Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2004

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Water, Land Use, and Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred H.B. No. 2842 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to enable the State's Anuenue Fisheries Research Center (AFRC) on Sand Island, Oahu, to provide hatchery services to private aquaculture farms by establishing the Aquatic Life Propagating Station Special Fund.

Uwajima Fisheries, Inc., testified in support of this bill. The Department of Land and Natural Resources opposed this measure.

With the closure of Pacific Harvest, a privately operated commercial hatchery, small aquaculture farms have difficulty in purchasing fingerlings. Your Committee encourages further discussion and investigation into whether the amount of potential revenues from the sale of fingerlings to aquaculture farms is sufficient to sustain a viable hatchery service by AFRC.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Water, Land Use, and Hawaiian Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2842 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Finance.