HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

998

TWENTY-NINTH LEGISLATURE, 2017

H.D. 1

STATE OF HAWAII

 

 

 

 

 

 

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

 

RELATING TO BOTTOMFISH.

 

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

 


     SECTION 1.  The legislature finds that in the late 1990s, the federal government determined that certain bottomfish were being overfished around the main Hawaiian islands.  In response to that determination, the department of land and natural resources adopted bottomfish restricted fishing areas and various administrative rules to protect bottomfish from being overfished.  In 2007, the department of land and natural resources reduced the number of bottomfish restricted fishing areas, but increased the spatial area covered by bottomfish restricted fishing areas.

     The legislature further finds that the bottomfish that are subject to fishing regulations in the Hawaii Administrative Rules are no longer being overfished, and that the department of land and natural resources has not established a validated scientific basis upon which to continue restricting the fishing of bottomfish. 

     The purpose of this Act is to direct the Division of Aquatic Resources to allow bottomfish fishing in six of the bottomfish restricted fishing areas, where bottomfish fishing is currently prohibited, and to ensure that regulations on the fishing of bottomfish are supported by scientific evidence.

     SECTION 2.  The Department of Natural Resources shall allow bottomfish fishing in six of the existing bottomfish restricted fishing areas where the restriction is not supported by scientific evidence of environmental necessity.  The Department shall also amend its rules on "Bottomfish Management" to include scientific information of environmental necessity as one of the criteria used to restrict a fishing area.

     SECTION 3.  This Act shall take effect upon its approval.


 


 

Report Title:

DLNR; Bottomfish; Administrative Rules

 

Description:

Requires the DLNR to allow bottomfish fishing in six of the Bottomfish Restricted Fishing Areas and to amend any administrative rules to provide that any restriction on fishing shall be based on scientific evidence of environmental necessity.  (HB998 HD1)

 

 

 

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