper and Grouper
Read the Snapper and Grouper Sector Sustainability Update 2021.
The Mexican Snapper and Grouper Supply Chain Roundtable (SR) convenes US importers to collaborate on snapper and grouper sustainability work in the Mexican area of the Gulf of Mexico. The SR monitors the work of existing FIPs in that region and addresses overarching issues, such as insufficient governance and illegal fishing.
Mexico is the fourth-largest snapper and grouper producing country in the world, contributing five percent of the global snapper and grouper sector volume.
Mexico is the most important source of imported snapper and grouper to the United States. Mexican snapper and grouper is a significant trade commodity, and a substantial amount (primarily from the Gulf of Mexico) is exported to the United States.
A great deal of product (especially that harvested in the Pacific) also remains in the domestic market, which is beginning to engage in sustainability.
Participating companies
- Alfa Gamma Group
- Beacon Fisheries (OB Bera, SR Industry Chair)
- Heads or Tails Seafood
- IncredibleFish
- Inland Foods
- John Nagle Co.
- Local Foods
- Netuno USA
- Save On Seafood/US Foods
- Sea Lion International
- Water Street Seafood
2 Active Mexican Snapper & Grouper FIPs in Gulf of Mexico
11 Roundtable Participating Companies
10 % Regional Snapper and Grouper Production Improving
Join This Roundtable
To join this Supply Chain Roundtable or for more information, please contact Megan Westmeyer or call SFP at 1-808-726-2582.
Q4 2024 Update:
- The Mexican Snapper Grouper Sustainable Sourcing Policy has been approved and finalized. It will be signed by participants in January and will go into effect in March 2025. The Sustainable Sourcing Policy includes two basic requirements intended to foster a market for sustainable products. First, SR participants will prioritize sourcing from Mexican companies participating in fishery improvement projects (FIPs). Second, SR participants will implement voluntary minimum size limits on several key species, increasing the likelihood that fish have had the opportunity to reproduce before being harvested. While the SR recognizes that these actions alone will not achieve a sustainable fishery, the SR is committed to creating a market that encourages and rewards sustainably managed fisheries.
- View the full history of this SR’s activities.
Sector Background
By late 2021, about 13 percent of the global snapper and grouper production was considered sustainable or improving, primarily due to the existence of two FIPs in Indonesia, the world’s largest producer of snapper and grouper (accounting for more than 40 percent of world production). FIPs in Mexico and Brazil (the fourth- and seventh-largest producers, respectively) also contribute a portion of the improving volume.
The success of T75 in the snapper and grouper sector depends upon key production countries, such as Mexico, to demonstrate that sustainable management and harvest of snapper and grouper is possible and to expand FIPs to a regional or national level.
The snapper and grouper sector comprises the wild and farmed snapper (Lutjanidae family) and grouper (Serranidae family) species. Most snapper and grouper species are coastal demersal fish, generally associated to hard-bottom habitats (rocky or reef areas). Snapper and grouper are highly valuable fish for US, European, and some Asian markets. These species are generally traded live, fresh (or chilled), or frozen.
Activity & Workplan
Action Recommendations for SR Participants:
- Expand SR participation.
- Develop a Sustainable Sourcing Policy.
- Ensure adequate support of improvement efforts.
SR Workplan
In May 2023, the Mexican Snapper and Grouper SR approved the 2023 workplan.
Join This Roundtable
To join this Supply Chain Roundtable or for more information, please contact Megan Westmeyer or call SFP at 1-808-726-2582.