STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2772

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2079

S.D. 2

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2018

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 2079, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATED TO SHARK AND RAY PROTECTION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to increase protection for sharks and rays.

More specifically, this measure:

(1) Extends the prohibition against capturing or killing manta rays, and its related penalties and exceptions, to include killing, taking, possessing, abusing, or entangling sharks and all species of rays; and

(2) Includes research permits allowed by law as an exception to the prohibition against capturing, killing, taking, possessing, abusing, or entangling sharks and rays.

Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the Department of Land and Natural Resources; The Humane Society of the United States; Surfrider Foundation Oahu Chapter; Hawaiian Civic Club of Honolulu; Keiko Conservation; Keiko Conservation International; West Hawaii Humane Society; For the Fishes; Pele Lani Farm LLC; OCC Legislative Priorities Committee, Democratic Party of Hawaii; and forty-eight concerned individuals.

Your Committee received written comments on this measure from the Office of Hawaiian Affairs and one concerned individual.

Your Committee finds that sharks and rays are vital to the ocean ecosystem; however, these creatures are more vulnerable than most other fish species. Your Committee recognizes that these animals are also culturally important to Native Hawaiians. Accordingly, your Committee believes that sharks and rays require additional protection.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Adding an exception for sharks taken outside of state marine waters and possessed on a vessel in state marine waters pursuant to a federally managed fishery, for the purpose of landing the catch in the State; and

(2) Making technical nonsubstantive changes for purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2079, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2079, S.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

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DONOVAN M. DELA CRUZ, Chair