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Imported Carbon Monoxide (CO) Treated Tunas and its Impact on the Consumers and Fisheries Industry in Hawaii

Imported Carbon Monoxide (CO) Treated Tunas and its Impact on the Consumers and Fisheries Industry in Hawaii. Minling Pan NOAA Fisheries Service, Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center Wuyang Hu University of Kentucky. North American Association of Fisheries Economists (NAAFE) 2009 Forum

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Imported Carbon Monoxide (CO) Treated Tunas and its Impact on the Consumers and Fisheries Industry in Hawaii

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  1. Imported Carbon Monoxide (CO) Treated Tunas and its Impact on the Consumers and Fisheries Industry in Hawaii Minling Pan NOAA Fisheries Service, Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center Wuyang Hu University of Kentucky North American Association of Fisheries Economists (NAAFE) 2009 Forum Newport, RI, May 17-20, 2009

  2. Research Background • Hawaii residents have traditionally consumed substantial amounts of fresh bigeye and yellowfin tunas. • Typically, the local demand for tuna is met by local commercial fisheries. • The end products for consumption are known as sashimi and ahi poke (bite-sized pieces of raw tunas mixed with seasoning). Some people call ahi poke “ raw tuna salad”

  3. Sashimi Ahi Poke (Raw Tuna Salad)

  4. Direct Tuna Imports to Hawaii • Retail market observations suggest a growing emergence of imported tunas • However, no increase trends of direct imports to Hawaii; The data show that imports were about 10% of locally caught tunas

  5. Fresh Tunas Exports from Hawaii • Exports to Japan increased in recent years • Exports to U.S. mainland, no data

  6. Imported Tunas to Hawaii • Product from – previously frozen, treated with carbon monoxide (CO) • Transshipped to Hawaii from U.S. mainland • A box with label “Frozen tuna, treated with carbon monoxide” to promote color retention”, packed in CA • Mostly sold as ahi poke in retail market in Hawaii

  7. What is CO Treated Tuna • Cryogenic freezing • Low temperature (- 196°C ~ -78°C ) to preserve tuna for fresh use • High cost • Before freezing, treated with CO • CO can arrest the oxidization process and allows the fish to retain its fresh red color for days after thawing from frozen • Invented in 1996 and patent in 1999, called “Tasteless Smoke” • Low cost and no seasonal limitation • Concerns over food safety and fish quality associated with carbon monoxide treated tuna • Evidence of the increase trend into U.S. • Frozen tuna into LA port • Imports from Indonesia, Philippines, & Vietnam (source of CO treated tuna

  8. Frozen Yellowfin and Bigeye Tuna Imported into Los Angeles (1989–2007)

  9. Frozen Tuna Imports into U.S. from Indonesia, Philippines, & Vietnam (1989–2007)

  10. Impacts to the Industry • Bigeye price declined from $5.30/lb 1991 to $3:30/lb 2007 • Landing increased from 3 to 13 million lbs • Total imports? (U.S. mainland ~ Foreign) • Total exports? (U.S. mainland + Japan) • Total consumption? (U.S. mainland + Japan)

  11. Pilot Study on the Retail Market • CO treated tunas price is lower $2-3 per pound (compared to locally fresh) • Noticeably larger volumes of previously frozen & CO treated ahi poke available in seafood display windows compared to fresh ahi poke • Consumers may not be aware of the existing of the CO treated tunas – inflated demand • Very small difference in the appearance • Advertised as “freshly made” • To conduct a conjoint study • Quantify consumers’ preference for the treated tuna vs. locally caught tuna • Understand consumer behavior changes given full knowledge about the product

  12. Consumer Preference (Conjoint) Study • Survey design – two parts • Consumers’ knowledge/awareness on the CO treated tuna in the retail market • Conjoint study – measure consumers’ value on different attributes of the ahi poke (ongoing study) • Focus group • Testing the survey • Fieldwork (~400 interviews) • Farmers markets (50%) • Supper markets (50%)

  13. Survey Results – Importance of the attributes

  14. Have You ever Purchased TS or CO Treated Ahi Poke?

  15. Are you aware of Actual purchasing behavior Survey Results Are you aware of TS or CO treated ahi poke? Yes No

  16. Primary Factor to Determine Freshness

  17. Which One Looks Better?

  18. Preliminary Results & Conclusions • The demand of CO treated tunas may have been inflated due to consumers’ unawareness • More than 50% of consumers were not aware of the existence of CO treated tunas • Color played an important role in determining freshness. However, CO treatment made the product look fresh/fresher • The ongoing conjoint analysis is expected to quantify the marginal value of various attributes of the tuna products, such treated vs. no-treated, imported vs. local, and previously frozen vs. fresh

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