FL MORRIS / FMORRIS@STARBULLETIN.COM Ocean-farmed moi, seen here in the Tropic Fish and Vegetable Center walk-in cooler, has been in short supply in recent weeks.

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No more moi

Smaller harvests and longer growth
times leave distributors with fewer
fish to sell

Whether steamed and finished with hot peanut oil, soy sauce and ginger or sliced into a delicate sashimi with ponzu and truffle oil, moi has become a little harder to find on isle restaurant menus and supermarket shelves.

There has been a moi shortage for the last several weeks, and it is expected to last for about three more weeks.

Tropic Fish and Vegetable Center, which distributes ocean-farmed moi (Pacific threadfin) from Cates International, had been getting 6,000 to 8,000 pounds of fish a week. But in the last few months, the harvest has dropped from twice a week to once a week with as little as 1,200 pounds of moi, said Jo Rasmussen, of Tropic's wholesale fish sales office.

"We sell out," Rasmussen said. "It's first come, first served. We've cut back on everybody just to be fair."

Randy Cates, president of Cates International, noted, "Everybody's screaming for the fish. It really illustrates the demand."

Cates said several factors led to the moi shortage.

The Oceanic Institute, which supplies moi fingerlings to Cates to raise in open-ocean cages off Ewa, was unable to produce enough baby fish.

Cates is also growing the fish to a bigger size, which means holding some of the smaller fish off the market.

Cates' main harvest boat is also going into dry dock for maintenance. Once the boat is returned to service in a few weeks, Cates said he should be able to return to twice-a-week moi harvests, which should end the moi shortage.

Despite selling fewer fish, Cates and Tropics have not raised prices.

"The aim is not to raise our prices; it's to be more affordable for everyone," Rasmussen said.

In the meantime, chef Hiroshi Fukui of Hiroshi's Eurasion Tapas restaurant has had to suffer through the shortage.

Fukui has four signature dishes featuring moi on his menu. Instead of the moi carpaccio, he is now serving Kona kampachi carpaccio. And the "bagged" moi with Hauula tomato concasse, chili pepper water-konbu broth and truffle butter is now "bagged" catch of the day in case the moi runs out and he has to substitute kampachi or New Zealand tai.

"We gotta do what we gotta do," Fukui said.

The shortage is also an indication of the growth of the market for moi, once farmed by native Hawaiians and reserved for royalty.

Moi was rarely seen in stores just a few years ago, with most fishermen preferring to keep the catch for their own use rather than sell it.

"People are now used to it. They're enjoying it, and of course they miss it when it's not there," said Bruce Anderson, president of the Oceanic Institute.

Anderson said it takes about a month and a half to spawn the moi and raise them to fingerling size. It takes about six months to raise the moi from fingerlings to commercial size.

So Cates was able to warn his customers that there would be a drop in moi production.

But soon there should be enough moi to meet the growing demand, Cates said. Next month, he will break ground on a $2 million commercial hatchery.

Anderson noted that the Oceanic Institute is focused on research, doing the groundwork to grow the aquaculture industry here, so the moi fingerling supply has been inconsistent.

Cates' hatchery should go online in six months and could be the beginnings of an export industry to ship moi to the mainland and international markets.

"Building our hatchery increases us to about 4 million fry per year," Cates said. That should translate into about 2.5 million to 3 million pounds of fish -- more moi for everyone.