Bill Text: HI SCR125 | 2011 | Regular Session | Amended

Hawaii Senate Concurrent Resolution 125 (Prior Session Legislation)

Bill Title: DOH; Shellfish Aquaculture; Classification Program

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 7-0)

Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2011-04-15 - (H) Referred to AGR/EEP, FIN, referral sheet 58 [SCR125 Detail]

Download: Hawaii-2011-SCR125-Amended.html

THE SENATE	S.C.R. NO.	125
TWENTY-SIXTH LEGISLATURE, 2011		S.D. 1
STATE OF HAWAII

SENATE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH TO FULLY SUPPORT THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE SHELLFISH AQUACULTURE INDUSTRY AND IMPLEMENT A STATEWIDE CLASSIFICATION PROGRAM FOR SHELLFISH GROWING AREAS.

WHEREAS, it is widely recognized that there is enormous potential in Hawaii to commercially culture bivalve shellfish, such as oysters and clams, for export or local consumption, or both; and

WHEREAS, previous commercial efforts and recent research conducted by the private sector and the University of Hawaii have firmly established the biological feasibility of raising shellfish; and

WHEREAS, several commercial companies currently produce young seed oysters and clams in land-based facilities that are shipped to the State of Washington and elsewhere to be grown in coastal waters; and

WHEREAS, the University of Hawaii at Hilo is conducting tests, growing oysters in several fishponds around the State and these projects are experiencing very high growth rates in comparison to mainland locations, thus presenting Hawaii with economic competitive advantages; and

WHEREAS, organolyptic evaluations have shown that shellfish produced in Hawaiian coastal waters have excellent flavor and texture; and

WHEREAS, reducing seafood imports to the State is urgent and enhancing the local production of high quality seafood is in the State's best interest; and

WHEREAS, bivalve shellfish culture is environmentally friendly and can even improve environmental quality; and

WHEREAS, the Department of Health, under title 11, chapter 35, Hawaii Administrative Rules, has the responsibility of implementing the federally mandated national shellfish sanitation program, which includes criteria and protocols for testing shellfish growing areas, as well as all aspects of harvesting, processing, packaging, storing, and distributing of shellfish; and

WHEREAS, Hawaii is the only coastal state in the nation where locally grown shellfish cannot be certified and sold for local consumption, in contrast to imported shellfish, which can be certified and sold for local consumption; and

WHEREAS, the Department of Health has a Food and Drug Administration-certified water quality testing laboratory that conducts water quality testing for water and dairy products, and is capable of conducting the water quality testing and providing the trained staff necessary to carry out the shellfish certification tests; and

WHEREAS, multiple aquaculture businesses and operators of traditional fishponds have already expended significant resources on research and development and have stated that they would expand their investment to shellfish farming if the Department of Health would fulfill the Department's legal responsibility to classify shellfish growing areas; and

WHEREAS, failure to implement all aspects of the state shellfish sanitation plan prevents sustainable economic development and job creation; and

WHEREAS, the most immediate beneficiaries would be existing aquafarms and operators of traditional Hawaiian fishponds who have shellfish products nearly ready for sale; and

WHEREAS, the Department of Health, due to competing priorities and limited resources, has not moved expeditiously to work with the local shellfish aquaculture industry to provide essential services that would allow the sale of locally produced shellfish for local consumption; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Twenty-sixth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2011, the House of Representatives concurring, that the Department of Health is requested to expeditiously take action to certify its water quality testing laboratory for the testing and classification of land- and ocean-based shellfish growing waters around the State, utilize appropriate staff for those purposes, and implement analyses to certify areas that are suitable for classification as shellfish growing areas; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Health is requested to fully implement all components of the state shellfish sanitation plan in a timely manner so that classification of shellfish growing areas can be started immediately; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Health is requested to consult with industry experts and shellfish biologists from the University of Hawaii System to develop a prioritized list of locations for testing and classification; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Health is requested to work cooperatively with all members of the shellfish industry and other interested state agencies to plan, site, and develop an expanded commercial culture of shellfish for seed production and seafood production for local consumption and export; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Health is requested to render as much assistance as possible under its authority to expedite the creation of a bivalve shellfish industry within Hawaii; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Director of Health is requested to submit a report on the actions taken pursuant to this Concurrent Resolution to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the 2012 Regular Session; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Director of Health, Chairperson of the Board of Land and Natural Resources, Chairperson of the Board of Agriculture, and Director of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism.

Report Title:

DOH; Shellfish Aquaculture; Classification Program