STAND. COM. REP. NO. 176

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    S.B. No. 1511

       S.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Shan S. Tsutsui

President of the Senate

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2011

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committees on Agriculture and Water, Land, and Housing, to which was referred S.B. No. 1511 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO AQUACULTURE,"

 

beg leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

 

     (1)  Increase lease terms for aquaculture operations from thirty-five to sixty-five years;

 

     (2)  Permit aquaculture lessees in good standing the right of first refusal; and

 

     (3)  Allow for supportive aquaculture activities.

 

     Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Agriculture; the Hawaii Aquaculture & Aquaponics Association; the Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation; the East Oahu County Farm Bureau; Hawaii Oceanic Technology, Inc.; and two individuals.  Your Committees received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Department of Land and Natural Resources; the Coalition Against CO2 Dumping, Inc.; Food & Water Watch; and two individuals.

 

     Your Committees find that aquaculture leases currently have a statutory limit of thirty-five years with no option for renewal.  Your Committees further find that often times, project financing and private-sector loans require applicants to have longer terms than those allowed under the current statutes.  It is the intent of your Committees to encourage commercial aquaculture production in the State by providing favorable terms for aquaculture leases.

 

     Your Committees have amended this measure by inserting an effective date of July 1, 2050, to allow for further discussion.

 

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Agriculture and Water, Land, and Housing that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1511, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1511, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

 

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

 

____________________________

DONOVAN M. DELA CRUZ, Chair

 

____________________________

CLARENCE K. NISHIHARA, Chair