Shortage bumps up ahi prices

An ahi shortage has caused a spike in poke and sashimi prices at Hawaii seafood markets and grocery chains in recent weeks.

Experts say the cause of the shortage is unclear and that scientists will track the shortage should it persist.

"Certainly from what we’ve heard and what we’ve seen on the dockside, it’s unusual there; it’s unusual in the markets, and it remains to be seen what the cause is," said Samuel Pooley, director of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Pacific Island Fisheries Science Center.

"It’s really premature to evaluate why this might be as far as what’s going on in the ocean," said Pooley. "We may never understand it. A lot of our fisheries we understand over a period of years, not over a period of months."

Officials at the United Fishing Agency Ltd., where fish auctions are held daily at Pier 38, could not be reached for comment.

Michael Tosatto, regional administrator of NOAA’s Pacific Islands Regional Office, said officials have observed higher prices at the fish auction due to a lower volume of domestic landings — the amount of fish caught.

Rough seas, a shift in winds or short-term issues with landings are some factors that, in general, could cause a shortage. Tosatto said it’s too soon to determine whether the shortage is due to a supply or market issue. "Markets go up and down. Fish catch goes up and down," he said.

Cutbacks in frozen, treated ahi might be a contributing factor to the increase in higher ahi prices. Daniel Young, manager at Young’s Fish Market in Kalihi-Palama, said the supply for frozen, treated ahi dropped on an international level about a month ago, which led to a demand for fresh fish. "If you want to make poke and there’s no frozen ahi, the only option is fresh ahi. It’s higher in price," said Young.

The price for a pound of ahi poke at Young’s is $16 compared with $10 before the shortage occurred.

Shoppers were caught off guard by the high prices, said Young. Some understood when told about the shortage, but the price deterred buyers.

The supply for fresh fish stabilized a bit in the past week, but that could change at any time, he said. "That can change from day to day, week to week. As far as I know, there’s (still) no frozen ahi," said Young.

Suppliers for Young’s Fish Market’s told them to expect a volatile market for a while.

Pooley acknowledged there are some cutbacks in the availability of frozen product. That would certainly affect prices for low- to medium-grade ahi.

Consumers have noticed higher ahi and sashimi prices at the supermarkets, prices they typically would see around New Year’s.

Justin Tanioka, general manager of Tani­oka’s Seafoods & Catering in Wai­pahu, said they had a shortage of fresh ahi in the last eight weeks. Supply recently improved, prompting a slight drop in prices. "Hopefully it stays like this," said Tani­oka. A pound of ahi poke at Tani­oka’s is $15.95 compared with $17.95 a pound several weeks ago.

Guy Tamashiro, vice president of Tama­shiro Market in Palama, said the shortage in treated ahi affected their prices for fresh fish. "We were forced to increase as our cost went up," said Tama­shiro.

The demand for fresh fish is increasing not only in Hawaii, but worldwide, he added.

Prices at Tamashiro Market dropped slightly to about $12.95 from $15.95 for low- to medium-grade ahi. Prices for premium-grade ahi are consistently high throughout the year.