The seafood consumption rate in the islands is three times that of the U.S. mainland. Yet, despite its mid-Pacific location, Hawaii imports 75 percent of all fish it consumes. Over the last 20 years, the trend of increasing demand for seafood products has collided with a decreasing supply from depleted fishing grounds worldwide. So, with an eye on the ocean's dwindling supply of fish, scientists at the University of Hawaii's Sea Grant College Program and the Oceanic Institute have teamed up for a research project in marine aquaculture that offers the opportunity to expand these resources. The moi is indigenous to Hawaii and was once reserved solely for its royalty, with fishponds built along Hawaii's coastline for moi culture.
Genetic mapping shows the species found in Hawaiian waters is of a single genetic stock.
Therefore, any escapes into the wild would not adversely impact wild populations. According to Hawaii's fishing industry, annual moi catches from the wild average about 2,000 pounds per year. The Oceanic Institute currently cultures moi for stock enhancement and in numbers large enough for this demonstration project. It is a fully submerged cage located approximately 40 feet below the surface. Divers from the Oceanic Institute feed the fish daily with prepared feed which contains no antibiotics or growth-stimulating hormones.