Bill Text: HI SB27 | 2014 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Gill Net Fishing; Throw Net Fishing; Synthetic Nets
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2013-12-18 - Carried over to 2014 Regular Session. [SB27 Detail]
Download: Hawaii-2014-SB27-Introduced.html
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THE SENATE |
S.B. NO. |
27 |
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TWENTY-SEVENTH LEGISLATURE, 2013 |
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STATE OF HAWAII |
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A BILL FOR AN ACT
RELATING TO FISHING.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:
SECTION 1. The legislature finds that abandoned or "ghost" gill nets made of monofilament or other synthetic material pose a major hazard to the marine environment by breaking off coral and entangling fish and other marine life. The legislature further finds that using gill nets made of monofilament or other synthetic material that does not readily biodegrade is not a traditional Hawaiian practice.
The purpose of this Act is to prohibit the sale and use of gill nets made of monofilament or other synthetic material that does not readily biodegrade.
SECTION 2. Chapter 188, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding a new section to be appropriately designated and to read as follows:
"§188- Prohibition on synthetic gill net and throw net fishing. (a) The sale of gill nets made of monofilament or other synthetic material that is not readily biodegradable is prohibited after December 31, 2013.
(b) Fishing with gill nets made of monofilament or other synthetic material, whether single-strand or braided, that is not readily biodegradable is prohibited after December 31, 2014.
(c) Throw nets made of synthetic material may be used for fishing in shallow waters with sandy or muddy bottoms without coral growths if the throw nets are retrieved immediately following fishing.
(d) Government agencies are exempt from this section for the purposes of conducting research, clearing an area, controlling or eradicating invasive species, or other legitimate public purposes.
(e) Nothing in this section is intended to prohibit or interfere with traditional Hawaiian fishing practices using traditional Hawaiian nets made of traditional Hawaiian materials.
(f) As used in this section:
"Gill nets" means vertical panels, usually held upright by floats, with netting that entangle or entrap fish or other marine life.
"Monofilament" means a line made from a single fiber of plastic, such as nylon, usually by melting and mixing polymers and then extruding the mixture through tiny holes to form strands of line.
"Readily biodegradable" means material having a sixty per cent or greater degradation within a twenty-eight day period or other length of time as may be prescribed by the United States Environmental Protection Agency.
"Synthetic material" means artificially made material invented after 1900.
"Throw nets" means circular nets with small weights distributed around the perimeter intended to be cast or thrown by hand in a manner that allows the nets to spread out and sink in the water.
"Traditional Hawaiian materials" means natural fibers, such as fibers from the olona shrub, commonly used in Hawaii before 1900."
SECTION 3. New statutory material is underscored.
SECTION 4. This Act shall take effect upon its approval.
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INTRODUCED BY: |
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Report Title:
Gill Net Fishing; Throw Net Fishing; Synthetic Nets
Description:
Prohibits the sale and use of synthetic nets for gill net fishing. Restricts the use of throw nets for fishing.
The summary description of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.
