THE SENATE	S.B. NO.	994
THIRTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE, 2023
STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

relating to Uhu.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

SECTION 1. The legislature finds that uhu, the Hawaiian name for the parrotfish, sustain ocean environments by eating seaweed and algae that would otherwise smother reef coral, as well as by eating parts of sickened coral reef. Further, seven varieties of uhu can be found in state waters and any individual uhu produces approximately two-thousand pounds of sand per year by passing processed coral particles and vegetation through its gills. The legislature notes that Hawai‘i's uhu population is on the decline, with a noted reduction of seventy to eighty per cent over the last thirty years, according to federal data on Hawaiian ocean reefs.

The legislature also finds that uhu wield historical and cultural significance in Hawai‘i. In particular, traditional Hawaiian villages often maintained fishponds, in which uhu were raised as a source of nourishment.

Accordingly, the purpose of this Act is to prohibit people from fishing or otherwise removing uhu from state waters, in an effort to conserve the declining uhu populations and maintain the health of Hawai‘i's vulnerable ocean ecosystems.

SECTION 2. Chapter 188, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding a new section to be appropriately designated and to read as follows:

"§188-   Uhu (Parrotfish), fishing or removal, prohibited. It is unlawful for any person to intentionally or knowingly remove uhu, or parrotfish, from state waters."

SECTION 3. New statutory material is underscored.

SECTION 4. This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

INTRODUCED BY:

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Report Title:

Uhu; Parrotfish; Prohibition; Fishing Ban

Description:

Prohibits all removal of uhu, also known as parrotfish, from state waters.

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