STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1540

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    H.C.R. No. 251

 

 

 

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2009

State of Hawaii

 

Madam:

 

     Your Committee on Water, Land, Agriculture, and Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred H.C.R. No. 251 entitled:

 

"HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION URGING DEPARTMENT OF LAND AND NATURAL RESOURCES, DIVISION OF AQUATIC RESOURCES, TO CONSULT AND CONFER WITH LICENSED SPECIALIZED FISHING PRACTITIONERS PRIOR TO IMPLEMENTING REVISED OR NEW REGULATIONS AFFECTING THESE STYLES OF  NEAR-SHORE COMMERCIAL FISHING AND TO SEEK ADVICE FROM AND WORK COLLABORATIVELY WITH THEM ON ANY AND ALL FUTURE REGULATIONS RELATING TO COMMERCIAL FISHING,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to urge the Department of Land and Natural Resources, Division of Aquatic Resources, to consult and confer with licensed specialized fishing practitioners prior to implementing revised or new regulations affecting styles of nearshore commercial fishing and to seek advice from and work collaboratively with them on any and all future regulations relating to commercial fishing.

 

     Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by one organization and one public citizen.  Testimony in opposition was submitted by one state agency.  Written testimony presented to your Committee may be reviewed on the Legislature's website.

 

The residents of Hawaii rely upon the ocean for sustenance, health, and cultural practices.  Specialized cultural practitioners with intrinsic and learned knowledge passed down through numerous techniques of fishing, including surround bag or gill net fishing, fish trapping, and aqua lung and free dive spear fishing, continue to demonstrate responsible use of and caring for the bounties of the ocean by studying, nurturing, cultivating, and managing these resources on a daily basis for perpetual use.  Your Committee finds that these cultural practitioners are a consistent source of data to record, interpret and analyze, and use as the best-available science in determining the condition of Hawaii's ocean resources.  Cultural practitioners are experts of their trade and providers to our communities, and depend on fair management of ocean resources for their livelihood and perpetuation, thus they should be consulted when adopting new fishing rules.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Water, Land, Agriculture, and Hawaiian Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of H.C.R. No. 251, and recommends its adoption.

 

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

 

 

 

____________________________

CLAYTON HEE, Chair