STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1193

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.C.R. No. 125

       S.D. 1

Honorable Shan S. Tsutsui

President of the Senate

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2011

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committees on Health and Water, Land, and Housing and Agriculture, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 125 entitled:

"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH TO FULLY SUPPORT THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE SHELLFISH AQUACULTURE INDUSTRY AND IMPLEMENT A STATEWIDE CLASSIFICATION PROGRAM FOR SHELLFISH GROWING AREAS,"

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to request the Department of Health to expeditiously take action to certify its water quality testing laboratory for the testing and classification of land- and ocean-based shellfish growing waters around the State, utilize appropriate staff for those purposes, and implement analyses to certify areas that are suitable for classification as shellfish growing areas.

     Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the University of Hawai‘i System; Department of Health; Analytical Services, Inc.; Hawaii Aquaculture and Aquaponics Association; and Keawanui Fishpond. 

     Your Committees find that Hawaii is the only coastal state in the United States where shellfish cannot be farmed and sold.  Currently, because Hawaii does not have a Statewide Classification Program for Shellfish Growing Areas, shellfish seed that is produced in the State must be sent out of state to grow to maturity before being sold.  Allowing Hawaii shellfish farmers to legally raise and sell their shellfish for consumption creates an important economic opportunity for the State.  

     Your Committees' intent is to facilitate the establishment of a shellfish farming industry in Hawaii but emphasizes that shellfish farms should not limit or negatively impact public access to Hawaii's shorelines.

     Your Committees have amended this measure by making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Health and Water, Land, and Housing and Agriculture that are attached to this report, your Committees concur with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 125, as amended herein, and recommend its adoption in the form attached hereto as S.C.R. No. 125, S.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Health and Water, Land, and Housing and Agriculture,

____________________________ DONOVAN M. DELA CRUZ, Chair	____________________________ JOSH GREEN, M.D., Chair
	____________________________ CLARENCE K. NISHIHARA, Chair