STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1451

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.C.R. No. 95

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2023

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Water and Land, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 95 entitled:

"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION URGING THE DEPARTMENT OF LAND AND NATURAL RESOURCES TO PROTECT HAWAII'S WATERS AND RESOURCES BY PROHIBITING SEABED MINING,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to urge the Department of Land and Natural Resources to protect Hawaii's waters and resources by prohibiting seabed mining.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawai‘i Reef and Ocean Coalition and Ocean Tourism Coalition.

Your Committee finds that the high demand for metals used in everyday devices -- such as cellphones, computers, and cars -- has pushed the mining industry to explore the world's deepest oceans where vast quantities of these critical materials are present. Your Committee further finds that while seabed mining might present a tremendous financial opportunity for some, those gains must be weighed against the potential damage to the environment and marine ecosystems that might result from such an activity, which in some cases may be irreversible. Your Committee finds that annually, Hawaii's pristine waters provide residents with approximately $13,400,000 from fishing and an estimated $1,230,000,000 from tourism, which could easily be placed at risk due to seabed mining. Therefore, this measure urges the Department of Land and Natural Resources to prohibit seabed mining in state waters to preserve Hawaii's irreplaceable ocean and marine ecosystems that are integral to the State's economy and unique island culture.

Your Committee has amended this measure by making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Water and Land that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 95, as amended herein, and recommends its adoption in the form attached hereto as S.C.R. No. 95, S.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Water and Land,

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LORRAINE R. INOUYE, Chair