HONOLULU RETAIL
MONITORING PROJECT
NOAA’s Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center developed
a price monitoring program to better understand the retail
(consumer-level) seafood sector in Honolulu. This program
was designed to provide information on:
Prevalence of local fish species and product forms
Pricing trends along the value chain
Seasonal consumer demand
Role of imports
Market presence-absence can be an indicator of
consumer demand, market seasonality, and the role of
imports. It is calculated as the number of weeks with an
observed retail price divided by the total number of weeks
sampled in a given year.
WHOLE
LOCAL
TUNA
WHOLE
WHOLELOCAL
LOCALTUNA
TUNA
% OF WEEKS WITH FISH
% OF WEEKS
WEEKS WITH
WITHFISH
FISH
•
•
•
•
MARKET
PRESENCE – ABSENCE
7373
7070
7676
6262
2008
2008
2009
2009
5555
2007
2007
YELLOWFIN
YELLOWFIN
TUNA
TUNA
(<=(<=
1515
LBS)
LBS)
METHODS
Country of origin labeling was noted where applicable. Data
summaries include market presence-absence, weekly retail
price averages, monthly retail price trends, calculations of
value-added pricing trends and local price premiums.
% OF
WEEKS
WITH
% OF
WEEKS
WITHFISH
FISH
• Locally-owned markets
• Seafood specialty retailers
• Supermarkets
2010
2010
2011
2011
SKIPJACK
SKIPJACK
TUNA
TUNA
(AKU)
(AKU)
FRESHWHOLE
WHOLEONAGA
ONAGA
FRESH
88
83
78
94
83
61
2007
2008
2009
93
52
44
LOCAL
37
2010
2011
IMPORT
92
25
2007
90
98
80
98
92
69
67
2010
2011
39
2008
Parrotfish
2009
Menpachi
Report Citation:
Hospital, J., and C. Beavers. December 2014. Hawaii retail
seafood markets: observations from Honolulu (2007–2011).
Pacific Islands Fish. Sci. Cent., Natl. Mar. Fish. Serv., NOAA,
Honolulu, HI 96818-5007. Pacific Islands Fish. Sci. Cent.
Admin. Rep. H-15-01, 32p.
A copy of the report can be downloaded at:
http://www.pifsc.noaa.gov/library/pubs/admin/PIFSC_Admin_Rep_15-01.pdf
For more information about this research,
or to request a copy of the full report:
Contact Justin Hospital
808-725-5399
[email protected]
FRESH
LOCALREEF
REEFFISH
FISH
FRESH
LOCAL
% OF
WEEKSWITH
WITH
FISH
OF WEEKS
FISH
A small sample (n=7) of Honolulu retail seafood markets
were visited weekly between 2007-2011 and posted prices
were recorded for fish species and product forms common
in markets. Retail establishments represented a diversity of
consumer seafood outlets including:
9494
9292
8585
7373
Mu'u
Hawaii Retail
Seafood Markets:
Observations from Honolulu (2007-2011)
NOAA Fisheries Service
Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center
www.pifsc.noaa.gov
U.S. Department of Commerce
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
National Marine Fisheries Service
TUNA
Average weekly retail price1 ($/pound): Local bottomfish (whole)
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
ONAGA
14.90
13.40
14.80
14.51
14.86
12
OPAKAPAKA
11.10
9.74
9.65
9.82
11.25
10
EHU
11.86
10.39
11.95
11.52
11.95
GINDAI
9.52
8.25
9.67
10.11
9.73
UKU
6.15
6.37
6.15
6.35
6.59
HOW DO CONSUMER PRICES COMPARE TO
PRICES FISHERMEN RECEIVE?
LOCAL FRESH AHI FILLET, BY GRADE
35
20
10
15
8
2007
PREMIUM
HIGH
GOOD
2011
14
12.57
7.59
20
4
15
7.28
2
0
2008
LOCAL POKE
2009
2010
IMPORT POKE
2011
SQUIRRELFISH
2009
2010
2011
MAHIMAHI
9.91
11.45
12.17
ONO (WAHOO)
8.67
8.83
9.03
NAIRAGI (STRIPED MARLIN)
7.16
8.57
7.43
KAJIKI (BLUE MARLIN)
8.03
8.58
8.82
SHUTOME (SWORDFISH)
5.48
7.83
8.27
OPAH (MOONFISH)
9.07
10.79
11.95
MONCHONG
8.39
9.28
9.70
nominal prices, not corrected for inflation 2011
SURGEONFISH
AKULE
2010
2011
10
5
0
FISHER
2007
2011
KUMU
8.48
4
2009
LOCAL OPAKAPAKA
HOW DO LOCAL FISH PRICES
COMPARE TO IMPORTS?
25
7.91
2008
CONSUMER
12.38
6
2007
6
11.10
8.00
2007
Species
CONSUMER PRICES CAN VARY WITHIN REEF FISH FAMILIES
2007
$ PER POUND
8
10.20
9.52
1
PARROTFISH
0
$ PER POUND
$ PER POUND
$ PER POUND
12
0
2
HOW IS LOCAL TUNA PRICED RELATIVE
TO IMPORTED TUNA?
10
4
$ PER POUND
5
6
2
$ PER POUND
$ PER POUND
10
0
8
12
25
$ PER POUND
$ PER POUND
$ PER POUND
30
Average weekly retail price1 ($/pound): Pelagic fillet
CONSUMER PRICES VARY ACROSS REEF FISH FAMILIES
Species
HOW DOES FISH QUALITY AFFECT
CONSUMER PRICES?
Nearly all non-tuna pelagics are marketed fresh and in fillet form,
although some markets regularly offer marlin or swordfish poke.
GOATFISH (NON-KUMU)
Average weekly retail price1 ($/pound): Local reef fish species
20
Species
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
15
KALA
2.54
2.88
3.01
3.17
2.99
MANINI
4.43
4.54
4.92
4.97
4.96
MENPACHI
7.77
8.30
8.00
8.40
8.63
AKULE
4.13
4.71
5.33
5.25
5.83
OPELU
3.99
4.15
4.66
4.50
5.04
10
5
0
2007
LOCAL ONAGA
IMPORT ONAGA
= seasonal closure for local fish
AVERAGE MONTHLY PRICES (2010-2011):
PELAGICS
AVERAGE MONTHLY
PRICES (2010-2011): PELAGICS
2011
1
nominal prices, not corrected for inflation 16
14
$ PER
POUND
$ PER POUND
Often marketed
collectively as ‘ahi
NON-TUNA PELAGICS
Reef fish are typically marketed fresh and whole. There are some
instances of imported reef fish, but the majority of reef fish in
Honolulu markets encountered during the monitoring period was
local to the State of Hawaii.
$ PER POUND
Bigeye tuna (Thunnus obesus)
Yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares)
Skipjack (Aku) tuna (Katsuwonus pelamis)
Albacore (Tombo) tuna (Thunnus alalunga)
Hawaii bottomfish are typically marketed fresh and whole.
Bottomfish species have strong social, cultural, and economic
values – particularly in the winter holiday season.
$ PER POUND
Tuna is ubiquitous in Honolulu seafood markets: available fresh,
frozen, and previously frozen in various product forms including
whole, fillets, steaks, and poke. The most common tuna species in
Honolulu seafood markets are:
•
•
•
•
REEF FISH
BOTTOMFISH
12
10
8
6
4
2
0
MOONFISH (OPAH)
MAHIMAHI
KAJIKI (BLUE MARLIN)