PACIFIC ISLANDS FISHERY NEWS
Newsletter of the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council / Summer 2024 ISSN 2151-2329 (PRINT) ISSN 2151-2337 (ONLINE)
Council Addresses Unfair Trade and Problems with Foreign Fish Flooding US Pacific Islands Markets
At its 199th meeting in June, Council members lamented the influx of foreigncaught fish flooding U.S. markets, under mining local fishermen. This issue affects not only Hawai‘i but also U.S. territories, where local fisheries struggle with profit ability due to cheaper foreign imports. Fishermen are frustrated by the lack of price adjustment after retailers replace locally caught fish with lower-cost foreign alternatives. As one Kona fisherman put it: “It’s not like we can’t catch fish or that fresh fish is scarce—buyers and retailers have simply decided to buy foreign products, making it hard to find local buyers.” U.S. tuna landings, primarily from Hawai‘i and excluding those used in canned tuna, are valued at $170 million (Figure 1). In comparison, imports of fresh and frozen yellowfin and bigeye tuna were approximately $230 million in 2023, reaching almost $300 million in 2022 (Figure 2), with Vietnam, Panama and Indonesia being major sources. U.S.-caught tuna is of superior quality, while many cheaper foreign imports use questionable practices.
‘Ahi poke sold at major retailers in Hawai‘i often displays a “locally made” label, despite being made from frozen fish treated with carbon monoxide. This misleading labeling equates it with fresh, locally caught Hawai‘i product. Another popular grocery chain does not provide any source information on its ‘ahi poke.
In Hawai‘i, bigeye and yellowfin tuna are primarily supplied to poke and sashimi markets, sold fresh and never chemically treated. However, imported tuna, often in the form of loins and cubes treated with carbon monoxide (referred to as “tailpipe tuna”), retains a misleadingly fresh appearance. According to a June 11, 2024, Seafood Source article, up to 60% of yellowfin tuna steaks from Vietnam undergo a process involving saline injections and treatments with beet juice, paprika and additives like sodium ascorbate and ascorbic acid.¹ This product is given a euphemism of “vitamin tuna” (from ascorbic acid), which is intended to mask low-quality, brown-colored fish. CONTINUED ON PAGE 2