Taape may not deserve ill repute

By Jan TenBruggencate
Advertiser Science Writer

The colorful yellow and blue taape, or blue-lined snapper, is considered by some to be the scourge of the Hawaiian reef.

After it was introduced here in 1955, many anglers complained that it crowded out preferred fish and ate the eggs, larvae and keiki of many prized species.

Scientists say they cannot find proof of that.

"I'm certainly not one who would say the taape has no effect on our native species. But it's hard to find clear evidence that there's any effect at all," said Jim Parrish, leader of the Hawai'i Cooperative Fishery Research Unit, a joint effort of the U.S. Geological Survey, Department of Land and Natural Resources and University of Hawai'i.

"They eat a lot of things, and there's a lot of them down there. I think there's a definite effect," said Chris Kelley, a biologist with the UH Hawai'i Undersea Research Laboratory.

Taape was introduced from French Polynesia by fisheries officials because Hawai'i lacked a shallow-water snapper. The species was released off O'ahu, but quickly crossed the channels. Now taape is found across the archipelago. Bottomfishermen began hauling them up as they fished 'opakapaka grounds hundreds of feet deep.

"We found taape on the 'opakapaka grounds off Kane'ohe, Penguin Banks and the north shore of Moloka'i," Kelley said. Taape tend to be found only to about 450 feet.

Kelley said fishermen complained that they would go out for 'opakapaka and get nothing but taape. Anglers said taape were eating the eggs of deep-water snappers, cutting yields.

But he said there's no evidence to support those complaints.

In shallow and deeper waters, Parrish said, overfishing, sedimentation, dredging and other factors probably have a bigger impact on declining fisheries than taape.

Taape has limited marketability despite being a quality snapper.

"It's nice, clean meat. It's a good eating fish," said Guy Tamashiro, vice president and buyer for Tamashiro Fish Market in Honolulu.

Tamashiro said he can sell taape, but at a low price, because demand is low.

Troy Wada at The Fish Express in Lihu'e said his fish store doesn't even bother trying to buy or sell taape. "It tastes good, but there's no market here," he said.

"The obvious solution is for more people to catch them and eat them. But maybe people just aren't accustomed to eating a yellow fish with blue stripes," Parrish said.