Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2004

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Water, Land, and Agriculture, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 64 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to request the Department of Land and Natural Resources to formulate a comprehensive management plan designed to preserve and protect the Hawaiian spinner dolphin populations inhabiting the areas near and around the Waianae coast.

Testimony in opposition to the measure was submitted by the Chairperson of the Board of Land and Natural Resources and Animal Rights Hawaii, Advocates for Animals.

Your Committee finds that the increase in commercial tour operators organizing dolphin-viewing expeditions is disturbing those creatures and disrupting commercial fishing operations in areas where dolphins are found. Your Committee heard the concerns of the Chairperson of the Board of Land and Natural Resources and amended the measure accordingly.

Your Committee has amended the measure by changing the purpose of the measure to a request to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to work cooperatively with the Department of Land and Natural Resources to ensure that dolphin-watching activities and other human interactions with Hawaii's spinner dolphins are managed in a manner consistent with the United States Marine Mammal Protection Act and community-based, marine mammal conservation, while also providing for economically optimal and socially acceptable levels of ocean use. Your Committee also amended the title of the measure to reflect that change, as follows:

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Water, Land, and Agriculture that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 64, as amended herein, and recommends its adoption in the form attached hereto as S.C.R. No. 64, S.D. 1.