Parrotfish and the Environment

by Kayla Francis | January 12, 2022

Parrotfish are a popular Jamaican dish.  We see these colourful ocean creatures being sold at fishing villages, or they are fried, roasted, and steamed at restaurants. 

But does this fish really belong on your plate? 

Parrotfish play an important role in Jamaica’s environment, and the aim of this article is to educate the Jamaican public on why Parrot Fish are important.

How do parrotfish help the environment?

Jamaican Beaches and Beach Erosion. 

1. Jamaica is portrayed in the media as a beautiful island with white sand beaches and clear sea water. But do you know the contribution that parrot fish make to the beaches? Parrotfish “discharge” up to 100 kg of white sand a year for every year of their lives. They are like sand factories, creating new sand sediments on our reefs and beaches and this sand sedimentation is very important in avoiding beach erosion. 
2. Parrotfish spend 90% of their day clearing the reef of algae. This clearing (eating) helps coral grow and thrive, and healthy reefs support more fish in the sea.  Parrotfish snack on the hard parts of coral which becomes a white sandy material in their stomachs that they leave behind on the reef. The loss of parrotfish disturbs the delicate balance of coral ecosystems and allows algae, on which they feed, to smother the reefs. Some of the healthiest Caribbean coral reefs are those in areas where governments “have restricted or banned fishing practices that harm parrotfish, such as fish traps and spearfishing”. 

How does overfishing Parrotfish impact the Jamaican environment?

Caribbean corals have declined by more than 50 percent since the 1970s and may disappear in the next 20 years as a direct result of the loss of parrotfish. This was widely believed to be because of climate change, but the main cause is Overfishing. Overfishing is the removal of a species of fish from a body of water at a rate that the species cannot replenish, resulting in those species becoming underpopulated in that area.

Parrotfish are being so heavily overfished in the Caribbean that it is putting important coral reefs at risk.  Algae-eating parrotfish, like other planting-eating reef fish, play an important role in coral reef ecosystems and their decline over the last few decades from fishing has exacerbated problems associated with global warming, as well as the future of Jamaica’s beaches and coral reefs.

There’s nothing wrong with eating parrotfish and other fishes but they’re overfished which negatively affects the natural environment. 

Are there any governmental regulations against parrotfish? Currently no. Despite suggestions from environmental advocates, members of the public, there is no official ban on parrotfish. Additionally, fish vendors have cited that parrotfish are an integral part of their livelihood and that banning parrotfish would impact their well-being and their ability to provide for their children. 

(Petition information is to be inserted here, but there are several petitions, not sure which one to use)

There is a direct relationship between individual consumption and the environment. Although one person consuming one parrotfish will not have a profound impact, even one person participating in the consumption cycle for parrotfish will further fuel the parrotfish industry, which leads back to the main issue of overconsumption. When it comes to parrotfish, the conservation of this species must be a collaboration between the government, environmental institutions, fishermen, restaurants, and individual parrotfish consumers. 

Sign the petition here