Catch a Taʻape, Win a Prize

Conservation International Hawaiʻi and Hawaiʻi Fishing News are teaming up to host the 2021 Virtual Taʻape Throw Down

Attention local fishers!

If you know where the taʻape schools hang out, this is for you!

The Virtual Taʻape Throw Down is a three-month-long virtual fishing and cooking challenge open to all residents and visitors in Hawaiʻi. Submit qualified entries to between October 1st, 2021, and January 3rd, 2022 to win prizes!

This challenge is created to encourage non-commercial and commercial fishers, home cooks, and chefs of all levels in Hawaiʻi to publicly share and inspire others to catch or buy the wild-caught, local bluestripe snapper (known locally as taʻape). Taʻape was introduced to Hawaiʻi in the 1950ʻs and has now become abundant throughout Hawaiʻi. Taʻape is considered an invasive species and is also rated "Best Choice" by the Monterey Bay Seafood Watch Program making it a sustainable seafood choice for people in Hawaiʻi to eat.

By sharing your caught or bought taʻape dish, you can help to highlight and inspire others to learn that eating taʻape can be a win-win-win for Hawaiʻi as it helps local food security, supports local fishers, and restores Hawaiiʻs reefs.

Target Species: Bluestripe Snapper, locally known as taʻape.

Taʻape Throw Down Schedule:

Entries will be accepted the day before up until 11:59pm HST.

• October 1st start date

• October 15th: Prize drawing #1 is awarded

• November 1st: Prize drawing #2 is awarded

• November 15th: Prize drawing #3 is awarded

• December 1st: Prize drawing #4 is awarded

• December 15th: Prize drawing #5 is awarded

• January 3rd: Prize drawing #6 is awarded [Last day to enter the contest]

• January 7th: Top 3 grand prizes will be awarded

To Enter:

To enter this challenge, join the Facebook group and follow the official rules.

1) Submit two photos of the taʻape used in a dish – before and after.

2) Specify if the taʻape was caught or bought.

There is no limit on entries and multiple entries are encouraged.

Each complete entry will be entered into the random prize drawings, and prizes will be awarded every two weeks starting on October 1st. On January 7th, grand prizes will be awarded by random drawing. This virtual challenge is open to anyone of all ages, and all islands.

There is no cost to enter.

Prizes:

Each drawing winner will receive:

1) $50 gift card: local tackle shop / local restaurant / or local fish market of your choice.

Top three grand prize winners:

1) $400 gift card: local tackle shop / local restaurant / or local fish market of your choice.

2) $300 gift card: local tackle shop / local restaurant / or local fish market of your choice.

3) $200 gift card: local tackle shop / local restaurant / or local fish market of your choice.

All non-related posts will be deleted.

This Virtual Taʻape Throw Down is one of the ways weʻre kicking off Hawaiʻi Seafood Month this October. In conjunction with The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)’s National Seafood Month, this statewide campaign celebrates Hawaiʻi seafood and the fishers, retailers, restaurants and other seafood businesses that comprise and support our local seafood community.

For the past year Chef Hui has worked with Conservation International Hawaiʻi to increase awareness of taʻape with the main goal to build connections between our fishing and culinary communities across the islands in order to increase local food security and access to local and sustainable seafood.

“Mahalo to all of the commercial fishers, distributors, and retailers throughout the state who have helped to raise the awareness of this sustainable fish! Fueled by the passion and enthusiasm of the fishing and culinary communities, commercial harvest of this invasive species has increased by 35% since last year.” - Jhana Young, Conservation International Hawaiʻi