STAND. COM. REP. NO.  285

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2007

RE:   H.B. No. 1615

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Agriculture, to which was referred H.B. No. 1615 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF A SHELLFISH AQUACULTURE INDUSTRY,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to facilitate the development of a viable aquacultural industry by appropriating funds to conduct a feasibility and cost study to determine the statutory and rule changes, staffing requirements, laboratory support requirements, research requirements, and training and technical assistance needs, to develop a shellfish aquaculture industry in Hawaii.

     Kona Bay Marine Resources, Hawaii Aquaculture Association, and several concerned individuals supported this bill.  The Department of Agriculture and several concerned individuals supported the intent of this measure.

     Your Committee believes that the study funded by this measure will help provide details as to which public and private entities should be involved, the appropriate process and timeline of events and actions that need to be taken, and the appropriate locations, for shellfish aquaculture development in Hawaii.  Your Committee finds that the study should address cultural and land use concerns as well, including how a potential shellfish aquaculture industry would impact land use, native species, and Hawaiian fishponds throughout our State.

     In addition to the funding for the study contained in this bill, your Committee is also cognizant of the need for additional funding that would have to be made available to the Department of Health to meet federal requirements of the National Shellfish Sanitation Program, which sets standards for the safe propagation, growth, and sale of shellfish.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Agriculture that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1615 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Higher Education.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Agriculture,

____________________________

CLIFT TSUJI, Chair