Imported Tuna and Impact to Hawaii Fish Market Minling Pan, Ph. D

Imported Tuna and Impact to Hawaii Fish Market

• Minling Pan, Ph.D.

• Timothy Ming

• Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center

• September 29, 2004

Research Background

• Imported tuna has increased recently and competes with local fishing industry (based on industrial observations)

• …First look at foreign trade to Honolulu

Types of Imported Tunas to Honolulu (1989-2003 Average)

Fresh Imported Tunas to Honolulu (1989-2003)

Hawaii Tuna Landings (1989-2003)

Frozen Imported Tuna to Honolulu (1989-2003)

What was causing the increase of imported tunas in local markets?

• Frozen yellowfin used for “poke” and “sashimi”

• cube (poke)
• steak or fillet (sashimi)

• Foreign owned ocean containers ships do not stop in Honolulu (Johnson Act)

• Imported tunas transshipped to Honolulu from Los Angeles, and San Francisco through Matson or Sealand container ships

Frozen Yellowfin/Bigeye Imports to LA (1989-2003)

Frozen Yellowfin/Bigeye to SFS

Frozen Yellowfin Treated by Tasteless Smoke (TS)

• The basic ingredient of TS is carbon monoxide (CO)

• $0.20/lb for TS treatment

• Frozen cube/sashimi steak

• Price on Hawaii wholesale market

• $3.50/lb for cube

• $7.00/lb for sashimi steak

CO/TS Product History

• Japan producers began using CO to treat tuna 15 years ago

• U.S. received first shipment of CO treated tuna in early 90s

• 1996 a patent of using CO technique was granted in US

• filtered-wood-smoke

• 1999 a patent for tasteless smoke (TS) claimed by Hawaii International Seafood Inc. was granted

• burning an organic, food grade smoking material
• smoking in low °C
• frozen tuna can stored for one year

• 2000 USFDA approved TS as “generally regarded as safe”

• Tasteless smoke (preservative to promote color retention)
• Treated with carbon monoxide (preservative to promote color retention)

Recent Development of CO Treated Seafood

• 1999 Japan banned the use of CO to treat tuna but allowed it for other seafood

• Canada and European countries also banned CO treated seafood

• About 20-30 containers (40’) of TS treated frozen tuna imported into the US monthly (IntraFish Industry Report, 2003)

• 7 – 10 million lbs a year to U.S.

Impact to Local Markets

• Data problem--no official statistics on total imports

• Transshipments
• Harmonized System (HS) code: no clear code for TS treated tuna

• Consumer ignorance on the TS/CO treated products

A PILOT STUDY ON CONSUMER KNOWLEDGE FOR AHI POKE

BACKGROUND

• Assumptions

• Local consumers of ahi poke exhibit an ignorance towards the Tasteless Smoke product
• Purchasing TS products without knowing what it is (ambiguous labeling; traditionally, local supply dominates)
• The active ingredients as well as the effects of Tasteless Smoke are unknown to local consumers
• Local consumers value the quality of fresh local ahi over previously frozen Tasteless Smoke treated ahi and are willing to pay a higher price for the local fresh

A PILOT STUDY

• Purpose of this pilot study

• To test the assumptions (if further study is needed)
• To field-test the questionnaires

• Method of pilot study

• Survey
• Convenience Sampling
• Sample size of 62 (31 respondents from National Marine Fisheries Services affiliated and 31 respondents non-NMFS affiliated)

Retail Market Report “How common TS is in our markets”

Popularity of TS treated Ahi Poke in Local Markets

• Two dollars difference between TS/CO treated and local fresh Ahi Poke

• Holiday price is even lower: Ahi Poke $4.99/lb

• Long shelf life of TS/CO treated Ahi Poke

• Constant & adjustable supply
• “Freshly made”

• Consumer may not be aware of the differences in the two products

PRELIMINARY RESULTS OF SURVEY

• Price is an indicator of the presence of consumption for Tasteless Smoke Ahi Poke

PRELIMINARY RESULTS OF SURVEY

• About 77% consumers claim that they have not purchased Tasteless Smoke treated products before

PRELIMINARY RESULTS OF SURVEY

• The choice of color in Ahi Poke is a determinant of consumer ignorance for Tasteless Smoke product

PRELIMINARY RESULTS OF SURVEY

• Most respondents did not realize that carbon monoxide is an active ingredient of Tasteless Smoke

PRELIMINARY RESULTS OF SURVEY

• Most respondents did not know that carbon monoxide intensifies the red color of Ahi meat

CONCLUSIONS

• Further study is needed to determine the consumer knowledge and preferences for TS versus fresh tunas

• Improve questionnaire design
• Proper sampling
• Conjoint analysis
• Determining the value people would pay for local fresh or TS/CO treated (previously frozen) Ahi Poke

• Monitoring Transshipments