Like it or not one of the integral parts of the seafood business is the constant change that we face on a daily basis. Every day always seems to be a new adventure! One of the adventures we will be facing in the current year is a two month grouper conservation period in Mexico for the months of February and March. This two month moratorium has been rumored for a while, but we did not want to announce it until we were certain of the details. (Unfortunately ambiguity can sometimes rule the day with Mexican politics!)
Two months without Mexican grouper will almost certainly leave an unprecedented shortage especially in the fresh fish markets. Beacon has reacted quickly to ensure that we have lots of lines in the water to maintain fresh grouper supply from other regions (pacific grouper especially). However please expect scarcity as well as very high prices. Also we have been persistent in stocking up some premium frozen fillets in recent months and would encourage you to give those a try. We have made a lot of strides in the past year with our frozen grouper fillets, from the blast freezers themselves, to the packaging and overall workmanship. Please get with your sales rep for more details.
Finally we would like to mention that while we are very supportive of the extension of the conservation period to two months, we see that as just one of a number of important steps that need to be taken. Beacon is grateful to enjoy several thriving partner relationships in the region who have been very active in the conservation process. We are however unanimous in our opinion that there is a lot more work to be done and that our voice needs to get louder. In order to facilitate more coordinated and persistent efforts Beacon is pleased to announce the formation of a new Grouper Fishery Improvement Project (FIP) for the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico. While we look forward to announcing more on this in the future please don’t hesitate to reach out to us if you have any interest in this project or would like to help support our Grouper conservation efforts in this region.
As we get started with 2016 please know that we remain dedicated in our mission to deliver the best wild seafood with exemplary service. All the best to each of our partners in 2016!
