HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.R. NO.

203

TWENTY-FIFTH LEGISLATURE, 2009

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 

 

 

 

 

HOUSE RESOLUTION

 

 

requesting the department of land and natural resources to designate all state waters and submerged lands within an irregular line of five miles offshore that is parallel to the contours of molokai's shoreline as the molokai community-based subsistence fishing area.

 

 

 


     WHEREAS, in ancient times, the people of Molokai were known for their ability to produce abundant quantities of food; and

 

     WHEREAS, the island of Molokai, with its resource rich surrounding waters, was frequently referred to as "Aina Momona", meaning "abundant land"; and

 

     WHEREAS, the people of Molokai maintained a sustainable and self-sufficient food supply for over one thousand years through careful stewardship; and

 

     WHEREAS, subsistence remains an important component of the lives of the people of Molokai as it supplements their traditionally low income; and

 

     WHEREAS, subsistence, especially fishing, can constitute twenty-five per cent of the income of an average Molokai family; and

 

     WHEREAS, thirty-five per cent of Molokai residents rely on some form of subsistence for their food supply; and

 

     WHEREAS, the residents and community organizations of Molokai want to assist in developing a management plan that incorporates traditional knowledge, active monitoring, and enforcement activities for the offshore fishery areas of Molokai; now, therefore,

 

     BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-fifth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2009, that the Department of Land and Natural Resources is requested to designate all state waters and submerged lands within an irregular line of five miles offshore that is parallel to the contours of Molokai's shoreline as the Molokai community-based subsistence fishing area; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department, in consultation with the Aha Kiole Advisory Committee or the Aha Moku Council, is requested to regulate the following within the Molokai community-based subsistence fishing area:

 

     (1)  Any activities with a commercial purpose;

 

     (2)  The issuance of any commercial marine license;

 

     (3)  The issuance of any aquarium fish permits;

 

     (4)  Fishing with self-contained underwater breathing apparatus and spears; and

 

     (5)  Any other use or activity that the interested groups deem appropriate; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Land and Natural Resources is requested to consult with groups of Molokai residents and other interested parties to establish rules including, but not limited to:

 

     (1)  Identify fishing practices that are customarily and traditionally exercised for purposes of native Hawaiian subsistence, culture, and religion in the fishing area;

 

     (2)  Develop a management plan that recognizes existing marine activities permitted by the Department of Land and Natural Resources and contains a description of specific activities to be conducted in the fishing area, including evaluation and monitoring processes and methods of funding and enforcement; and

 

     (3)  Recommend limits on the harvest of aquatic life in the fishing area; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Chairperson of the Board of Land and Natural Resources and the Chairperson of the Aha Kiole Advisory Committee.

 

 

 

 

OFFERED BY:

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Report Title: 

Molokai Community-Based Subsistence Fishing Area