Hawaii-2013-HCR91-Introduced

WHEREAS, Hawaii requires licenses for freshwater game fishing and commercial marine fishing, but the State does not require a license for marine game fishing; and

WHEREAS, Hawaii is one of the few coastal states that does not require a license for marine game fishing; and

WHEREAS, the nearshore recreational catch is likely equal to or greater than the nearshore commercial fisheries catch, and these recreational fishers take more species using a wider range of fishing gear; and

WHEREAS, in addition to commercial and recreational fisheries, most of the marine ornamental fish and invertebrates originating from United States waters are collected in Hawaii, which is known for its high quality animals and rare endemic species of high economic value; and

WHEREAS, it has been reported that Hawaii ranks forty-eighth among the fifty states in terms of public money spent on aquatic resource management, even though Hawaii has the largest exclusive economic zone in the United States; and

WHEREAS, the United States requires anglers who fish for recreational purposes in federal waters to be registered with the National Saltwater Angler Registry; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-seventh Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2013, the Senate concurring, that the Administrator of the Division of Aquatic Resources, Department of Land and Natural Resources, is requested to convene a marine game fishing task force to develop a proposed regulatory scheme for requiring licensure for marine game fishing; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Administrator of the Division of Aquatic Resources of the Department of Land and Natural Resources is requested to serve as the Chairperson of the task force and to invite interested parties to be members of the task force, including:

(1) One member representing the Department of Land and Natural Resources Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement;

(2) One member representing the nearshore fishing community;

(3) One member representing the Pacific Fisheries Coalition; and

(4) Any other members that the Chairperson of the task force deems necessary; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force is requested to consider:

(1) Establishing a regulatory framework similar to that used by the State to regulate hunting;

(2) Requiring annual renewal of marine game fishing licenses;

(3) The licensing fee amounts, including establishing differentiated fees for residents and nonresidents;

(4) The disposition of the licensing fees collected;

(5) The feasibility of establishing joint licensure for hunting and marine game fishing; and

(6) Potential issues or concerns that marine game fishing licensure might present, such as specifying which activities constitute marine game fishing and addressing concerns regarding native Hawaiian traditional and customary rights; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force is requested to conduct public meetings and receive public input in West Hawaii, East Hawaii, Maui, Molokai, Lanai, Oahu, and Kauai; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Administrator of the Division of Aquatic Resources is requested to submit a report of the task force's findings and recommendations, including any proposed legislation, to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2014; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Governor, the Chairperson of the Board of Land and Natural Resources, and the Administrator of the Division of Aquatic Resources.

	OFFERED BY:	_____________________________

Report Title:

DLNR; Aquatic Resources; Marine Game Fishing; License

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.C.R. NO.	91
TWENTY-SEVENTH LEGISLATURE, 2013
STATE OF HAWAII