July 19, 2021 — The pandemic changed many things in Hawaii, including access to fresh fish. The swift departure of hundreds of thousands of tourists and the consequent closure of many hotels and restaurants eliminated the bulk of the demand for fresh fish literally overnight.
One major fish wholesaler resorted to curbside sales at Pier 38 in Honolulu Harbor just to keep the lights on, and some large commercial fishing vessel owners shut down to avoid their extensive costs of operation.
Creative solutions for distribution quickly surfaced. Community Supported Agriculture — direct purchasing between consumer and farmer — began flourishing in communities across the state, offering a model for fisheries. Local IA on Oahu, a self-described community supported fishery, provided a direct link for fresh, locally caught seafood.
Roadside fish sales proliferated on all the islands, and fresh fish retailers who could keep their doors open while meeting COVID-19 restrictions engaged long-standing relationships with fishermen to assure that preferred local seafoods were available.
A new app called FishLine — created specifically to help consumers find fresh fish directly from fishermen at no cost to either — also surfaced. FishLine was introduced on the Big Island by the Hawaii Fishing and Boating Association.