Forum Views () 
Forum Replies ()  
 
 
Read more with google mobile :
Hawaii anxiously watching year-end tuna supply  
 
 
 
 
 
Yahoo!
My Yahoo!
Mail
More Yahoo! Services
Account Options
New User? Sign Up
Sign In
Help
Yahoo! Search
web search
  
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
Home
Singapore
Asia Pacific
World
Business
Entertainment
Sports
Technology
 
 
 
Africa
Europe
Latin America
Middle East
North America
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Hawaii anxiously watching year-end tuna supply
 
 
  
 
 By AUDREY McAVOY,Associated Press Writer -
 Sunday, November 22
 
 
Send
 
IM Story
 
Print
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
HONOLULU – On New Year's Eve each year, thousands line up at fish counters across Hawaii to buy blocks of raw tuna, hoping that eating it will bring good luck and prosperity in the new year. This year, the long tradition may get a little more difficult to observe.
 
For the first time, federal regulators are expected to prohibit the catching of bigeye _ Hawaii's favored tuna variety _ in waters west of the islands once the fishermen hit their annual catch limit. They're on course to do that around the first or second week of December.
 
The potential for a shortage has produced anxiety here among consumers, fishermen, wholesalers and retailers, leaving them to wonder if they'll be able to get hold of the tuna, or ahi.
 
"We may not have as much fish. In terms of quality, I don't know how it's going to compare to what we normally have," said Brooks Takenaka, assistant general manager at United Fishing Agency, which runs Honolulu's fish auctions. "Those are questions nobody has any answers to right now."
 
The tradition began with Japanese immigrants who arrived here a century ago to work on the sugar plantations but has since spread to the numerous other ethnic groups. The custom in Japan is to eat tai, or sea bream, for good luck. But this fish isn't found in waters around Hawaii so the immigrants substituted ahi.
 
Clarence Gonsalves said he's never had a New Year's without tuna before. "It's a tradition in Hawaii. No matter what the price is, you'll have it," said the 76-year-old retired supermarket meat cutter. "We've never run out of it."
 
This year the outlook is not so clear. While everyone agrees there will be tuna on the shelves, they're not sure how much or what kind. That's because those responsible for managing fish stocks believe fishermen must curtail their bigeye catch to protect the species, which is prized around the world for sashimi, or Japanese-style raw fish.
 
Environmentalists say people are catching so much bigeye in the Western Pacific that the fish are close to the point where they won't be able to reproduce fast enough to replace what's caught. The situation is already that dire in the Eastern Pacific.
 
Last December, the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission, an international body that regulates commercial fishing from Indonesia to Hawaii, concluded the bigeye catch must be slashed 30 percent in its waters.
 
To do their share, the 130 boats in the Hawaii-based longline fishing fleet must slice their bigeye yield by 10 percent compared to what they caught in 2004. That means they're only allowed to take 3,763 metric tons in 2009. As of early November, they had already caught 3,119 metric tons.
 
The National Marine Fisheries Service is monitoring the fleet's logbooks to keep track, said Tom Graham, a fisheries policy analyst with the National Marine Fisheries Service in Honolulu. The agency will give fishermen seven days notice before it prohibits taking more bigeye, Graham said.
 
Hawaii's longliners hope to limit any market upheaval by staggering their return to port once the fishery is closed, said Sean Martin, Hawaii Longline Association president. This will prevent all their tuna from landing on the market all at once.
 
"Coordinating fishermen is kind of like herding cats. But we're trying to coordinate our production side to continue to provide some consistency to the supply," said Martin, whose company POP Fishing & Marine operates five longline boats.
 
Martin noted longliners will still be allowed to fish in waters east of Hawaii, an area governed by the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission. The Hawaii-based fleet's annual catch limit in this area is 500 metric tons this year and it's not close to being met.
 
Handline fishermen may also continue to fish in waters west of Hawaii.
 
Traders will likely try to fill any supply gaps by importing bigeye from outside Hawaii. Many locals, however, prefer the ahi caught by the Hawaii-based fleet because the fish isn't treated with carbon monoxide to preserve its color like some of the fish delivered by air freight.
 
"We need the local longline caught fish. That's what a lot of Hawaii wants," said Guy Tamashiro, vice president of Tamashiro Market. Meanwhile, he's hoping for the best come New Year's Eve.
 
"I got my toes crossed, too," he said.
 
 
 
 
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
Recommend
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Send
 
IM Story
 
Print
 
 
 
 
 
 
Related Articles
 
 
Italian police arrest 2 linked to Mumbai attacks AP - Sunday, November 22
 
NC man gets life in prison for woman's fatal scare AP - Sunday, November 22
 
McCain links political correctness to shootings AP - Sunday, November 22
 
Mental health cases tax police, emergency workers AP - Sunday, November 22
 
59 and counting: Health care bill nears test vote AP - 1 hour 39 minutes ago
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
News Search
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Top Stories
 
 
 
 
Obama health drive faces critical vote
Putin backs Medvedev's call for Russia modernisation
First Air France A380 reaches New York
CERN atom-smasher restarts after 14-month hiatus: official
Crisis fallout still in 'first half': forum
 
 
 
 More Top Stories »
 
 
 
ADVERTISEMENT
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
Most Popular
 
 
 
 
Most Viewed
 
Most Recommended
 
 
 
 
First Air France A380 reaches New York
 
CERN atom-smasher restarts after 14-month hiatus: official
 
Dubai growing at five percent pace: economy tsar
 
Crisis fallout still in 'first half': forum
 
Giant atom-smasher poised for restart: CERN
 
 
 More Most Viewed »
 
 
 
 
 
Alcohol helps cut heart disease risk for men: study
 
 
 More Most Recommended »
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
Elsewhere on Yahoo!
 
 
 
 
Financial news on Yahoo! Finance
 
 
Stars and latest movies
 
 
Best travel destinations
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
More on Yahoo! News
 
 
Home
Singapore
Asia Pacific
World
Business
Entertainment
Sports
Technology
Subscribe to our news feeds
Top StoriesMy Yahoo!RSS
» More news feeds | What are news feeds?
 
Also on Yahoo
 
Answers
Groups
Mail
Messenger
Mobile
Travel
Finance
Movies
Sports
Games
» All Yahoo! Services
 
Site Highlights
 
Singapore
Full Coverage
Most Popular
Asia Entertainment
Photos
 
 
 
 Copyright © 2009 Yahoo! Southeast Asia Pte. Ltd. (Co. Reg. No. 199700735D). All Rights Reserved.
Terms of Service |
Privacy Policy |
Community |
Intellectual Property Rights Policy |
Help
  
   
 
 
    
   
 
Other News on Sunday, 22 November 2009 Iran to hold war games to protect nuclear sites  
Putin backs Medvedev's call for Russia modernisation  
Obama health drive faces critical vote  
Iraq parliament struggles over elusive vote deal  
Sri Lanka to open refugee camps ahead of polls
| International
|  
Sri Lanka to release 136,000 Tamil war refugees  
EPA: Uranium from polluted mine in Nev. wells  
Rocket hits outside luxury hotel in Afghan capital  
NC man gets life in prison for woman's fatal scare  
Australia issues 'catastrophic' alerts as fires rage  
59 and counting: Health care bill nears test vote  
Afghan road builder's dream thwarted by violence  
Chicago losing glitz when Winfrey goes off the air  
China says 42 dead, 66 trapped in mine explosion  
Hawaii anxiously watching year-end tuna supply  
Atlantis astronauts take 2nd spacewalk of mission  
Security forces: Blast near Kabul's Serena Hotel  
AP reporter caught up in Stalin family's agony  
3 men blow themselves up in Pakistani Kashmir  
Italy arrests Pakistanis suspected of Mumbai links  
Terror trials differ in civilian, military courts  
Elderly US couple pleads guilty in Cuba spy case  
Twilight sequel sets new opening-day record
| Entertainment
|  
Singer Robbie Williams to court investors: report
| Entertainment
|  
Singer Robbie Williams to court investors: report  
"Twilight" sequel sets new opening-day record  
Losing Winfrey would be big blow for Second City  
German auction house pulls disputed painting  
Michael Jackson glove among items at music auction  
Israel-Palestinian conflict kills 8,900 in 20yrs: NGO  
EU recession over, but sharp contrasts in east  
Iran to hold war games to protect nuclear facilities
| International
|  
American Express takes aim at PayPal with Revolution  
Israeli aircraft strike tunnels, arms factories  
Swine flu vaccine effective despite mutations: experts  
Anglican leader, pope meet amid tensions  
China mine explosion death toll reaches 87
| International
|  
Austrian sets up online cattle auctions  
US 'helps build anti-Taliban militias' in Afghanistan  
Colombia's Uribe seeks to ease Venezuela tensions
| International
|  
Belgian ex-premier meets party chiefs as hunt begins for new PM  
Israeli planes strike targets in Gaza  
W.Sahara activist refuses Madrid offer of refugee status  
Israeli planes strike targets in Gaza
| International
|  
Iran to hold war games to protect nuclear facilities  
Pressure for progress at talks on rebel Karabakh
| International
|  
Rhodes Scholars named for 2010  
Atheist student groups flower on college campuses  
2nd autopsy for Malaysian opposition aide: lawyer  
Indonesian ferry with over 200 people sinks: police  
UC Santa Cruz protesters still occupy building  
Biden says Senate handed Obama a big victory  
Death toll in China mine disaster rises to 87: media  
Groth to play tennis for Australia after citizenship  
Passenger charged in fatal stabbing on NYC subway  
N.Korean leader inspects security forces  
Healthcare bill passes first U.S. Senate test  
Korean death row inmate dies after suicide attempt  
Obama health drive clears key Senate hurdle  
Motown caps 50th anniversary with hometown gala  
Mumbai still vulnerable 1 year after terror attack  
4 injured in San Francisco cable car accident  
Malaysian activist's body exhumed for 2nd autopsy  
Separated twins beat the odds  
Japanese temple resorts to manga to woo visitors  
Top S.Korea think-tank sees 2010 GDP at 8-yr high  
South Koreans to get Apple's iPhone this week  
IPhone to go on sale in South Korea  
Jackson's glove sells for $350,000 at auction
| Entertainment
|  
Crisis forcing hard-up Spaniards to sell their hair  
Desperate retailers seek holiday season rescue  
Motown caps 50th anniversary with hometown gala  
International Emmys to honor David Frost  
Botswana tries spicy solution to keep elephants at bay  
Developing: Senate Democrats Secure Votes To Prevent Republican Healthcare Filibuster  
Jacko 'moonwalk' glove sells for 350,000 dollars  
Mobile Home Fire Kills 5 In Central Florida  
Sarandon gets lifetime achievement award at Stockholm film fest  
Smiling on Facebook costs Canadian her insurance  
French designer wolfs down US doggy rags  
Pope in landmark meeting with artists in Sistine Chapel  
Anesthetic Spray Seen As Cure For Premature Ejaculation  
U.S. Customs Agents Arrest Man With 15 Lizards Strapped To Body  
Thousands Of Bongs Seized in Los Angeles  
Georgia Plans To Lay Bulldog Mascot To Rest  
Albinos In Africa Being Hunted For Their Human Body Parts To Be Used In Witchraft Concoctions  
Iran releases ex-official on bail in mass trial  
Crisis forcing hard-up Spaniards to sell their hair  
Israeli president plays down settlement work
| International
|  
Iranian reformer freed on $700,000 bail  
Iraqi parliament fails to reach election deal
| International
|  
Former Iran VP released on bail  
Overloaded Indonesian ferry sinks; 4 dead, most survive
| International
|  
Iranian reformer freed on $700,000 bail: report
| International
|  
Ahmadinejad heads to nuclear-backers Brazil, Venezuela  
Alleged Iraq bombers offer confessions  
Pirates hijack Greek-owned bulk carrier off Yemen
| International
|  
Bomb blasts kill six, wound 40 in India's northeast
| International
|  
Israeli president to Egypt for talks with Mubarak  
Militants could be invited to Afghan Jirga
| International
|  
Ahmadinejad leaves for tour including Brazil, Venezuela  
Khmer Rouge prison chief anxious as trial ends  
Indonesian ferry sinks; 9 dead, some 230 rescued  
CORRECTS RI Bishop-Kennedy  
AP NewsAlert  
Overloaded Indonesian ferry sinks; 4 dead, most survive  
South Korea mass murderer hangs himself in cell  
Police identify gunman in deadly Saipan rampage  
2 bomb blasts leave 7 dead, 52 wounded in India  
Indonesian passenger ferry sinks with 242 aboard  
Bomb blasts kill six, wound 40 in India's northeast  
Suspected pirates kidnap 3 crewmen in Philippines  
Afghan official: 5 border security guards killed  
India's Reliance announces bid for LyondellBasell  
China could grow 10 pct in fourth quarter: report  
AirAsia to tap Southeast Asian capital market  
Report: Indonesian passenger ferry sinks with 228  
Beirut sets out to woo back shoppers  
Pistols, Tasers, assault rifles sell fast at US show  
Jackson's glove sells for $350,000 at auction  
US-ENTERTAINMENT Summary  
UC Students Protest Tuition Hike  
Taliban suffocate Pakistan Buddhist heritage  
Man Stabbed To Death After Argument Over NYC Subway Seat  
Senior U.S. Special Operations Commander Makes Security Visit To Bangladesh  
Greece at new risk of being pushed off euro  
Bodies of missing Tenn. mom, Jo Ann Bain, and daughter found  
Female Breasts Are Bigger Than Ever  
AMD Trinity Accelerated Processing Units Now in Volume Production  
The Avengers (2012 film), made the second biggest opening- and single-day gross of all-time  
AMD to Start Production of piledriver  
Ivy Bridge Quad-Core, Four-Thread Desktop CPUs  
Islamists Protest Lady Gaga's Concert in Indonesia  
Japan Successfully Broadcasts an 8K Signal Over the Air  
ECB boosts loans to 1 trillion Euro to stop credit crunch  
Egypt : Mohammed Morsi won with 52 percent  
What do you call 100,000 Frenchmen with their hands up  
AMD Launches AMD Embedded R-Series APU Platform  
Fed Should not Ignore Emerging Market Crisis  
Fed casts shadow over India, emerging markets  
Why are Chinese tourists so rude? A few insights