Ahi Nearly Overfished; Scientists Say

HONOLULU -- Yellowfin tuna, or ahi, is on the verge of being overfished, scientists said on Thursday, and they recommended limiting what fishermen can catch.

It may mean ahi will be harder to buy and more expensive.

Yellowfin tuna is a favorite at Nico's at Pier 38. The cooks at Nico's make 200 seared ahi with ginger cilantro plates and ahi sandwiches every day.

Restaurant owner Nico Chaize raised the price of the ahi plate on Thursday. It now costs more than $10.

"It's hard for me to keep the same price I had before. So, I had to raise the price -- first time since I opened," Chaize said.

Last year in the Western and Central Pacific, fishermen caught a near-record 2.2 million metric tons of yellowfin, worth about $3 billion, officials said.

Scientists from the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council have been studying yellowfin tuna stocks.

"We're really exploiting yellow fin at its maximum potential at this moment," scientist John Hampton said.

If the catch increases each year, yellowfin will be overfished. Might there be a shortage?

"We're talking about right on the limit of overfishing," Hampton said.

The scientific committee of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission is recommending cutting back the limit to 2001-2004 levels. The cutbacks would depend on what type of fishing is being done.

The full commission will make a decision later this year.