HONOLULU, Hawaii - United Fishing Agency (UFA), the owner and operator of Hawaii's only fish auction, announced today that Matthew Carnes has been named vessel manager. In this role, Carnes will act as a liaison to the Honolulu Fish Auction's buyers and the more than 140 vessels it works with. He will also manage vessel placement at Pier 38 in Honolulu.
Carnes brings eight years of fishing industry experience to UFA with experience working on vessels as a federal observer, project management with National Marine Fisheries Service, and conducting fisheries dependent research projects. Most recently, he served as the President for 'Ike Solutions, a company he founded in 2019 to modernize fisheries monitoring technologies and create and maintain sustainable fisheries.
"Matthew has an impressive track record of successfully managing complex projects," said Mike Goto, director of United Fishing Agency. "His industry experience and his can-do attitude will help us improve operations and strengthen relationships with our buyers, suppliers, and our broader community."
Carnes was awarded the 2019 Purple Prize for Indigenous Innovation and was named a 2020 finalist for the Hawaii Venture Capital Association Tech Startup of the year. Carnes holds a bachelor's degree in marine vertebrate biology from Stony Brook University.
