Honolulu – Two Oahu sites represent the first Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certified sustainable seafood food service providers in Hawaii. Ahi & Vegetable, a quick service seafood, sushi, salad, and bento restaurant, and Pier 38 Fish Market, a recently opened premium seafood counter, partnered with the MSC to provide Hawaii residents and visitors alike with fresh fish and seafood products that are wild-caught, and come from a certified sustainable fishery.
It is estimated that Hawaii has one of the highest seafood consumption rates per capita in the nation, due to seafood playing a major role in the islands’ diverse multi-cultural food traditions that are enjoyed by residents and visitors alike. In recognition of the importance of preserving the ocean resources that foster Hawaii’s rich culinary tradition and enable Hawaii to remain a popular food tourism destination, Ahi & Vegetable (Kapalama Shopping Center & The Lanai Ala Moana) and Pier 38 Fish Market (1135 N. Nimitz Hwy) have committed to purchase fish from certified sustainable sources.
“We felt that a partnership with the Marine Stewardship Council, a recognized leader in the seafood sustainability movement, would represent the strength of our company’s commitment to sustainability, and attract consumers that share our vision of a sustainable future for our oceans,” said Chancelor Kim, General Manager of Ahi & Vegetable. “We plan to continue and expand our adoption of our partnership with the Marine Stewardship Council to our newest Ahi & Vegetable location at Ewa Beach, as well as at our partner restaurant, Paradise Poke, which will be opening in the fall in Hawaii Kai.”
Ahi & Vegetable and Pier 38 Fish Market completed a rigorous third-party MSC Chain of Custody audit, enabling them to use the MSC blue fish label on the menu and in store. This label signals to customers that the seafood products they sell were harvested in accordance with sustainable fishery best practices. This certification comes less than a year after Hawaii’s first MSC certified fishery achieved certification. The Hawaii Longline Association’s (HLA) swordfish, bigeye, and yellowfin tuna fishery was certified in September 2022.
“We are pleased to announce Ahi & Vegetable and Pier 38 Fish Market as the first ever MSC certified restaurant and fresh seafood counter in the State of Hawaii,” said Angelina Skowronski, Market Development Manager at the Marine Stewardship Council. “With growing public awareness of the MSC blue fish label, we appreciate the continued work of these locally-owned businesses to certify future locations. As a first mover in Hawaii, we hope these locations influence other seafood restaurants, businesses, and retailers on the islands to recognize the potential benefits of MSC certification to credibly demonstrate their commitments to seafood sustainability.”
About the Marine Stewardship Council
The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) is a global, science-based nonprofit organization helping to protect the ocean and safeguard seafood supplies for the future. For over 25 years, the MSC has been working with scientists, fisheries, seafood companies, industry experts, retailers, conservation groups, and other nonprofits to improve the way our ocean is fished through the MSC Fisheries Standard and Chain of Custody Standard. The MSC program incentivizes and rewards sustainable fishing practices globally. Through the use of the MSC blue fish label, the MSC makes it easy for everyone to identify and choose sustainable, wild-caught seafood from a certified source. Learn more at http://www.msc.org/en-us and follow MSC @MSCbBlueFish on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.
