STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2703

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2767

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2022

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 2767, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO FISH AGGREGATION DEVICES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to appropriate moneys to support the State's fish aggregation device program.

Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the Department of Land and Natural Resources and the Hawaii Fishermen's Alliance for Conservation and Tradition.

Your Committee received written comments on this measure from the Department of Budget and Finance.

Your Committee finds that fishers throughout the State rely heavily on fish aggregation devices to locate targeted fish. Your Committee recognizes that a missing or an off-station fish aggregation device may result in the loss of opportunity to acquire fish for personal and community consumption and increased operational costs borne by fishers in the State. Accordingly, your Committee believes that keeping the State's fish aggregation device program fully operational is essential to mitigating these losses and costs.

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. 2767, S.D. 1, and recommends that it pass Third Reading.

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

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DONOVAN M. DELA CRUZ, Chair