tropic fish hawaii helping future chefs newsletter november...tropic fish hawaii helping future...

TROPIC FISH HAWAII HELPING FUTURE CHEFS Chef Michael Imada, Sales Manager, Food Service Division of TFH and Executive Chef Darryl Shinogi of Roy’s Ko Olina participated in a mentorship culinary class for the Kapolei High School Culinary Arts Program. TFH sponsored the fish for this class to teach them about fish available in Hawaii and various ways to prepare them. Topics discussed with the students were an insight into Hawaii’s culinary scene and seafood industry and helpful hints to becoming dedicated chefs of tomorrow’s food service industry. Dishes presented to the students~

Poached monchong in court bullion with saffron mussel broth and wilted organic tatsoi Papillote of monchong with white wine tamarind ogo nage Pancetta crusted swordfish with roasted vegetable jus Macadamia nut crusted swordfish with Kona Maine lobster nectar Steamed monchong Chinese style, sizzling soy and classic garnishes Blackened ahi with soy mustard burre blanc Swordfish king crab dynamite Lup Cheong stuffed swordfish and baby bok choi Miso swordfish with ginger wasabi butter

ISSUE 1| 2015

Visit our websites at: www.hilofish.com

www.konafish.com www.tropicfishhawaii.com www.tropicfishmaui.com www.tropicfishkauai.com

From Left—Chef Michael Imada and Chef Darryl Shinogi with the students of the Kapolei High School Culinary Arts Program

Visit our websites at: www.hilofish.com www.konafish.com

www.tropicfishhawaii.com www.tropicfishmaui.com www.tropicfishkauai.com

CORPORATE POLICY ON “NO TOLERANCE” REGARDING ASIAN LABOR PRACTICES

Dear Valued Costumers, On March 24, 2015, the Associated Press released a story about labor abuse in seafood. The article specifically mentioned a Thai-flagged trawl fleet that is based in Benjina, Indonesia.

Hilo Fish Company immediately contacted business partners in Indonesia and Thailand and we made it very clear that unethical employee practices like this will not be tolerated. If a supplier i s unwilling or unable to f ix demonstrable labor problems and prove their business is free from illegal and unethical employment practices we will sever ties with them.

We have zero tolerance f or labor abuses of any kind, anywhere. We are committed not only to the sustainability of the resource but the sustainability of the seafood community, including our suppliers and their employees. We visit our suppliers and processing plants regularly throughout the year. We also require notarized certifications, HACCP Plans as well as SSOP's from all of our suppliers.

We would like to assure all of our customers that we and our manufacturing partners overseas do not condone these types of labor practices. Sincerely, Kerry A. Umamoto President/COO Hilo Fish Company, Inc. Kona Fish Company, Inc.

Visit our websites at: www.hilofish.com www.konafish.com

www.tropicfishhawaii.com www.tropicfishmaui.com www.tropicfishkauai.com

TROPIC FISH HAWAII AT THE HONOLULU BREWERS FESTIVAL

Tropic Fish Hawaii participated once again in the Honolulu Brewers Festival on April 18, 2015 at the Kaka’ako Makai Gateway Park. Funds raised benefit the Hawaii Agricultural Foundation. They were part of the effort to highlight local products. Tropic Fish Hawaii featured Poke and Cucumber Kim Chee prepared with local fish and cucumber. Nalo Farms served their popular greens and herbs and Sweet Lady Farms prepared a farm raised on Oahu, beer-grain pig. Proceeds raised $25,000.00.

Tropic Fish Hawaii’s famous Poke and Cucumber Kim Chee

TROPIC FISH HAWAII AND TROPIC FISH MAUI TO EXPAND FACILITIES

Charles M. Umamoto, Chairman and Chief Executive Office of CMU & Associates announced that the facility of Tropic Fish Hawaii in Honolulu will add an additional 3,000 square feet at their 2312 Kamehameha Highway location. The facility opened in 2013. A new and larger facility will also be built for Tropic Fish Maui which is currently located in Wailuku and opened its operations in 2011.

Left to Right: Kerry Umamoto, President and COO of Hilo Fish Company and Kona Fish Company, Executive Chef Brian Armstrong from The Fairmont Orchid Hawaii and Charles M. Umamoto, Chairman and CEO of CMU & Associates on a recent visit to Waikoloa.



BOTTOMLINE FISHING Between 10,000 and 100,000 years ago, ancient coral reefs sank to the bottom of the ocean. In viewing coral reeks in shallow water, they have numerous holes, nooks, crannies, cracks, crevices, and ledges for fish and invertebrates to hide from predators or to ambush prey. The dead reefs also contain these crevices and the fish gravitate to the sea floor for food, to hide from predators and ambush prey. These locations provide food as invertebrate communities grow in these “dead” reefs. In Hawaii, the bottomfish fishery targets a limited number of high valued fish and almost all can be sold. The fishing boats are small to mid-size vessels and once the catch is made, the fish is packed in ice or placed in ice brine. Mechanized line haulers are used in which handlines are lowered and attached to a terminal tackle which has circle style hooks and a weight at the end. The fishery is actually made up of an assortment of 12 species grouped together because they have some connection with the seafloor (i.e., bottom). These fish typically live in deep water (i.e., 250 to 1000 + feet) and Onaga and ‘ōpakapaka minimum size for sale is one pound.

Bottomfish species known as the “Deep 7” are: a) ‘ula‘ula koa‘e or onaga; b) ‘ula‘ula or ehu; c) kalekale; d) ‘ōpakapaka ; e) ‘ūkīkiki or gindai; f) hāpu‘u; and g) lehi . Fishermen were fishing more and yet catching less fish. At the urging of the Western Pacific Fishery Management Council (i.e., the Council responsible for managing federal fisheries in Hawaii and the Western Pacific), the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources implemented an Administrative Rule in 1998 to set regulations to conserve remaining bottomfish.

LONGLINE FISHING The Hawaii longline fishery is constantly studied, monitored, adjusted and managed. Longline fishing was originally named flagline fishing and it has its origins back in 1917 when Japanese immigrants starting fishing with tattered rope that was set in the water horizontally with bait hooks on them. Floats and flags were attached to the skate (rope) so it was known as flagline. The bait was primarily opelu or Mackerel that was obtained by the Native Hawaiians. The vessels were eventually modernized with monofilament mainline, line setters and hydraulically powered reels. This is when this style of fishing became longline. Ahi (Tuna) has been the primary prized catch by longline fishermen. The Bigeye Tuna swims in deeper, colder water During part of the year, fishermen also focus on catching Swordfish which is the main grilling fish and is easier to catch as thy swim closer to the surface in the evening. Longline fishing in Hawaii has achieved a high level of compliance with the global standard, the United Nations food and Agriculture Organization’s Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries.



CHAD YAMASAKI SALES REPRESENTATIVE

TROPIC FISH HAWAII Chad graduated from Moanalua High School and the University of Hawaii – Hilo where he studied agriculture. When he is not working, he enjoys sports such as golfing and has an interest in aquaponics. He previously worked as several restaurants in Honolulu such as Ruth’s Chris Steak House and the Pearl Country Club. Chad enjoys working at Tropic Fish Hawaii as he has a personal passion for seafood and enjoys interacting and servicing his customers offering the best quality products.

RICKY KUSUDA SALES REPRESENTATIVE

TROPIC FISH HAWAII

Ricky was at the prestigious Kahala Hotel and Resort for fifteen years and was the Restaurant Chef, overseeing the Main Dining Room at the Plumeria Beach House. He had the tedious task of overseeing the poolside quick service restaurant “Seaside Grill” as well as Room Service all day dining. In his spare time, he enjoys hanging out with his family and doing outdoor activities such as hiking, going to the gym, surfing, and playing recreational sports. He was born and raised on the Island of Maui and moved to Oahu to attend the University of Hawaii at Manoa. Ricky states, “My current position here at Tropic Fish Hawaii is to be part of a team, to expand the Foodservice sales and customer service throughout the Island of Oahu and beyond”.



LAEL CLEMENT DIRECTOR OF NEW BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT,

EXPORT DIVISION - TROPIC FISH HAWAII Lael was with the Honolulu Fish Company for 11 years where he oversaw the export of seafood to the food service industry in the mainland. He left the company and started a recording studio where he produced music for several local artists and created music for websites and DVDs. He was also active in the music community and won the Light Sleepers Beat Root Challenge beating out 36 other beat producers. He was involved in a serious accident that prevented him from working. After recovery, he met Charlie Umamoto and Shawn Tanoue who offered him a position to join the team of Tropic Fish Hawaii as the Director of New Business Development for the Export Division. His current position entails growing the export business for fresh fillet fish in refrigerated boxes via UPS and FedEx. His market is fine dining establishments, gourmet grocery stores, hotels and other food service establishments. He recently re-designed the export box and has been working with a notable company in branding Tropic Fish Hawaii on the mainland. Lael was born in Hawaii and moved to the Los Angeles area where he studied at Pierce College. He is a proud father of two children, boy and girl ages 8 and 10.

KELLIE NAKAMURA FROZEN BUYER

TROPIC FISH HAWAII

As the Frozen Seafood Buyer, Kellie must often quickly respond to requests from the sales team who receive inquiries from their clients. Customers often ask for new seafood items to meet the needs of their business and Kellie must then source the seafood to assist in meeting their demands in a timely base. Prior to this position, she was a Data Entry Manager. When Kellie is not working at Tropic Fish Hawaii, she also teaches ice skating at the Ice Palace in Stadium Mall. As a youth, she competed nationally and now shares her talents and experience with the youth. When she has some spare time, she enjoys golfing and watching various sports events with friends and family. Kellie graduated with a major in Kinesiology and Rehab Science at the University of Hawaii Manoa and was employed at 24 Hour Fitness as a Personal Trainer. She states that she is trying to keep the staff in shape all the time!



JASON HANZAWA OPERATIONS MANAGER

TROPIC FISH HAWAII

Jason has been in the seafood industry since 1998. He worked for a few wholesale companies starting off as a wrapper to driver then processing supervisor. He learned to cut fish the hard way by watching the cutters and had to jump in if one of them could not come to work. In no time he learned to cut and grade fish, filled orders and supervised workers so deliveries went out on schedule. In 2004, Jason made the switch to retail and became the Seafood Manager for Marukai Wholesale Mart. Although he primarily worked for the seafood department, he also learned to be a meat cutter. He was in charge of all the employees in the department, assisted customers, purchased products and conducted inventory maintenance, product pricing, store displays and promotions. He feels his biggest achievement while working at Marukai was his

creative sashimi platters. He received compliments and requests from many customers that asked that he personally create their platters for all occasions. After eight years as the Seafood Manager, he decided to make the change back to wholesale seafood and became the Operations Manager for Tropic Fish Hawaii. “One of my main priorities is the quality of fish that is being sent out to our customers. I try to pass on what I was taught over the years and share any knowledge that I have with others,” states Jason. In his spare time, he keeps busy with his family as he is a single father of six children. Ages are 2, 3, 6, 7, 8 and 14 and alternate from boy to girl with his daughter being the oldest.

EAST ASIA OFFICE STAFF The CMU & Associates staff in the Philippines showed off their new uniforms seen here with Chairman and CEO, Charles M. Umamoto. They appropriately refer to themselves as “Sir Charlie’s Angels”. Photo taken at the Shangrila.

Shannon Tanoue—VP Operations [email protected] 808-479-3938 Toby Arakawa—VP/Export Sales [email protected] 808-479-3376 Michael Imada Director of Sales & Customer Development [email protected] 808-864-5324 Miles Nishimoto Director of Sales/Marketing [email protected] 808-591-2936 Jason Hanzawa Operations Manager [email protected] 808-927-4754 Ehren Fukumoto Night Operations Manager [email protected] 808-295-3330 Kellie Nakamura Frozen Buyer [email protected] 808-683-2955 Lael Clement Director of New Business Development Export Division [email protected] 808-690-7885 Eddie M. Mizuno Culinary Business Development Manager Food Service Division [email protected] 808-838-9691 Robert Wannomae—Sales Representative [email protected] 808-479-2261

Chad Yamasaki—Sales Representative Food Service Division [email protected] 808-864-5323 Ricky Kusuda—Sales Representative Food Service Division [email protected] 808-295-2357 Todd Oshiro—Produce Manager [email protected] 808-347-9758 Julia Takushi—Assistant Produce Manager [email protected] 808-306-7539

CMU & ASSOCIATES (Corporate Office) Charles M. Umamoto Chairman Chief Executive Officer HILO FISH COMPANY 55 Holomua Street Hilo, HI 96720 808-961-0877 Office 808-961-3419 Fax www.hilofish.com Kerry Umamoto—President/COO Hilo Fish Company and Kona Fish Company [email protected] 808-640-7684 Jamiesen Batangan General Manager/Corporate HACCP and Safety Coordinator [email protected] 808-960-6582 David D.M. Yee Corporate Buyer [email protected] 808-557-4084 Sabrina Vaughn National Sales Manager, Frozen Division [email protected] 808-960-6371 Howard Konanui Manufacturing Division Manager [email protected] 808-960-7542 Diedre “Didi” Omori Sales Representative [email protected] 808-960-4172 KONA FISH COMPANY Kaloko Light Industrial Park 73-4776 Kamalani Street, #8 Kailua-Kona, HI 96740 808-326-7708 Office; 808-329-3669 Fax www.konafish.com Wesley Murakami General Manager [email protected] 808-960-5891 Daniel Stokes Sales Manager [email protected] 808-960-6576

OUR COMPANY TEAM MEMBERS

ARE AT YOUR SERVICE! TROPIC FISH MAUI 124 Manea Place, #1 Wailuku, HI 96793 808-270-0770 Office 808-270-0773 Fax www.tropicfishmaui.com Barry Masuda General Manager [email protected] 808-283-2710 Kody “Koa” Agbayani Sales Manager [email protected] 808-280-6750 Kaleo Lopez Sales Representative [email protected] 808-757-6840 Halen Tanimoto Assistant Sales Manager [email protected] 808-298-2228 TROPIC FISH KAUAI Puhi Industrial Area 1626 Haleukana Street, #103 Lihue, HI 96766 808-240-3474 Office 808-240-1200 Fax www.tropicfishkauai.com Mathew Lopez Regional Branch Manager [email protected] 808-755-5640 Pua Camelo Assistant Manager [email protected] 808-346-3208 Wallace Nishimura Sales Representative [email protected] 808-755-5758 TROPIC FISH HAWAII Bamboo Business Center 2312 Kamehameha Highway, E-5 Honolulu, HI 96819 808-591-2936 Office 808-591-2934 Fax www.tropicfishhawaii.com Shawn Tanoue—President/ COO [email protected] 808-478-3398

EAST ASIA OFFICE Unit 1103 Antel Global Corporate Center Dona Julia Vargas Avenue Ortigas Center, Pasig City, Philippines 632-916-6090 Office 632-687-4996 Fax Ryan Evangelista Quality Control Manager [email protected] Francisco DeTorres Inventory Manager [email protected] Monique P. Cruz General Manager [email protected] Liezel P. Gagatiga Night Manager [email protected]

HILO FISH COMPANY USA WEST COAST SALES OFFICE 418 S. Central Ave #201 Los Angeles, CA 90013 310-645-7866 Office 310-645-7852 Fax Dan Nakauchi Sales and Marketing Manager [email protected] 626-437-5965 Bob Kitagawa Operations Sales Coordinator [email protected] 323-875-3610 Martin “Jimmy” Orozco-Gutierrez Quality Control Coordinator [email protected] 626-390-4511

OUR COMPANY TEAM MEMBERS

ARE AT YOUR SERVICE! HILO FISH COMPANY USA EAST COAST SALES OFFICE & PACIFIC TRADE INTERNATIONAL, INC. 79 South Main Street Barnegat, NJ 08005 609-698-1048 Office 609-698-0409 Fax

tropic fish hawaii helping future chefs newsletter november...tropic fish hawaii helping future...

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