STAND. COM. REP. NO.  349

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2015

 

RE:   H.B. No. 483

 

 

 

 

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2015

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Ocean, Marine Resources, & Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred H.B. No. 483 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO OCEAN RESOURCES,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to provide conservation officers of the Department of Land and Natural Resources with the means to administratively enforce conservation and resource extraction requirements in the West Hawaii Regional Fishery Management Area.  This measure grants the Department the authority to conduct administrative inspections of commercial licensees' and wholesale dealers' records, permitting documents, catch, equipment, and premises and to administratively suspend or revoke commercial licenses for noncompliance.

 

     The Office of Hawaiian Affairs, a member of the Kauai County Council, South Kohala Reef Alliance, Conservation Council for Hawaii, and several individuals submitted testimony in support of this measure.  Several individuals submitted testimony in opposition to this measure.  The Department of Land and Natural Resources submitted comments.

 

Your Committee finds that monitoring extraction activities and enforcing compliance with management regulations in the West Hawaii Regional Fishery Management Area have proven difficult.  Despite the Department's current enforcement and monitoring activities, reliable data on the Management Area is still lacking and illegal activities continue.  Your Committee finds that an administrative inspection program will increase the Department's ability to enforce existing requirements for the Management Area and to collect data on activities and resources within the Management Area.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ocean, Marine Resources, & Hawaiian Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 483 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Judiciary.

 

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ocean, Marine Resources, & Hawaiian Affairs,

 

 

 

 

____________________________

KANIELA ING, Chair