STAND. COM. REP. NO.  164

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2009

RE:   H.B. No. 366

      H.D. 1

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2009

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Water, Land, & Ocean Resources, to which was referred H.B. No. 366 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO MANTA RAYS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to protect the manta ray, a near-threatened species, by establishing fines and penalties for knowingly killing or capturing manta rays within state marine waters.

     The Hawaii Audubon Society, Animal Rights Hawaii, Hawaii Wildlife Fund, Save Our Seas, Pacific Whale Foundation, Maui Tomorrow Foundation, Inc., The Manta Network, Friends of Pebble Beach, Michael Hoff Productions, Inc., and a plethora of concerned individuals supported this bill.  The Office of Hawaiian Affairs supported this bill with amendments.  Several concerned individuals opposed this measure.  The Department of Land and Natural Resources and several concerned individuals provided comments. 

     Your Committee has amended this bill by:

(1)  Changing the effective date from upon approval to July 1, 2020, to encourage further discussion; and

(2)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for style, clarity, and consistency.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Water, Land, & Ocean Resources that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 366, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 366, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Judiciary.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Water, Land, & Ocean Resources,

____________________________

KEN ITO, Chair