Sustainable Seafood: Eating Responsibly in Hawaii

Hawaii imports roughly half of the seafood consumed across the islands each year — a surprising figure for a state surrounded by the Pacific Ocean. The same waters that make Hawaii a world-famous travel destination also support a complex seafood system where sustainability means something different than it does on the mainland. Here, eating responsibly involves navigating invasive species, reviving ancient fishponds, supporting the nation’s only open-ocean finfish farm, and convincing diners to try cuts of fish that typically get thrown away.

This guide breaks down what sustainable seafood actually looks like in Hawaii right now — the specific species to look for on menus, the farms and fisheries doing things differently, and the practical questions to ask before you order. Whether you’re visiting for a week or live here year-round, the choices you make at the dinner table have a real impact on local waters.

Each of these approaches gives you a concrete way to eat more responsibly in Hawaii. Here’s what they mean in practice.

Eat Invasive: The Ta’ape Solution

Ta’ape — bluestripe snapper — was introduced to Hawaiian waters in the 1950s by the state Division of Aquatic Resources without any ecological impact studies. The species spread across the entire archipelago, from shallow reefs at ten feet deep to more than 600 feet. By the 2010s, it was clear that Ta’ape was competing with native reef fish, and traditional methods of control weren’t working.

The approach that gained traction is straightforward: “Eat ’em to beat ’em.” Similar programs have been used for lionfish in the Atlantic and green crabs on the East Coast. Ta’ape has pink, white, flaky meat, with individual fish typically running under two pounds. It’s versatile — fried whole, in ceviche, in soups, or made into fish cakes. The main barrier was cultural: locals historically preferred red or silver fish, and Ta’ape’s yellow-blue coloring looked more like an aquarium fish than dinner.

That’s changing. Since the Ta’ape project launched in 2020, the campaign has reached over 22 million people and brought in more than 200 partners across Hawaii. Annual harvest is up 90% compared to 2018, market value has increased 178%, and the number of Ta’ape thrown back into the ocean has dropped by over 200%. Fishermen who used to release Ta’ape now keep them because there’s a market. Price per pound has climbed steadily over the past five to ten years.

What does this mean for you as a diner? Ta’ape is increasingly available at restaurants across the islands, especially during Sustainable Seafood Month campaigns. Ask your server if they carry it. The fish’s mild, flaky texture works in almost any preparation, so it’s an easy entry point if you’re trying something new.

Ancient Wisdom: Loko I’a Fishponds

Aquaculture in Hawaii isn’t new — it’s been practiced for over 800 years. Traditional fishponds, called loko i’a, were built from lava rock at the confluence of seawater and freshwater. Juvenile fish would enter through grated openings in the pond wall, feed on the rich vegetation in the brackish water, and grow in a protected environment. Indigenous Hawaiians created what one researcher describes as a “managed estuary” that supported multiple species at once.

These fishponds served as food bank reserves — a reliable source of protein when wild harvest was unavailable. Clay Tam of the Pacific Islands Fisheries Group notes that they functioned as a backup system, not just a primary food source. Many loko i’a fell into disrepair after contact, but restoration efforts have accelerated in recent decades. One of the best-known examples is Kīholo Preserve on the Big Island, managed by Hui Aloha Kīholo and The Nature Conservancy.

Visiting a restored fishpond gives you a tangible sense of how Hawaii’s food system worked before industrial supply chains. It’s a reminder that sustainability isn’t a new idea here — it’s a return to practices that sustained communities for centuries. If you’re on the Big Island, a stop at Kīholo Preserve pairs naturally with the island’s other food-focused destinations.

Open-Ocean Innovation: Hawaiian Kanpachi

About twenty miles down the Kona coast from the fishponds, a different kind of aquaculture is taking shape. Blue Ocean Mariculture operates the only open-ocean finfish farm in the United States. Its Hawaiian Kanpachi — longfin yellowtail — are raised from eggs in a hatchery adjacent to the Ocean Era research facility, then transferred as adults to submerged net pens a quarter-mile offshore. The pens sit fully submerged about 200 feet deep in Hawaii’s deep water, where strong currents disperse fish waste quickly and natural schooling behavior guides stocking density.

The environmental data is striking. Water quality near the pens is equivalent to samples taken six miles up the coast. Dolphins, sharks, manta rays, and healthy coral populations are all present around the farm. The operation shares its data openly with NOAA and other scientists. Blue Ocean Mariculture’s VP of Marine Operations, Tyler Korte, monitors the pens via underwater ROV.

Ocean Era, the research facility next door, has developed alternative fish feeds that eliminate wild-caught fish protein entirely — using poultry byproduct meal, soy, and algae instead. They’ve proven that carnivorous fish can grow on a zero-marine-ingredient diet. They’re also working with herbivorous drummer fish (rudderfish) that produce sashimi-quality fillets without any fish meal or oil in their feed.

Hawaii Calls Restaurant, run by father-son chefs Jayson and Ocean Kanekoa, features Hawaiian Kanpachi on the menu. Chef Ocean Kanekoa prepares it four ways, including a deboned, breaded “boneless wing” preparation. He focuses on educating diners about the fish and why it’s a responsible choice. The restaurant sources from the farm year-round, which gives them reliable supply when wild fish availability is uncertain.

When you order Kanpachi in Hawaii, you’re supporting a farming model that’s being studied as a template for domestic aquaculture nationwide. The Marine Aquaculture Research for America Act, introduced in Congress in fall 2024, would invest in open-ocean demonstration farms with environmental safeguards — building on the kind of work happening in Kona.

Zero Waste: The Whole Fish Approach

Forty to fifty percent of a fish is typically discarded after processing — heads, tail cuts, bloodline, and bones. In Hawaii, a coalition of chefs, fishers, and seafood businesses is working to change that. The Sustainable Seafood Month campaign brings these groups together to showcase lesser-known cuts and create new market value from what used to be waste.

Chef Chris Cosentino at Coast restaurant on Maui has been a driving force here. He’s demonstrated how to use bloodline — the dark, nutrient-rich strip along a fish’s side — to make aioli. He’s served ahi marrow on the half shell with mignonette, a dish that resembles an oyster shooter. Whole roasted ahi tails, which cook up resembling oxtail, have become a signature item. Recipes for all parts of the fish are published on the Conservation International-Hawaii program website.

The zero-waste push extends beyond the kitchen. Fish skin leather has been trialed on over 30 species — ahi, Ta’ape, mahi-mahi, and more — using skins that would otherwise be discarded. Products include purses, wallets, and earrings, and the program is exploring leather shoes. Ta’ape fish leather shoes are scheduled to debut in 2025 through a shoe company partnership. The leather and fashion communities have become part of the broader network, which now includes roughly 200 partners across chefs, fishers, seafood businesses, and artisans.

Choosing Sustainable Seafood in Hawaii

The practical question is always the same: what do I actually order? Here’s a quick framework based on what the research supports.

Look for Ta’ape on menus. It’s an invasive species, so eating it directly reduces pressure on native reef fish. The harvest data since 2020 shows that market demand works as a management tool — more demand means more Ta’ape removed from the water. If your restaurant doesn’t carry it, ask why. Enough requests can shift what chefs source.

Choose Hawaiian Kanpachi when you see it. It’s the only open-ocean farmed finfish in the US, with environmental monitoring data that’s publicly shared. The farm’s feed innovations mean the fish you’re eating didn’t require wild-caught fish protein to grow. That’s rare in aquaculture.

Try the whole fish. Order the ahi tail, the collar, the bloodline preparations. These cuts cost less than fillets and directly combat the 40-50% waste rate. Coast on Maui and other participating restaurants during Sustainable Seafood Month are the easiest places to find them.

Support restaurants that source locally. Hawaii Calls Restaurant on the Big Island is a model — they work with local farms for mushrooms, greens, pork, and pineapple alongside their Kanpachi. The more restaurants build relationships with local producers, the more resilient the whole system becomes.

Sustainable Seafood in Hawaii: Your Questions Answered

What is Ta’ape and why should I eat it?

Ta’ape is bluestripe snapper, introduced to Hawaii in the 1950s. It spread across the archipelago and competes with native reef fish. Eating it reduces its population — harvest is up 90% since 2018, and fewer fish are being thrown back. It’s mild, flaky, and works in almost any preparation.

Is farmed fish from Hawaii actually sustainable?

It depends on the farm. Blue Ocean Mariculture’s Hawaiian Kanpachi is the strongest example — open-ocean pens, no wild fish in the feed, and water quality data matching open-ocean levels. Not all farms meet that standard, so ask about the specific operation before assuming farmed equals sustainable.

What does “whole fish” mean when I’m dining out?

It means the kitchen uses parts that are typically discarded — heads, tails, bloodline, collars, bones. At Coast on Maui, that translates to dishes like ahi marrow and bloodline aioli. Ordering these cuts reduces the 40-50% waste rate standard in seafood processing and often costs less than a fillet.

Where can I find sustainable seafood in Hawaii?

Start with restaurants that participate in Sustainable Seafood Month campaigns. Hawaii Calls Restaurant on the Big Island features Kanpachi and local produce. Coast on Maui leads on whole-fish utilization. For Ta’ape, ask at any seafood restaurant — if they don’t carry it, your request signals demand.

Eating With the Islands in Mind

Hawaii’s seafood system sits at an odd intersection: surrounded by some of the most productive ocean waters on the planet, yet dependent on imports for roughly half of what ends up on plates. The gap isn’t going to close overnight, but the specific, actionable choices are clearer than most diners realize. Order Ta’ape. Ask for Kanpachi. Try the ahi tail. Each plate is a small vote for a different kind of seafood system — one where invasive species become resources, ancient fishponds are restored, open-ocean farms set a new bar, and nothing goes to waste.

For more on eating your way through the islands with intention, check out our guide to the most authentic Hawaiian cuisine on the Big Island.

References

NOAA Fisheries. “Reducing Waste and Feeding Communities in Hawaii: The Whole Fish Approach.” NOAA, 2024. ↗

Environmental Defense Fund. “Hawaii Innovation: Transforming Fish Farming.” EDF Vital Signs, 2024. ↗

Civil Beat / University of Hawaiʻi. “Hawaii Must Reframe Its Food Priorities.” Civil Beat, 2026. ↗

If this article got you thinking about where your food comes from, you’ll also want to read about the tradition and flavor of pa’akai (Hawaiian salt), explore Oahu’s hidden gems for real Hawaiian food, and browse our full collection of Hawaii’s best food trucks for more ways to eat well on the islands.