STAND. COM. REP. NO.  139

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2011

 

RE:   H.B. No. 568

      H.D. 1

 

 

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2011

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committees on Water, Land, & Ocean Resources and Agriculture, to which was referred H.B. No. 568 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO AQUACULTURE,"

 

beg leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this bill is to encourage aquacultural production in Hawaii by providing for more favorable terms for the lease of public lands.

 

     The Department of Agriculture, Hawaii Aquaculture & Aquaponics Association, Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation, High Health Aquaculture, East Oahu County Farm Bureau, Shrimp Improvement Systems Hawaii LLC, Cates International, Inc., Hawaii Oceanic Technology, Inc., and several concerned individuals testified in support of this bill.  The Department of Land and Natural Resources and KAHEA: The Hawaiian-Environmental Alliance opposed this measure. 

 

     Your Committees have amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Clarifying the purpose section of the bill;

 

     (2)  Clarifying that aquaculture operations in good standing may, rather than must, have the right of first refusal to renew a lease;

 

     (3)  Modifying the definition of "aquaculture" to include any growing of plants or animals with aquaculture effluents; and

 

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

 

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Water, Land, & Ocean Resources and Agriculture that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 568, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 568, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Water, Land, & Ocean Resources and Agriculture,

 

 

____________________________

CLIFT TSUJI, Chair

 

____________________________

JERRY L. CHANG, Chair