Hawai'i Fisheries Initiative - The Hawaii Institute for Public Affairs

Regional Trends,
Wholesale
Markets,
Quality Control
and Safety,
and Consumer
Education
Regional Trends Affecting Hawai‘i’s
Fishing Industry
In 2003, the U.S. Coast Guard conducted
regional “listening sessions,” gathering
information from commercial and
recreational fishing industry representatives,
academia, non-governmental organizations,
federal and state enforcement agencies,
and fisheries managers. Honolulu session
participants included NOAA Pacific Islands
Regional Office, NOAA Enforcement,
Wespac, Hawai‘i Department of Aquatic
Resources, and the Hawai‘i Longline
Association (representing its more than 200
members). Regional trends were identified
and included:
u Expansion of the foreign fishing fleet is a
significant threat to fish stock sustainability.
u The western Pacific is not viewed
by large U.S. businesses as an area to target
for expansion.
u Aquaculture will continue to grow in
Hawai‘i. Leaders in the private sector,
University of Hawai‘i, and Oceanic Institute
have made significant strides in positioning
Hawai‘i as an aquaculture research and
development hub. 57
u An experimental swordfish operation –
shallow-set longlining – opened in 2004
after being closed due to interactions with
endangered species. There are 30 active
vessels in this limited-entry fishery. Full
observer coverage and significant reported
successes through changes in gear and
techniques are likely to lead to increased
opportunity in this fishery. 58
u Illegal, unregulated, and unreported fishing
is expected to increase.
u Wholesale catch prices will not keep pace
with the rising cost of fishing operations. 59
Wholesale Markets for
Hawai‘i’s Seafood
Fisheries management measures,
regulations, and trade policies (state,
national, and international) affect Hawai‘i’s
seafood supply, demand, and pricing.
Consumer concern over fishing
practices – dolphin/tuna interactions in
the purse-seine fleets, high-seas driftnets,
ocean-bottom trawling, or longlining and
its bycatch issues – plays a big part in
national and international policies, which
in turn affect the local seafood market.
Seafood safety and sustainability of fishing
practices is of concern to an increasingly
sophisticated consumer base. 60
Commercial fishers on O‘ahu and Hawai‘i
primarily sell their catch through the
fish auctions; fishers on other islands
sell directly to wholesalers and retailers.
Wholesalers buy, process, export, and sell
fish to smaller wholesalers, supermarkets,
fish markets, and restaurants, which
buy 10-15 percent of Hawai‘i’s fresh
catch. Some fishers sell their catch on
consignment, thereby accessing the
export markets directly. Other fishers,
usually recreational fishers or small-time
commercial fishers, sell directly to
consumers on the roadside. 61
Fish auctions are unique to Hawai‘i.
While fishing fleets elsewhere typically
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