STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1655

                                 Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                   , 1999

                                 RE: H.C.R. No. 216
                                     H.D. 1




Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say
Speaker, House of Representatives
Twentieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 1999
State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Ocean Recreation and Marine Resources, to
which was referred H.C.R. No. 216 entitled: 

     "HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE ESTABLISHMENT OF
     A TASK FORCE TO DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT A COORDINATED PUBLIC
     AND PRIVATE SECTOR ENHANCEMENT PROGRAM,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this concurrent resolution is to request that
the Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR), the
Military, and other organizations utilizing our marine resources
establish a task force with the purpose of creating additional
near-shore reef habitats, as desired by the community, in Hawaii. 

     Testimony was received from the Department of Business,
Economic Development and Tourism (DBEDT), the Office of Hawaiian
Affairs, DLNR, the Hawaii Audubon Society, the Hawaii Fishermen's
Foundation and Atlantis Adventures, in support of this measure.   
     
     Your Committee finds that Hawaii's natural reefs and
fisheries are among our most valuable natural resources and that
they are of significant cultural, recreational and commercial
value to the people of Hawaii.  

     Your Committee further finds that our near-shore fisheries
are in a state of decline and that efforts to conserve these
resources are imperative to prevent the irreversible effects of
overfishing. 


 
 
                                 STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1655
                                 Page 2

 
     Your Committee further finds that a task force of marine
specialists and recreational users could make significant
progress in restoring our fisheries by encouraging the creation
of artificial reef habitats.  Your committee further finds
artificial reef habitats to be effective in the restoration of
fish populations and marine ecosystems.  

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:
     
     (1)  Removing the adopt-a-reef program from its provisions
          and by specifying that no artificial reef habitat
          should be created for the exclusive use of any party;
          and  

     (2)  Adding three members to the task force; a
          representative from the University of Hawaii Sea Grant
          Extension service, from DBEDT's Ocean Resources Branch,
          and the environmental community.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your
Committee on Ocean Recreation and Marine Resources that is
attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent
and purpose of H.C.R. No. 216, as amended herein, and recommends
that it be referred to the Committee on Finance, in the form
attached hereto as H.C.R. No. 216, H.D. 1.

                                   Respectfully submitted on
                                   behalf of the members of the
                                   Committee on Ocean Recreation
                                   and Marine Resources,



                                   ______________________________
                                   Roy M. Takumi, Chair