HR143.DOC

WHEREAS, in ancient times the island of Moloka‘i was known for producing abundant quantities of food and was known as "‘Aina Momona", meaning "abundant land"; and

WHEREAS, the people of Moloka‘i maintained a sustainable and self-sufficient food supply for over one thousand years; and

WHEREAS, the island of Moloka‘i's unique east-west configuration and its south shore's protection from prevailing ocean swells have led to the establishment and continued growth of Hawai‘i's largest fringing coral reef, known as the South Moloka‘i Reef; and

WHEREAS, the South Moloka‘i Reef has been a key food producing resource that includes more than fifty traditional Hawaiian fishponds that sustain the enduring fishing traditions of the people of Moloka‘i; and

WHEREAS, modernization and abandonment of traditional resource management have led to a severe decline of Moloka‘i's fisheries; and

WHEREAS, a century of cattle grazing, goat foraging, and other land-use practices have caused severe sedimentation that has negatively impacted the South Moloka‘i Reef; and

WHEREAS, in 1999, the United States Geological Survey began an in-depth study of the sedimentation crisis on the South Moloka‘i Reef, including deployment of innovative quantitative measurement-and-analysis techniques that culminated in the 2008 publication of, "The Coral Reef of South Moloka‘i, Hawai‘i: Portrait of a Sediment-Threatened Fringing Reef"; and

WHEREAS, the President of the Global Coral Reef Alliance said the United States Geological Survey report on the South Moloka‘i Reef provides "a level of documentation and insight that has never been available for any reef before"; and

WHEREAS, the United States Geological Survey report states that the South Moloka‘i Reef has "major significance in terms of its intrinsic beauty, biodiversity, cultural importance, and as a local food resource," that it is "longer, more continuous, and has denser coral cover than reefs at any of the other (main Hawaiian) islands," and that "this alone makes it a state and national treasure worthy of study and protection"; and

WHEREAS, the report also stated that sediment run-off from the mauka lands "inhibits or prevents coral growth (on the reef)" and is a "first order cause of reef degradation"; and

WHEREAS, the report concluded that "there is encouraging evidence that, with enough will and local support, the condition of the reef can improve"; and

WHEREAS, multiple community planning documents produced by the people of Moloka‘i, including, most recently, "Molokai: Future of a Hawaiian Island," have consistently declared that protection of the South Moloka‘i Reef and mitigation of land-based sedimentation are important priorities of the island community; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-fifth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2009, that this body expresses support for the United States Geological Survey report, "The Coral Reef of South Moloka‘i, Hawai‘i: Portrait of a Sediment-Threatened Fringing Reef", and its conclusion that the overall condition of the South Moloka‘i Reef can be improved; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that state and federal agencies are encouraged to recognize and support the conclusions of the United States Geological Survey report, "The Coral Reef of South Moloka‘i, Hawai‘i: Portrait of a Sediment-Threatened Fringing Reef"; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this body recognizes and supports community-based efforts to steward the South Moloka‘i Reef fishery for continued sustainable use, beginning with a systematic restoration and reforestation of mauka lands; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this body expresses support for the use of the scientific findings in the United States Geological Survey report, "The Coral Reef of South Moloka‘i, Hawai‘i: Portrait of a Sediment-Threatened Fringing Reef", and traditional Hawaiian conservation practices to preserve the health of the South Moloka‘i Reef; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this body expresses its appreciation for the efforts of the United States Geological Survey scientists, researchers, and others for their innovative study of the South Moloka‘i Reef for over a decade; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Governor, the Mayor of Maui County, and the Director of the United States Geological Survey.

	OFFERED BY:	_____________________________

Report Title:

South Molokai Reef Fishery

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.R. NO.	143
TWENTY-FIFTH LEGISLATURE, 2009
STATE OF HAWAII