STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1294-08

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2008

RE:   S.B. No. 3137

      S.D. 2

      H.D. 1

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2008

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Water, Land, Ocean Resources & Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred S.B. No. 3137, S.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT MAKING AN APPROPRIATION TO THE DEPARTMENT OF LAND AND NATURAL RESOURCES FOR AKULE FISH MONITORING,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to understand akule activity by appropriating funds for the Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) to collect and interpret data about akule movements and habits of migration on the leeward coast of Oahu.  Specifically, this bill requires DLNR, Division of Aquatic Resources, to increase the number of commercial catch reporting grids from two to three along the western coast of Oahu in the sector between Barber's Point and Ka‘ena Point by creating a new catch grid spanning the area between Maili Point and Kepuhi Point.

     The Hanalei Watershed Hui and several concerned individuals testified in support of this bill.  DLNR and a concerned individual provided comments.   

     Your Committee finds that fish catch data has been collected in this area for over 50 years, and the alteration of the grid maps may disrupt the long-term data collected in the database and used by various researchers, including state fishery scientists, federal fisheries agencies, and the University of Hawaii.  Accordingly, your Committee has amended this bill by dividing catch grids 402 and 403 each into two separate zones, to create more precise catch grids, while preserving the integrity of the original grid maps and corresponding data. 

     This bill has also been amended by making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for style, clarity, and consistency.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Water, Land, Ocean Resources & Hawaiian Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 3137, S.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 3137, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Water, Land, Ocean Resources & Hawaiian Affairs,

____________________________

KEN ITO, Chair