STAND. COM. REP. NO. 350

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2005

RE: S.B. No. 1883

S.D. 1

 

 

Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2005

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Water, Land, and Agriculture, to which was referred S.B. No. 1883 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO MILOLI'I FISHERIES MANAGEMENT AREA,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to designate the Milolii fisheries management area in south Kona as a community-based subsistence fishing area, preserving and maintaining its legacy as a traditional Hawaiian fishing village.

Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by the Nature Conservancy, Pa'a Pono Milolii, Trust for Public Land, and one individual. Testimony in opposition to this measure was submitted by the Department of Land and Natural Resources.

Your Committee finds that Milolii is well known as one of the last predominantly traditional Hawaiian fishing villages. The community is still dependent on near-shore fish for a significant portion of its nutritional needs. However, the marine resources there have been depleting in recent years primarily because of over-harvesting. Thus, this measure will require the Department of Land and Natural Resources to adopt strategies to ensure long-term sustainable populations of fish and marine species and encourage studies of fishing management.

Your Committee has amended this measure to make technical, nonsubstantive changes.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Water, Land, and Agriculture that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1883, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1883, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

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

____________________________

RUSSELL S. KOKUBUN, Chair