Establishes a management zone for limu harvest.

A BILL FOR AN ACT

SECTION 1. The Hawaii Revised Statutes is amended by adding a new chapter to be appropriately designated and to read as follows:

"Chapter

§ -A Establishment. There shall be established a limu management zone established along the Ewa Beach coastline. The boundaries of the zone shall be an area bordered by the gunnery range on the east, along the high tide line to Mu`u Mu`u Street on the west, to one hundred and fifty feet from the shoreline, returning to a point one hundred and fifty feet from the shoreline parallel to the gunnery range, to the gunnery range.

§ -B Prohibition; exception. (a) Taking or harvesting of limu within the zone shall be prohibited for two years following the effective date of this Act, except for times as set forth in this chapter.

(b) There shall be an exception for harvesting limu for the purpose of replanting. Harvesting under this subsection is allowed only with a permit issued by the department of land and natural resources.

(c) Limu may be harvested in the year following the two year ban during the months of January, June, and December, from 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. No person shall harvest or take more than one pound of any type of limu per day.

(d) The harvesting ban shall be reimposed for two years following each year of harvest.

§ -C Penalties. Violation of this chapter is misdemeanor. In addition to any penalties imposed by a court, violators shall be subject to a fine of not less than $100.

§ -D Definitions. As used in this chapter:

"Limu" means seaweed, including, but not limited to, asanthopora, anfelthia, ele'ele, hypnea, kohu, lipoa, manauea, ogo, sargassum, and sea lettuce."

SECTION 2. This Act shall take effect on January 1, 2006.