Moi Sustainable

Kauai

As the shipping prices increase and local fish supplies decline, fans of healthy, fresh seafood are finding it more difficult to affordably obtain their fresh catch. With that in mind, Kauai-based Grove Farm bought an offshore fish hatchery with the goal of sustainably growing and harvesting moi, or Pacific Threadfin — a tasty fish once reserved for royalty in Native Hawaiian culture.

“Grove Farm’s primary goal is to develop sustainable communities,” says Warren H. Haruki, president and CEO of Grove Farm. “We have a variety of projects, such as our ecological restoration project and raising much more taro on Kauai. Investing in Hukilau Foods is a wonderful example of trying to meet the increasing demand for fresh, healthy and locally raised fish in an environmentally responsible manner.”

Grove Farm acquired what used to be Cates International in 2006, and rebranded the company as Hukilau Foods. Based on Oahu, Hukilau Foods utilizes a local distributor to deliver the fish to stores and restaurants. Moi is a versatile fish in that it can be prepared in numerous ways and incorporated into various cooking styles.

Hukilau Foods raises the moi a few miles off Ewa Beach in open-ocean cages the size of a 10-story building, in waters 150 feet below the surface. The company currently harvests approximately 5,000 pounds of fish per week and thanks to an automated feeding system and input from its team of marine experts, Hukilau expects that figure to grow significantly in years to come.

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