Why Restaurants are Taking the Pledge

A community initiative to bring an end to the demand for parrotfish for human consumption has been targeting restaurants in and around La Paz to take the pledge not to offer these ecologically important species on their menus.

Parrotfishes are a group of 90+ species that make up the family, Scaridae. These fish get their name from their teeth which are tightly packed together forming a parrot-like beak which they use to graze algae from coral and rocks.

As well as helping to keep the algae on the reefs in healthy balance with the ecosystem, this grazing contributes to a process known as bioerosion whereby living animals erode coral, rocks and shells to form the sand on our beaches.

Community group, "Espiritu Santo es parte de ti", has been campaigning in and around La Paz to bring an end to the demand for this ecologically important group of fishes in order to restore and protect critical reef habitats around the Espiritu Santo Archipelago off the coast of La Paz, Mexico.

Directed by marine biologist, Lucia Corral, Espiritu Santo es Parte de Ti has been systematically targeting popular restaurants to urge them to take the pledge not to trade in parrotfish species. The team has targetted 33 popular restaurants in total and so far 13 have agreed on this call of action. Work is in progress to include the remaining targeted restaurants in the pledge.

Of these 13 restaurants, the chefs of three have participated in recorded interviews filmed by team member Leonardo Gonzàlez who then went on to produce the videos below for social media outreach.

Please watch these two interviews with the chefs of Anzuelo Cocina del Mar and Tres Virgines giving their own accounts of the importance of protecting and preserving the Espiritu Santo Archipelago. All videos are in Spanish with English subtitles.

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This video features executive chef Fernanda Orona of restaurant Anzuelo Cocina del Mar.

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This interview features the head chef, Jesus Chavez Partida, of restaurant Las Tres Virgenes.

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April 14, 2017

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