big fish in oahu

This morning we visited Hawaii’s daily fish auction at pier 38 — the only “display auction” in the country — and learned how auctioneers price their fish to the restaurants all over Oahu and on the mainland as well. 

In case you’re like me and know very little about the transaction from sea to seafood entree, this is the meeting place where fishermen meet restaurant owners and chefs.  Every morning starting at 5 am, fishers unload their catch — which collectively can be up to 25,000 pounds daily — and buyers for restaurants review the fish, pile by pile, bidding on them for purchase.  Ahi tuna is the prized fish in these waters, and shows up on menus by the same name as well as by the local ‘Poke’. Other contenders for auction include Moonfish (the pretty red finned fish below), Swordfish, and other tunas and marlins.  A display auction provides a tail cut of each fish being auctioned so that buyers can see the quality of the meat; apparently most fish auctions are not managed this way.

I spoke with Brooks Takenaka, the main auctioneer of the United Fish Agency, and he was full of great facts about the Pacific fisheries surrounding Hawaii.  The Hawaii Seafood Council, which Takenaka is a member of, strives to maintain high quality catch (i.e. sell everything that you take in a day’s catch rather than have lots of ‘by catch’ that’s wasted protein and depleted resources).  It’s won many awards for its commitment to sustainable, efficient fisheries management.  Bravo!

When I asked if he noticed a decrease in the catch size over recent years, Brooks said no but his fishers’ efforts to maintain the catch size have had to increase.  They have to take boats farther out and for longer to meet the levels they’re used to catching (and then selling).  Not a good sign for the world’s fisheries, as this is such a common theme wherever you go.  Good thing to have guys like Brooks leading the charge, even if it’s only one auction house at a time.  When he’s not managing the daily fish auction, Brooks teaches marine biology and oceanography for the U.S. Coast Guard. What a humbling face to connect to the global fisheries debate – I’ll remember Brooks every time I choose wild caught salmon going forward.    

Besides Brooks’ welcoming demeanor and profound knowledge of the fisheries situation, I was enthused by the Hawaii Seafood Council’s transparency in even letting us in this joint! We had no problems taking photos or video (note the video clip showing Brooks in ‘auction mode’).  If you want to learn more about Hawaii’s fisheries efforts, have a look at their Web site: www.hawaii-seafood.org.

Oh yes — and another cool thing happened that has to do with food!  The other day while lying in the shade at Hanauma Bay, a chicken laid an egg nearby.  Seriously.  First there was the chicken, who was bold and beautiful as she strode within inches of my towel, and then there was the chicken and the egg.  There was a rooster hanging around too (maybe out of guilt or to provide moral support?) and together, we three witnessed the miracle of birth.  Pretty soon my fellow beach people noticed the egg and called their children to check it out.  Immediately I was attached to it, wanting to protect it and also give the chicken some space (since she’d just given birth, in a way).  Everyone was pretty gentle and inspired though.  A park staff member moved the egg out of harm’s way (aka, people herding into the restrooms, which were nearby) and the chicken and rooster followed.  

Two ‘food lessons’ in two days, Hawaii, I love you!