Fort Lauderdale, Florida, U.S.A.-based Netuno USA’s recent USD 500,000 (EUR 455,000) acquisition of Brazilian red snapper boats will help expand its product portfolio and retail presence across the United States.
Like many other seafood suppliers, Netuno took a significant hit to its foodservice sales at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, after many states implemented shelter-in-place orders.
However, Netuno quickly shifted the packaging of its products – including Brazilian red snapper – to cater to retail buyers. It also launched a Sauté ‘n Serve gourmet frozen shrimp line.
The company has also been working with Sysco and other foodservice distributors to provide frozen fish fillets, whole fish, and other seafood to the grocery channel.
“We have shifted our focus to distributors that sell retail and the little bit of retail business that we sell direct,” Netuno USA Sales and Marketing Director Amanda Longoria told SeafoodSource in late March. “We already have a relationship established with Sysco and we are working on those items [which were used for foodservice] that they can use for retail.”
To further expand its retail selection, Netuno acquired five snapper fishing boats in northern Brazil for around USD 500,000 (EUR 455,000) in April. Each boat produces between 100,000 and 125,000 pounds of snapper during the season, Longoria said. In the off-season, the boats will bring in whatever fish is in season.
“While foodservice is a huge part of our business and we are all hurting due to the pandemic, we still see a demand for our snappers in both foodservice and retail, particularly our Brazilian Caribbean Reds. We have seen the increase in retail demand and continue to build our retail partnerships,” Longoria said.
Netuno is custom-packing red snapper for a major retailer in the Northeast U.S. and has the capability to expand that program in other markets, Longoria said. It sells its Netuno-branded red snapper fillets in 12-ounce and two-pound packages.
“If we grow the fleet every year as intended, we should be at 2.5 million pounds by 2025,” Longoria said. "For us, the importance of sourcing our own product will not only allow us more control over inventory and costs, but control over every step in the supply chain. This is imperative to ensure that we can provide quality product people have come to expect from Netuno, while making sure we are not compromising our sustainability goals in the process.”
Netuno launched the northern Brazil snapper fishery improvement program in 2014 “and wants to see that through all the way to MSC certification,” Longoria said.
“We felt that this investment would help align us with that goal as well," she said.
The small fiberglass vessels Netuno purchased are more fuel-efficient, faster, and easier to maneuver during trap collections. Maneuverability is key to collect traps at the proper angle with minimal interaction with the seafloor to prevent damage to the ecosystem, Netuno said.
“We are always looking for ways to be more efficient while remaining responsible in our practices,” Netuno President Luciano Bonaldo said in a press release. “Our own fleet enables us to ensure sustainable practices directly for the products we source. It also helps us better understand the challenges fishermen face to increase supply without compromising quality or sustainability standards.”
Netuno is also focused on reducing plastic waste in the ocean and switched from individually vacuum packed (IVP) to twin-vacuum packed packaging on its grouper fillets.
“This will save about three million bags per year, a number that will increase once Netuno expands this practice to its entire line,” Netuno said in the press release.
Photo courtesy of Netuno
