Division of Aquatic Resources

Last weekend, DAR hosted the Taʻape Throwdown fishing tournament on Kauaʻi. The purpose of the tournament was to promote the harvest of the non-native taʻape (Lutjanus kasmira) as a sustainable and delicious food resource. Since their introduction in the 1950’s, this colorful snapper has exploded in population with schools of thousands roaming our reefs from the shoreline out to 400 feet deep. In their native range in French Polynesia, they are considered a prized food fish. However, in Hawai‘i they are often considered more of a nuisance than a desirable target for fishing. Despite this, their popularity is growing with sustainability-minded chefs, restaurant owners, and fishers. DAR partnered with Conservation International to put on the tournament as part of a shared goal to promote the taʻape fishery.

The tournament was a team tournament open to any legal methods of fishing. Just bring them in! We had a total of 6 teams bring in a combined weight of over 150 lbs of fish. Randall Takenaka of Kapaʻa had the winning catch of 79.1 lbs. and the largest fish at 0.85 lbs. Team “What About Da Fishaman” took home top prize in the youth category with 33.05 lbs., especially impressive because they were all caught from shore.

Chef Mark Oyama of Mark’s Place Restaurant and a team of volunteers were on site to clean and fry up the fish for folks to enjoy while they checked out info tables from DAR, NOAA, and CI. Dr. Tim Grabowski, an ichthyologist with University of Hawai‘i at Hilo, and biologists with DAR’s Aquatic Invasive Species team collected data for Dr. Grabowski’s research on the growth rates and life history of the taʻape. The fish were measured, photographed and had their otoliths extracted, which is a tiny bone found in the skulls of fish that can be used to age a fish by counting the growth rings, much like you would with a tree.   

Whether you are on angler, a conservationist, or just someone who likes to eat tasty fish, fishing for taʻape is something we can all enjoy and feel good about knowing it is helping our reefs. You can visit Conservation International’s Taʻape Project web page to learn more about this fish and find recipes, videos, and more.

DAR would like to thank our partners and sponsors for donating prizes and helping to make this tournament a success. Financial support for the tournament was provided by a grant from the Federal Aid in Sport Fish Restoration program.

Taʻape Throwdown 2023 Sponsors:
Conservation International
Kaua‘i Sailing Association
Lihue Fishing Supply
Mark’s Place Restaurant
Hanapaʻa Fishing Kauaʻi
Seasport Divers
Holoholo Charters
Spearo Kaua‘i
Hammerhead Spearguns
Venture Wetsuits
NOAA Fisheries

Randal Takenaka of Kapaa took home the grand prize of a cooler and gift certificates from Holoholo Charters and Venture Wetsuits

Team “What About Da Fishaman” took top prize in the youth category