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Tuna documentary to premiere on KGMB

HONOLULU — The Hawai’i produced documentary ‘AHI, The Yellowfin Tuna: Managing Our Fisheries will premiere on KGMB at 6 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 7, 2015. KGMB is broadcast in American Samoa on channel 8 and is one hour earlier, making the time 5 p.m. local American Samoa time.

 

The information contained in this video explains the cultural and economic importance of yellowfin tuna and why state and federal fishery managers are reviewing the current 3-pound minimum size limit for the sale of `ahi in Hawai’i. It also examines the issue of mercury in fish and illustrates why mercury in Hawai’i tuna is not a health concern.

 

(Samoa News should point out that a study just published this past Monday in the journal Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry ties evidence  that air pollution, particularly from burning coal, is pumping mercury into the ocean food chain, potentially posing a hazard to human health. Mercury levels in yellowfin tuna caught in the Pacific Ocean near the Hawaiian Islands have been rising at a 3.8 percent annual rate since 1998, according to the new study.)

 

‘Ahi, which refers to both yellowfin and bigeye tuna, has long been a favorite among chefs, consumers and fishermen. It is the fish used for sashimi and poke and a target species of local fishing tournaments. Groundbreaking research has suggested that yellowfin, once assumed to be highly migratory like other species of tuna, if spawned in Hawai’i waters tend to remain in Hawai’i waters.

 

A series of statewide meetings were held by the Council and the state Division of Aquatic Resources in December 2014 to get feedback on the issue. The Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council will discuss ‘ahi minimum commercial size limits at its 162nd meeting in Honolulu, March 16-18, 2015.

 

 To learn more about this fascinating fish, tune in Saturday on KGMB.