103
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES             H.C.R. NO.            H.D. 1
TWENTIETH LEGISLATURE, 2000                                S.D. 1
STATE OF HAWAII                                            
                                                                
___________________________________________________________________
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                     HOUSE  CONCURRENT
                        RESOLUTION

REQUESTING A STUDY OF THE IMPACT THAT COMMERCIAL MARINE MAMMAL
   WATCHING TOURS MAY HAVE ON COMMERCIAL FISHING IN WATERS OFF
   THE WAIANAE COAST OF OAHU.



 1       WHEREAS, there are community concerns that commercial
 2   dolphin watching tour activities may have an impact on fishing
 3   as well as on public safety; and
 4   
 5       WHEREAS, for example, commercial akule fishers have
 6   reported that dolphin watching boats disperse important
 7   nearshore akule schools in the Waianae area; and
 8   
 9       WHEREAS, commercial and recreational boaters have also
10   indicated that some commercial dolphin watching tour activities
11   involve people swimming offshore in open water where they are
12   exposed to high speed boat traffic; and
13   
14       WHEREAS, to identify these and other impacts, and to
15   prevent serious problems from occurring, it is important that
16   DLNR address these concerns in a timely manner; now, therefore,
17   
18       BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the
19   Twentieth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session
20   of 2000, the Senate concurring, that the Chairperson of the
21   Board of Land and Natural Resources (BLNR) is requested to
22   establish a Task Force to study the impact that commercial
23   marine mammal watching tours may have on commercial fishing in
24   waters off the Waianae Coast of Oahu and to recommend
25   guidelines so that the commercial marine mammal watching tours
26   and the local commercial fishers can coexist; and
27   
28       BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Task Force consist of nine
29   members as follows:
30   
31       (1)  One representative from each of the organizations or
32            industries listed below to be selected by the
33            Chairperson:
34   
35            (a)  The commercial akule fishery of Waianae;

 
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                                  H.C.R. NO.            H.D. 1
                                                        S.D. 1
                                                        

 
 1   
 2            (b)  The Nanakuli Hawaiian Homestead Association;
 3   
 4            (c)  The Ko Olina Marina;
 5   
 6            (d)  The Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology of the
 7                 University of Hawai;
 8   
 9            (e)  The commercial marine mammal watching tour
10                 industry; and
11   
12            (f)  The Waianae Coast community;
13   
14       (2)  The State Senator from the 21st Senatorial District;
15            and
16   
17       (3)  The State Representatives from the 43rd and 44th
18            Representative Districts;
19   
20   and
21   
22       BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Task Force:
23   
24       (1)  Review the literature on marine mammal watching,
25            including its effects on marine mammal behavior;
26   
27       (2)  Review reports on user conflicts between commercial
28            marine mammal watching tours and commercial fishers;
29   
30       (3)  Study the feasibility of issuing commercial use
31            permits for specific rather than unspecified ocean
32            recreational activities off the Waianae Coast; and
33   
34       (4)  Study the feasibility of establishing a marine mammal
35            watching permit system to better manage ocean
36            activities in waters off the Waianae Coast;
37   
38   and
39   
40       BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that DLNR's staff from the Division
41   of Boating and Ocean Recreation and the Aquatic Resources
42   Division assist the Task Force, to the extent possible; and

 
 
 
 
 
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 1   
 2       BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Chairperson submit findings
 3   and recommendations to the Legislature no later than twenty
 4   days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2001; and
 5   
 6       BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a certified copy of this
 7   Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Chairperson of the
 8   BLNR.