A 34-year-old Honolulu man was stabbed to death aboard a commercial fishing boat in Honolulu Harbor yesterday morning after an apparent argument with a crewmember.

Bright Obed was found face down, unresponsive and bleeding, by police on the deck of the longliner Vui Vui, docked in slip 37 at Pier 36.

Obed had been stabbed repeatedly in the neck and torso and died of blood loss from a stab wound to the right side of his neck, according to the city medical examiner's office.

A 26-year-old crew member from Christmas Island, Taniera Takentarawa, was arrested at the scene on suspicion of second-degree murder, police said.

It was not clear if the two men previously knew each other. Obed does not work on the boat.

Takentarawa does not have a local address and has no prior criminal convictions. Obed had five prior criminal convictions, all for petty misdemeanors.

He was last arrested in March for drunken driving and driving without a license.

Officers at the scene recovered a weapon, and tests will be performed to see if it is the same weapon used to kill Obed, police Capt. Frank Fujii said.

Fishermen on a boat at Pier 36 reported the incident to police at 3:15 a.m. Honolulu police also received a call of a man walking around Pier 36 carrying a knife.

Responding paramedics pronounced Obed dead at 3:26 a.m.

Reach Peter Boylan at pboylan@honoluluadvertiser.com.