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 S.B. No. 2438, S.D. 2, entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to promote aquaculture by appropriating funds to the Department of Agriculture's (DOA) Aquaculture Development Program to conduct a study on shark migratory activity along the Leeward coast of Oahu, from Ewa Beach to Kaena Point, by tagging sharks and monitoring their movements.

A concerned individual testified in support of this bill. DOA commented on this measure.

Your Committee finds that DOA does not have the programmatic expertise in shark attacks, shark activity, or the science of collecting and interpreting data on shark movements in the islands. Further, your Committee finds that studying the migratory activities of sharks will support the fish farms and increase the safety of engaging in marine activity along the Leeward coast. Accordingly, your Committee has amended this measure by:

(2) Appropriating $25,000 to conduct the study; and

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 S.B. No. 2438, S.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2438, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.