Written by Lisa Kubota

Tough economic times are a concern for many in Hawaii’s fishing industry. With the state struggling financially, some fishermen aren’t sure if they’ll be able to reel in as many customers. Sales could suffer depending on what families can now afford.

“We fish a high-grade fish and the fish is not cheap. It’s not canned tuna. It’s the sashimi market,” said Scott Barrows, general manager of the Hawaii Longline Association. “So we are concerned about people not having the money to buy our product.”

Thousands of people headed to Pier 38 on Sunday for the annual Hawaii Fishing and Seafood Festival.

“It’s a celebration of our culture and heritage -- fishing and seafood,” explained Neil Kanemoto of the Pacific Islands Fisheries Group.

It was a bright spot for an industry having a tough time.

“Our fuel costs have gone up 400% in the last two years,” Barrows said.

“In order to offset their cost and their expenses they’re looking for better prices,” said Brooks Takenaka of the United Fishing Agency. “Then of course with the economic situation we’re in right now people are looking for bargains as opposed to wanting to spend more money.”

With their livelihoods on the line fishers need to keep customers hooked.

“The sales haven’t really dropped off all that much yet. Now how that’s going to affect us down the road, I’m not really sure because as you know, Hawaii tends to be a little further behind in terms of cause and effect situations,” said Takenaka.

Sustaining the fish supply is another concern. The state released more than 30 hatchery reared moi that were tagged for future research.

“What we’re trying to do is trying to restock and trying to get a better understanding as far as the biology of the animal,” explained Tom Iwai of the Division of Aquatic Resources.