DAY BOAT, TROLL LINE CAUGHT FISH
In 2012, Chef Peter Merriman announced that his Merriman restaurants & Handcrafted restaurants would begin a two month sustainable seafood initiative, which aimed to raise awareness about the importance of sustainable fishing practices in Hawaii.The company wide initiative was the first of its kind to pledge support for the Hawaii Fish Trust Project and other sustainable seafood efforts in the Islands.
Through a collaboration between Merriman’s and Handcrafted Restaurants, a Sustainable Seafood Special was offered daily at Merriman’s Waimea (Big Island), Merriman’s Kapalua (Maui), Merriman’s Fish House (Poipu, Kauai) and Chef Peter Merriman’s Monkeypod Kitchen by Merriman (Wailea, Maui).
The special consisted of a piece of wild Hawaii-caught fish paired with locally raised seafood or fish. In a media release issued by Merriman’s Restaurants, Chef Peter Merriman said: “Reducing the portion of wild fish on your plate increases the health of Hawaii's wild fish stocks.” He added, “We love Hawaii's fish, and we want everyone to be able to enjoy these fish for years to come. Continuing to use wild caught fish, just less of it, allows us to support local fisherman and conserve at the same time.”
The Hawaii Fish Trust project was working to restore near-shore seafood security in Hawaii and supports sustainable fishing practices. The trust is part of Conservation International, a nonprofit environmental organization that focuses on freshwater and food security, climate change, biodiversity and health issues. In addition to its sustainable seafood initiative, Merriman’s Restaurants supports sustainable fishing practices by purchasing only “Day Boat fish”, caught locally through short line trolling methods as a means to minimize catching by-product and reduce waste.
“We can all play a role in preserving the health of our oceans, even in the small everyday choices we make, like what fish we eat and how much we eat of it,” Merriman said.
The 2 month initiative that was started in 2012 still continues today with our Chef Peter Merriman's Nightly Seafood Special which continues to feature sustainable caught wild fish with sustainable raised seafood such as our Big Island Lobster. All of the fish featured on our menu are all guaranteed to be caught day boat and troll line.