HR117.DOC

WHEREAS, Hawaii is an island state with a unique marine environment that consists of numerous species of fish and marine life, including the bonefish, which is more commonly referred to as oio in Hawaii; and

WHEREAS, oio is one of the premiere sport fishes in the world; and

WHEREAS, oio are used in food products, such as fishcake; and

WHEREAS, a growing number of sport fishers, particularly, fly fishers, are seeking out areas to fish for oio; and

WHEREAS, this has made oio into an economic resource beyond the value of a commercial catch; and

WHEREAS, for example, in areas such as Florida, a single oio can generate approximately $3,500 worth of revenue for the state, taking into account the value of plane tickets, guide services, fishing tours, and equipment rentals; and

WHEREAS, Hawaii's commercial oio catch using fish nets in 2010 was 1,500 fish; and

WHEREAS, if Florida revenue estimates were applied to Hawaii's oio catch through netting, the value of that catch would be approximately $5,250,000; and

WHEREAS, although lay gill nets have been used in Hawaii for decades, they are destructive because while efficient, lay gill nets are indiscriminate in the fish and marine life that they catch; and

WHEREAS, abandoned lay gill nets continue to kill marine life, can break off or destroy coral formations, and create marine debris; and

WHEREAS, in an attempt to protect nearshore waters from overfishing, the Department of Land and Natural Resources has established administrative rules that regulate the use of lay gill nets by prohibiting them in certain areas, including around the entire island of Maui, along portions of the west coast of the island of Hawaii, and along portions of the southeast shores of the island of Oahu; and

WHEREAS, expanding this prohibition to include the taking of oio from all waters of the State using lay gill nets would help to protect this species of fish and would allow for the establishment of a sport fishing revenue generator for the State of Hawaii; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-sixth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2012, that the Department of Land and Natural Resources is requested to amend its administrative rules to prohibit the use of lay gill nets for catching oio in the waters of the State; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Chairperson of the Board of Land and Natural Resources, and Attorney General.

	OFFERED BY:	_____________________________

Report Title:

Department of Land and Natural Resources; Administrative Rules; Oio; Lay Gill Nets

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.R. NO.	117
TWENTY-SIXTH LEGISLATURE, 2012
STATE OF HAWAII