September 2, 2015 — HONOLULU — Bigeye tuna caught by Hawaii’s longline industry is in short supply right now as the fleet dodges Hurricane Ignacio and Hurricane Jimena. Some longline vessels that headed out, turned around without catching anything to avoid the powerful storms.
Nico’s Pier 38 and Nico’s Fish Market are known for fresh fish. Customers consume 600 to 700 pounds of bigeye tuna fillets daily. Ahi prices are going up at the auction, but the restaurant isn’t planning to pass the higher cost along to patrons.
“It’s something I’ve been doing for the past 11 years now. I do average price for the year. I’m not going to make any money this month maybe. I don’t know how long it’s going to last,” said owner Nico Chaize.
In August, Hawaii’s longline fleet hit the bigeye tuna catch limit of 3,502 metric tons established by the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission. Vessels shorter than 80 feet are allowed to fish in the Eastern Pacific, but they have to travel hundreds of miles to get there. Some boats from Hawaii had to ride out Ignacio on Sunday night and Hurricane Jimena isn’t too far behind.
Read the full story at Hawaii News Now