103
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES             H.C.R. NO.            
TWENTIETH LEGISLATURE, 2000                                
STATE OF HAWAII                                            
                                                                
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                     HOUSE  CONCURRENT
                        RESOLUTION

REQUESTING A STUDY OF THE IMPACT THAT COMMERCIAL MARINE MAMMAL
   WATCHING TOURS MAY HAVE ON MARINE MAMMALS IN WATERS OFF THE
   WAIANAE COAST OF OAHU.



 1        WHEREAS, the coastal waters off of Oahu's Waianae Coast
 2   are home to a rich variety of marine mammals, most notably,
 3   spinner dolphins, Pacific spotted dolphins, and humpback
 4   whales; and
 5   
 6        WHEREAS, according to local experts, spinner dolphins feed
 7   in deep waters at night and then move to shallow, nearshore
 8   waters during the day to rest and avoid predators; and
 9   
10        WHEREAS, over the past few years, this dolphin behavior
11   has come to the attention of various ocean users and has led to
12   the development of a commercial dolphin watching tour industry;
13   and
14   
15        WHEREAS, according to the Department of Land and Natural
16   Resources (DLNR), repeated close encounters with boats during
17   the daylight hours have been observed to disrupt the normal
18   resting behavior of spinner dolphins; and
19   
20        WHEREAS, repeated encounters may put the dolphins under
21   unnatural levels of physiological stress; and
22   
23        WHEREAS, for this reason, the DLNR is concerned that
24   commercial dolphin watching tour activities could be causing
25   significant adverse impacts on spinner dolphins; and
26   
27        WHEREAS, there are additional concerns that commercial
28   dolphin watching tour activities may have an impact on fishing
29   as well as on public safety; and
30   
31        WHEREAS, for example, akule fishers have reported that
32   dolphin watching boats disperse important nearshore akule
33   schools in the Waianae area; and

 
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 1        WHEREAS, commercial and recreational boaters have also
 2   indicated that some commercial dolphin watching tour activities
 3   involve people swimming offshore in open water where they are
 4   exposed to high speed boat traffic; and
 5   
 6        WHEREAS, to identify these and other impacts, and to
 7   prevent serious problems from occurring, the DLNR should
 8   address this concern regarding marine mammals in a timely
 9   manner; now, therefore,
10   
11        BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the
12   Twentieth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session
13   of 2000, the Senate concurring, that the Chairperson of the
14   Board of Land and Natural Resources (BLNR) is requested to
15   study the impact that commercial marine mammal watching tours
16   may have on marine mammals in waters off the Waianae Coast of
17   Oahu; and
18   
19        BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Chairperson determine the
20   maximum number of commercial use permits that should be issued
21   for marine mammal watching tours in waters along the Waianae
22   Coast based on a determination that such activities may have on
23   marine mammals in that region; and
24   
25        BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that as part of this study, the
26   Chairperson review existing and on-going research about the
27   effects that human activity may have on marine mammals; and
28   
29        BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Chairperson determine the
30   feasibility of issuing commercial use permits for specific
31   rather than unspecified ocean recreational activities off the
32   Waianae Coast; and
33   
34        BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a certified copy of this
35   Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Chairperson of the
36   BLNR.
37 
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40                         OFFERED BY:  ____________________________