Hawaii FEP - Western Pacific Fishery Council

Nearly all bottomfish caught in the NWHI fishery is sold through the Honolulu fish auction(United Fishing Agency, Ltd.). Bottomfish caught in the MHI fishery are sold in a wide varietyof market outlets (Haight et al. 1993b). Some are marketed through the fish auction andintermediary buyers on all islands. Sales of MHI bottomfish also occur through less formalmarket channels such as local restaurants, hotels, grocery stores, and to individual consumers.Unsold fish are consumed by fishermen and their families, given to friends and relatives as gifts,and bartered in exchange for various goods and services.Onaga and opakapaka make up the largest valued landings in each area for most years (ignoringthe highly fluctuating landings of uku). NWHI ex-vessel prices were $4.53 and $4.79 per pound,respectively, in 2003 while MHI were $5.89 and $5.01, respectively. However, the NWHIlandings are comprised of a higher percentage of these higher priced species compared with theMHI, so the difference in price for individual species by area is ironed out by the differentspecies compositions between the two areas (see Figure 15).According to U.S. Customs data for the Port of Honolulu, 801,000 pounds of snapper wereimported in 2003 worth $2.26 million ($2.82 per pound). This exceeded the domestic supply andthus was a significant factor in ex-vessel prices (WPRFMC 2004). Not only has the quantity offoreign-caught fresh fish increased during the past few years, but the number of countriesexporting fresh fish to Hawaii has also increased. A decade ago, for example, fresh snapper wasexported to Hawaii mainly from within the South Pacific region. In recent years, Tonga andAustralia were the largest sources of imported fresh snapper, with Fiji and New Zealand alsobeing major sources, and Viet Nam, Chad (freshwater), and Madagascar as minor sources.Figure 15: Average Prices for NWHI and MHI BMUS Landings 1970–2003Source: WPRFMC 20044.2.2 Review of BycatchEconomic DiscardsThe largest federally managed bottomfish fishery in Hawaii occurs in the NWHI. Two data93