STAND. COM. REP. NO. 11

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2005

RE: H.B. No. 417

H.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2005

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Water, Land, and Ocean Resources, to which was referred H.B. No. 417 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO SHARK MONITORING,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to address the problem of shark attacks by appropriating $25,000 for the aquaculture development program to hire a contractor to tag and monitor sharks along the Leeward coast of Oahu from Pearl Harbor to Kaena Point.

A concerned citizen supported this measure. The Department of Agriculture offered comments.

Your Committee notes that open ocean aquaculture has the potential to be a great economic boon for Hawaii's residents. However, the danger of shark attacks against open ocean aquaculture operations and other ocean users needs to be addressed. A tag and monitor study of sharks around the aquaculture site near Ewa Beach will provide valuable information in determining the actual threat of shark attacks.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Changing the expending agency to the University of Hawaii's Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology;

(2) Revising the purpose section to provide a more thorough description of the context and nature of the problem of potential shark attacks, and the rationale for appropriating funds to address the problem; and

(3) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for clarity and style.

 

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Water, Land, and Ocean Resources that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 417, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 417, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Agriculture.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Water, Land, and Ocean Resources,

 

____________________________

EZRA R. KANOHO, Chair