Hawaii's Fish Auctions Fish auctions represent one of several possible marketing avenues open to Hawaii's commercial fishermen. Fish auctions in Honolulu and Hilo are the only systems in the U.S., other than the Fulton Street Market in New York and a newly-opened auction in Portland, Maine, set up to allow an inspection of the product prior to bidding. Fish are delivered to the auctions by the fishermen themselves for storage overnight or by the auction companies' trucks, which meet the larger boats at the dock in the early morning. Tuna caught by long-line are displayed in the round, with wedges or flesh exposed near the tail for inspection by the buyers. Large tunas not caught by the longline method are displayed with one lengthwise quarter removed from the whole fish so that the core flesh is fully visible for inspection.
Marlins have their bills removed and the larger fish are halved crosswise to display their flesh.
After the auctioneer announces the weight and species of the product about to be sold, he elicits an initial bid from one of the dozen or more fish dealers gathered around him. All of the regular bidders are attuned to upcoming demand from their customers, and the morning trip to the auction provides them with a sense of the day's supply of fish to meet that demand. The auction process sorts out competing demands and directs the available supply toward the highest-priced markets. Sashimi is a traditional Japanese dish in which presentation is an art form. The various colors of different fish or different cuts of the same fish are arranged in combinations that are pleasing to the eye, as well as to the palate.