As Hawaii prepares to ring in the new year, demand for fresh ahi is surging across the islands, sending heavier volumes through the Honolulu Fish Auction, extending auction hours and intensifying competition among buyers seeking premium fish for holiday gatherings.
Behind the bustling counters and high retail prices, however, fishermen say the economics of the ahi market remain far more complicated — and far less lucrative — than many consumers realize.
Michael Goto, vice president of United Fishing Agency, which operates the Honolulu Fish Auction, said the market is behaving much as it does most New Year’s seasons, with demand peaking due to strong tourism and the cultural significance of ahi in local celebrations.
“As far as the market’s concerned, it’s strengthening now, as expected,” Goto said. “It’s probably going to be comparable to most New Year’s times.”
By today, the auction is expected to handle about 120,000 pounds of seafood, nearly twice the volume seen during non-holiday periods. Most of that fish is longline-caught bigeye and yellowfin tuna, the two primary species landed in Hawaii.
To accommodate the surge, auction operations have expanded. Crews begin unloading vessels as early as 10 p.m. the night before, and auctions now start at 4:30 a.m., an hour earlier than usual. If projected volumes hold, Goto said the auction could run for six hours — double the length of a typical non-holiday auction.
Don’t miss out on what’s happening!
Stay in touch with breaking news, as it happens, conveniently in your email inbox. It’s FREE!
“Normally, we wouldn’t run that much fish because the market would fall off,” Goto said. “But thankfully, demand is high right now.”
Goto attributed that demand to a combination of holiday tourism and local traditions, noting that ahi remains a centerpiece of New Year’s meals in Hawaii. Despite strong year-end conditions, the broader seafood market has struggled to recover fully from the combined impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Maui wildfires and inflation.
“Demand just hasn’t been as strong as it was pre-COVID,” Goto said. “This is really the peak.”
Wholesale prices for whole ahi at the auction are currently ranging from about $10 to $17 per pound, depending on species and quality. But Goto emphasized that auction prices reflect whole fish, not retail-ready cuts, and should not be confused with what consumers see at grocery stores or restaurants.
“That’s not even wholesale in the way people think of it — it’s whole fish,” he said. “By the time it reaches the end user, of course it’s going to be much higher.”
That difference between dockside, auction and retail prices has become a growing point of frustration for fishermen, according to Eric Kingma, executive director of the Hawaii Longline
Association.
“Retail prices have been fairly high all year,” Kingma said. “But that doesn’t mean fishermen are getting increased prices.”
In fact, Kingma said auction prices for yellowfin and bigeye tuna hovered near historical lows for much of the past year, averaging around $4 per pound. Even during the peak holiday market, prices may only rise to about $5 or $6 per pound — far below what consumers might expect given the cost of ahi at seafood counters.
“Fishermen get the very lowest part of the value in the supply chain,” Kingma said. “If you look at a dollar spent at retail, fishermen might get less than 10% of that.”
Unlike wholesalers and retailers, fishermen operating in an auction-based system have little ability to pass rising costs down the line. Fuel, bait, gear, insurance, labor, groceries and communication costs have all increased, Kingma said, while the price fishermen receive for their catch often does not reflect those expenses.
“It’s been a very hard year for fishermen,” he said.
Kingma said inflation also has dampened consumer demand for premium seafood, even as poke remains a near-daily staple in Hawaii households. Much of the poke sold at supermarkets, he said, is made from imported, previously frozen, carbon monoxide-treated tuna — a cheaper alternative that dominates the retail market.
“When people buy poke at the supermarket, most of it is imported,” Kingma said. “Only a small portion is what’s actually fresh and from Hawaii.”
To address that gap, a new state country-of-origin labeling law for ahi — signed this year by Gov. Josh Green — will take effect July 1, 2026. The law requires clearer labeling at seafood counters so consumers can distinguish between locally caught fish and imported products.
“The goal is to give consumers the information so they can make better-informed choices,” Kingma said.
Goto said United Fishing Agency plans to pair the new labeling requirements with a broader branding effort for the Honolulu Fish Auction, which historically has not been actively marketed to the public.
“Going into the new year, we’re going to start promoting the auction more,” Goto said. “You’ll see not just ‘product of the USA,’ but ‘auction-sourced,’ so consumers recognize what they’re buying.”
Despite economic pressures, supply remains strong heading into the new year. Hawaii’s longline fleet consists of about 148 vessels based at Honolulu Harbor, with average trips lasting two to three weeks. Each vessel lands roughly 15,000 pounds of fish per trip, Kingma said, and catch rates for bigeye and yellowfin tuna have been good this winter.
Seasonal patterns also play a role.
Tuna tend to move closer to the Hawaiian Islands during the winter months, increasing catch rates
compared to summer, even though most fishing occurs in international waters beyond the state’s 200-mile limit.
“About 80% of what we land stays right here in Hawaii,” Kingma said. “This is one of the largest food-producing industries in the state.”
On the retail floor, buyers say demand has been steady and competitive as New Year’s approaches.
“People want to eat — and for New Year’s, ahi is a must,” Guy Tamashiro of Tamashiro Market said. “It’s not a yes-or-no thing. You gotta have it.”
Tamashiro said buyers often face intense competition at the auction, especially when high-quality fish becomes available.
“Everybody wants to carry the best,” he said. “So you’re willing to fight for it on the floor.”
At Tamashiro Market, customers can expect a range of prices depending on grade, with top-end fish commanding premium prices while lower-cost sashimi-grade options help keep ahi accessible.
“For me, it’s not just about the high end,” Tamashiro said. “It’s about having enough fish at the lower end so more people can afford it.”
He added that even premium ahi can be cost-effective when prepared at home.
“If you buy a $30-a-pound fish and use about a third of a pound for a bowl, that’s about $10 worth of fish,” Tamashiro said. “Add rice, and you have a really good, healthy meal for about $11 — cheaper than a plate lunch.”
As Hawaii enters the new year, industry leaders say stronger transparency, better consumer education and closer connections between fishermen and buyers will be critical to sustaining the local fishery beyond the holiday rush.
“This industry is working hard for Hawaii,” Kingma said. “We’re producing food for the state, day and night. Hopefully people recognize where their fish comes from — and why it matters.”