STAND. COM. REP. NO. 21

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 412

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2009

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committees on Water, Land, Agriculture, and Hawaiian Affairs and Energy and Environment, to which was referred S.B. No. 412 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE ENVIRONMENT,"

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to establish June 8 of every year as World Ocean Day.

     Testimony in support of the measure was submitted by one state agency, six organizations, and five individuals.

     Your Committees find that the concept of World Ocean Day was established in 1992 at the United Nations Earth Summit.  It is now universally accepted that the world's oceans are critical to maintaining the planet's ecosystems and are essential to human health and well-being.

     Your Committees further find that Hawaii's location in the middle of the Pacific Ocean and its unique distinction of being the group of islands farthest removed from any other body of land in the world make it not only appropriate but also advisable to participate in World Ocean Day.

     Your Committees note that ocean environments around the world are collapsing for many different reasons, including uncontrolled uses, pollution, invasive species, species depletion, and unsustainable coastal development.  Your Committees believe that establishing June 8 as World Ocean Day will provide an opportunity for Hawaii to contribute to the ongoing global effort to educate the world's population about conserving and protecting the world's oceans and fragile marine environments.

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Water, Land, Agriculture, and Hawaiian Affairs and Energy and Environment that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 412 and recommend that it pass Second Reading and be placed on the calendar for Third Reading.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Water, Land, Agriculture, and Hawaiian Affairs and Energy and Environment,

____________________________ MIKE GABBARD, Chair

____________________________ CLAYTON HEE, Chair