Permits processing of the shark on the ship.

A BILL FOR AN ACT

SECTION 1. The legislature finds that the requirement that sharks be landed whole is a wasteful practice. Due to the short shelf life of blue sharks after death, lack of refrigeration on a fishing vessel means the shark cannot be used unless it can be processed immediately on the ship. A market exists for the meat of the shark, as well as its muscle, liver, and other organs, if these products are marketed and the public is assured that the products have been properly processed and refrigerated.

The purpose of this Act is to permit processing of the shark on the ship.

SECTION 2. Section 188-40.5, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended as follows:

1. By adding a new definition to subsection (f) to be appropriately inserted and to read:

""Equivalent processed portions" means a total weight of fillets or trunks resulting from any fishing trip that is within the expected range of yield from the whole shark weight harvested on any fishing trip."

2. By amending subsection (a) to read:

"(a) No person shall knowingly harvest shark fins from the territorial waters of the State, or land shark fins in the State, unless the fins were taken from a shark landed whole or in equivalent processed portions in the State."

SECTION 3. New statutory material is underscored.

SECTION 4. This Act shall take effect upon its approval.