Local fish markets say they’ve been contending with snowstorms, supply chain issues, flight delays and higher prices as they seek to stock up on the sashimi that’s long been a traditional staple at local families’ New Year’s celebrations.
“This year it’s a little tight.
Garcia ordered 100 dozen oysters from Washington state, hoping they’d arrive in time for New Year’s, but as of Wednesday afternoon they still hadn’t come.
Fortunately, there’s plenty of ahi — about 800 pounds — which Garcia is hoping they’ll be able to sell.
Airline delays and a shortage of flight attendants due to COVID-19 cases has been holding back shipments to Kaohu Store in Wailuku, Manager Brad Yokouchi said Thursday.
New Year’s Eve is by far the busiest day of the year for Kaohu Store, which stocks up on nearly 1,000 pounds of ahi and will likely sell at least 200 pounds of hamachi today and maybe another 100 pounds of salmon, Yokouchi estimated.
Prices are higher this year because of the shortage of fish that Yokouchi thinks is due to a lack of longline fishermen who were laid off during the pandemic and have yet to come back to work in full force.
“Everything’s gone up in price — everything,” Yokouchi said.
For New Year’s, Kaohu Store is selling small, medium and large platters for $30, $50 and $100, respectively.
Owner and Manager Elma Madamba said fishers report that things have been slow and that fish aren’t biting.
While the market is out of ahi and aku, Madamba said they still have enough of the red fish considered good luck for the new year, including onaga, the long-tail red snapper; opakapaka, Hawaiian pink snapper; and ehu, the short-tail red snapper.