STAND. COM. REP. NO. 879

                                 Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                   , 1999

                                 RE: H.B. No. 1706
                                     H.D. 3




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

Sir:

     Your Committee on Finance, to which was referred H.B. No.
1706, H.D. 2, entitled: 

     "A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO FISHERIES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to minimize the wasteful and
inhumane practice of shark finning by:

     (1)  Requiring that sharks be landed whole; and

     (2)  Establishing administrative rules for violations and
          for forfeiture of shark fins, license, vessel, and
          fishing equipment by violators.

     The Department of Land and Natural Resources, Department of
Business, Economic Development, and Tourism, Earthjustice Legal
Defense Fund, Hawaii Fishermen's Foundation (on behalf of
BOATS/US, The Center for Marine Conservation, the World Wildlife
Fund, the National Audubon Society, American Oceans Campaign,
Ocean Wildlife Campaign, Salt Water Sportsman Magazine, and
Greenpeace), Diamond Bay Specialty Seafoods-Hawaii, Inc.,
Biostim, Inc., and two individuals testified in support of this
bill.  The State Representative from the 24th District (Makiki,
Tantalus, Manoa) offered comments.  The Western Pacific Regional
Fishery Management Council testified in opposition to this
measure.


 
 
 
                                 STAND. COM. REP. NO. 879
                                 Page 2

 
     Your Committee has amended this bill by:

     (1)  Clarifying that the definition of "landed" means when
          the animal is first brought to shore; and

     (2)  Deleting the phrase "is landed" from the definition of
          "whole" because the term has nothing to do with whether
          a shark is whole or not.
 
     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your
Committee on Finance that is attached to this report, your
Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No.
1706, H.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass
Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1706, H.D.
3.

                                   Respectfully submitted on
                                   behalf of the members of the
                                   Committee on Finance,



                                   ______________________________
                                   DWIGHT Y. TAKAMINE, Chair