Splash!

History of Marlin Fishing in Hawai‘i

Michael Markrich penned a well-written monograph on big game marlin fishing titled, “History of the Billfish Fisheries and Their Management in the Western Pacific Region.” It’s a fish tale which explains that since the early 1900s, Hawai‘i marlin fishing has been a fight between those who eat kamaboko (fishcake) and those who love sport fishing.

The Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council published the marlin monograph, which focuses on the existential fight between longliners and sport fishermen to eat or not to eat Pacific blue marlin, also called a‘u or kajiki.

“Longlining is an 18th century Japanese fishing technique…[that] found its way to Hawai‘i in the early twentieth century,” stated Michael. “As the longlining industry grew…big game fishermen on the U.S. mainland complained that the Japanese were turning what could be rare and beautiful sport trophies into fish cake. A clash of cultures and classes developed.”

When pleasure boats motorized, big game sportfishing began. On June 1, 1898, Professor Charles Frederick Holder used a rod and reel to catch a 183-lb bluefin tuna off the California coast. Professor Holder immediately got together with four fishing buddies and, on June 15, 1898, founded the