STAND. COM. REP. NO. 460-22

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2022

RE: H.B. No. 2199

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2022

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Water & Land, to which was referred H.B. No. 2199 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO FISHPONDS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure to appropriate funds to support the Department of Land and Natural Resources' hatchery program.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Land and Natural Resources, Kua‘āina Ulu ‘Auamo, and three individuals. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Budget and Finance.

Your Committee finds that loko i‘a, or fishponds, play an important role in Hawaiian cultural practices, have an ecologically important role in watersheds, and could significantly contribute to the State's food security goals. Your Committee further finds that providing juvenile fish to restock loko i‘a through the Department of Land and Natural Resources will support ongoing efforts to restore Hawaii's fishponds.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Removing all references to the Department of Land and Natural Resources' hatchery program;

(2) Changing the appropriation to an unspecified amount;

(3) Adding the provision of limu for the restoration and restocking of fishponds as a purpose of the appropriation;

(4) Changing its effective date to July 1, 2050, to encourage further discussion; and

(5) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

Your Committee respectfully requests that should your Committee on Finance choose to hear this measure, it consider appropriating $300,000 for the Department of Land and Natural Resources to:

(1) Provide fingerlings and limu for restoration and restocking of fishponds; and

(2) Establish one full-time equivalent (1.0 FTE) Aquaculture Coordinator Biologist VI position.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Water & Land that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2199, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2199, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Water & Land,

____________________________

DAVID A. TARNAS, Chair