House Standing Committee on Finance

Aloha. We are convening the House Committee on Finance. It's the agenda for Monday, March 2nd, 2026, 10:00 AM. We are in Conference Room 308. Before we get started, if you are on Zoom, do your best to stay muted until you're called upon.

We will be holding to about a two minute time limit per testifier so that we can give everyone an equal opportunity to speak. And we will have decision making to follow this agenda, which would include Friday, February 27th's 2 PM agenda. So, we'll have decision making for last week's agenda as well as today's agenda.

Okay, I think we're good. Without any further delay, we're going to get opened with HB 644, HD 2.

First we have the Department of Land and Natural Resources with comments.

Aloha, Chair, Vice Chair, Members of the Committee. Brian Nielsen, on behalf of DLNR. We stand on our written testimony. Appreciate the intent of providing comments. Available for any questions. Mahalo.

Thank you. Department of Health with comments.

Good morning, Chair, Vice Chair, Members of the Committee. Matt Carrano, Department of Health, Environmental Health Services Division. Whoa. Breaking the ice for the rest of you. We're standing on our written comments. You know we support the intent. It's always just kind of an unknown on how we're going to implement this and it costs.

Available for any questions. Thank you.

Thank you. Hawaii Reef and Ocean Coalition and the Climate Protectors Hawaii in support.

You gotta be careful with this chair. Good morning, Chair Todd, Vice Chair Takenouchi, and Members of the Committee. Ted Bolen, on behalf of the Hawaii Reef and Ocean Coalition and Climate Protectors of Hawaii.

This Bill is important because PFAS, you've heard about the forever chemicals, they're persistent, they're toxic, they're implicated with cancer and other health risks and they are in some of the foodware and they can leach into food and create a health risk. So, the US Federal Food and Drug Administration has ended grease proofing with PFAS.

Ended PFAS in grease proofing materials. Seven other states have restricted PFAS in packaging. This Bill is a good way to start in moving toward elimination of PFAS from foodware where it can cause problems for human health.

The action is needed and the Bill allows a transition time to give people time to eliminate the PFAS from the materials with a smooth transition. So, strongly urge passage of the Bill. Available for questions. Thank you for the opportunity to testify.

Thank you. We have Joy Leilei Shih, in support on Zoom. Sorry, you're on mute.

Can you hear me now?

Yes.

Okay. Great. Good morning. Good morning, Chair and Cice Chair. I stand on my testimony. I just wanted to make a couple of further comments, which is, you know, of course, I know we're always worried about cost of implementation running the program.

I just wanted to point out the cost—point out the fact that PFAs are known to cause major health issues such as cancer and infertility. So, we also need to consider those costs, the major health costs, associated with those effects. Over a dozen states have already fully banned PFAS in their foodware.

So, those foodware items are readily available and I think will be readily adopted by our food system. And then, also, the, the non-nature, compostable food items, we also have great associated cost with the continued burden the significantly reduced the amount of material that's going into there.

I also wanted to mention this would also reduce the amount of PFAS that goes into the landfill, which also leeches into the dirt. So, those are just my additional comments. Thank you so much for considering this. Please pass HB 644. Mahalo for the opportunity to testify.

Thank you. That's everyone who indicated they'd be joining us today. Additional testimony with comments from one organization, as well as testimony is support from three organizations and 12 individuals. Is there anybody else in the room wishing to testify? Anybody on Zoom?

Members, any questions on this measure? Seeing none, we're going to move on to the next item on the agenda. HB1566HD1 relating to energy efficiency.

We have the Hawaii State Energy Office with comments.

Morning Chair, Vice Chair, Members of the Committee for the Hawaii State Energy Office. We stand on our written testimony providing.

Thank you. Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Commission in support.

Chair, Vice Chair, Members of the Committee Leah Laramie with the Climate Change Mitigation Adaptation Commission. We stand on our testimony in support and available for questions.

Thank you. That's everyone who indicated they'd be joining us. Additional comments from the Department of Accounting and General Services as well as support from one organization and four individuals. Is there anybody else in the room wishing to testify? Anybody on Zoom?

Okay, Members, anything on HB 1566? Seeing none. We're going to move on to the third item. HB 1618 HD1 relating to cesspool conversions.

Department of Health in support on Zoom.

Morning Chair Vice Chair Members of the Committee John Nagato with the Department of Health. The Department stands on its written testimony in support and will be available for any questions. Thank you.

Thank you. Department of Land and Natural Resources in support.

Aloha DLNR will stand on our written testimony in support.

Thank you. Office of Hawaiian Affairs in support.

Good morning, Chair, Vice Chair, Members of the Committee on behalf of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, we'll stand on our written comments.

Thank you. Public Utilities Commission in support.

Good morning. Chair, Vice Chair, Members of the Committee, Ashley Norman on behalf of the Utilities Commission, we stand in a written testimony in support. Available questions.

Thank you. The Nature Conservancy in support.

Nature Conservancy will stand on its written testimony and support. Thank you.

Thank you. Hawaii Green Infrastructure Authority in support.

Morning, Chair, Vice Chair, Members of the Committee, Gwen Yamamoto Lau, Green Infrastructure Authority. We stand on our written testimony in support. But I did just want to add a couple of things. You know, I appreciate the comments of the state procurement office, but as an existing loan fund with existing services and contractors out there, it just really complicates things.

The other thing that I wanted to discuss is we're having preliminary discussions with the city and we might be able to leverage about $1.6 million from the city with state funds. So that just extends the ability to help convert. Available for questions. Thank you.

Thank you. Hawaii Reef and Ocean Coalition in support.

Thank you, Chair, Vice Chair, Members of the Committee, Ted Bohlen, the Hawaii Reef and Ocean Coalition in strong support. Happy to be back in the finance Committee talking about cesspools. It's an annual event. A few years ago, Representative Ward labeled the cesspool Ted.

It's gotten so much that I've been doing cesspools for so long and when people think of cesspools, they think of me, which is not always positive. Anyway, this Bill is important because we have cesspools polluting our groundwater, affecting our reefs, damaging our reefs. Hawaii law requires, therefore, an upgrade of cesspools by 2050. It will be expensive.

It's expensive for homeowners, it's expensive for governments. We need ways to make it more affordable for homeowners. This Bill is one of them. It would help low income, low and moderate income homeowners who face credit barriers have access to funding that they otherwise to financing that they otherwise would not have.

So this is a very important Bill for extending the availability of funding for the needed upgrades. Strongly support the Bill. Available for questions. Thank you for the opportunity to testify.

Thank you. We have Jessica Kai Paisley in support.

Aloha. Good morning. Chair, Vice Chair Jessica Kai Paisley on behalf of Wastewater Alternatives and Innovations, we stand on our written testimony and also reiterate our testimony as well as the Reef in Ocean Coalition. That cost is one of the biggest conversion barriers to accessible conversion. And this Bill would help alleviate that cost. So thank you and mahalo.

Thank you. As everyone indicating they'd be joining us today. Members also testimony and support from the University of Hawaii. Comments from the State Procurement Office. Support from the Office of Planning and Sustainable Development as well as the City and County Honolulu Office of Climate Change, Sustainability and Resilience. Additional support from six organizations and four individuals.

Anybody else in the room wishing to testify? Anybody on Zoom?

Members, any questions in this measure? No? Okay, we're going to move on to HB 1620 HD2 relating to energy.

Department of Taxation with comments.

Good morning.

Thank you. Hawaii State Energy Office with comments.

Good morning. Chair, Vice Chair, Members of the Committee, Nicole Cernohorsky on behalf of the Hawaii State Energy Office. We stand on our written testimony providing comments and are available for any questions.

Thank you. Public Utilities Commission in support.

Good morning again. Chair, Vice Chair, Members of the Committee we stand on our written testimony in support, available for any questions.

Thank you. Tax Foundation of Hawaii with comments on Zoom.

Aloha. Colleen Teramae on behalf of President Tom Yamachika. The Tax Foundation stands on its written comments. Thank you.

Thank you. Grassroots comments. Grassroots Institute of Hawaii in opposition not present. That's all the people who would be indicating they'd be joining us today. Members, additional testimony and support from Office of Hawaiian Affairs. Support from seven organizations and 27 individuals. One individual in opposition. Is there anybody else in the room wishing to testify? Anybody on Zoom?

Any questions on this measure? No.

We're going to move on to HB 1730 HD1 relating to wastewater systems.

Department of Land and Natural Resources in support.

Aloha DLNR stands on our written testimony in support.

Thank you. Department of Health with comments.

Morning. Chair, Vice Chair, Members of the Committee, John Nagato with Department of Health Wastewater Branch. The Department stands on its written testimony providing comments and will be available for any questions. Thank you.

Thank you. The Nature Conservancy in support.

The Nature Conservancy will stand on its written testimony in support. Thank you.

Thank you. Hawaii Reef and Ocean Coalition in support.

Thank you. Chair, Vice Chair, Members of the Committee, Ted Bohlen for the Hawaii Reef and Ocean Coalition in strong support. Cesspools are the biggest water pollution problem we have.

I represented the Department of Health Wastewater branch for 15 years and I know that the Department needs resources in order to achieve the monumental tasks they face of overseeing the upgrade of thousands of cesspools. So this Bill would provide some of that and would be enabled to make it again more affordable for the homeowners.

The Department needs technical assistance. They need staff and they will be able to do the job. If they can do that, they do great work, but they need more help. In particular, they need technical advice on ways to make technologies more affordable. So this Bill would provide some of that help for the Department of Health.

I think it's really important that they get that so that cesspool conversion effort can move forward. Thank you for the opportunity to testify.

Thank you. Jessica Kai Paisley in support.

On behalf of Wastewater Alternatives and Innovations. We do stand on our written response available for any questions.

Thank you. As everyone indicating they'd be joining us today, additional testimony, support from the University of Hawaii and the Office of Planning and Sustainable Development as well as six individuals or six organizations and five individuals. Anybody else in the room wishing to testify?

Aloha Chair, Vice Chair, Members, Committee. Sorry for late testimony. Diana Setness is with Office of Planning and Sustainable Development. We stand on our written testimony.

Thank you. Anybody else in the room? Anybody on Zoom?

Okay. Questions on this measure? No. We're Moving on to HB 1749 relating to cesspools.

Department of Land and Natural Resources in support.

Aloha DLNR will stand on its written testimony in support.

Department of Health in support on zoom.

Morning. Chair, Vice Chair, Members of the Committee, John Nagato, Department of Health. The department stands on its written testimony in support. Thank you.

Hawaii Realtors in support.

Hello Chair and Vice Chair, Members of the Committee, my name is Lyndsey Garcia from the Hawaii Association of Realtors. So we support the intent of this Bill and we've offered friendly amendments to bring the language of the Bill in line with standard disclosure requirement language that's already in statute just to update the Committee.

We because the introducer and the speed task force reached out to us early, we were actually able to start modifying our standard forms with the language that's found in the original version of the Bill. And we're currently in the middle of that process.

We're expecting or hoping to be done to to get approval and to implement the changes to our standard forms by May if not made in November of this year.

And so we're just asking that the statute that the or the disclosure requirement is language is further aligned with the rest of the disclosure language that's found in the existing statutes for mandated disclosures. Thank you.

Thank you. Wastewater Alternatives and Innovations in support.

We'll stand on our testimony.

Thank you. That's everyone indicating they'd be joining us today. Also additional testimony and support from the University of Hawaii and the. Oh, sorry. Office of Planning and Sustainable Development.

Yes. OPSD stands on its written testimony in support.

So additional support from the University of Hawaii. Two organizations and three individuals. Anybody else in the room wishing to testify? Anybody on Zoom?

Members, any questions on this measure? If not HB 1774 HD2 relating to centralized access to resources.

Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Commission in support.

We stand on our testimony in support. Available for questions.

Thank you. Nobody else joining us? Additional testimony in support from 7 organizations and 21 individuals. Anybody else in the room wishing to testify? Anybody on Zoom?

Members, anything?

All right. We'll get there. We'll get there. Okay. HB 1802, HD 1, relating to conservation mitigation banks.

No?

Department of Land and Natural Resources in support.

Morning, Chair, Vice Chair, Members of the Committee. Catherine Stanaway, Department of Land and Natural Resources, Division of Forestry and Wildlife. We stand on our written testimony. Just want to reiterate this Bill helps protect—helps the Department—protect threatened endangered species and encourage private landowners to participate in this protection.

It also allows for conservation banks to be an option for mitigation, so, alternatives will still exist, depending on the project. Thank you.

Thank you. Tawhiri Power LLC, in support.

We'll stand on our testimony in support.

And Earth Justice, in support, on zoom.

Aloha. David Henkin, Earth Justice. We'll stand on our testimony in support and are available to answer any questions.

Thank you. That's everyone indicating they'd be joining us. Additional support from two organizations. Anybody else in the room wishing to testify? Anybody on zoom?

Members, any questions?

Members, anything? No. HB 1980 HD1 relating to electric vehicle charging infrastructure.

Department of Accounting and General Services in support. Not present or maybe on zoom. In Person? Hawaii State Energy Office with comments.

Chair, Vice Chair, Members of the Committee stands on its written testimony providing comments and are available for any messages.

Thank you. Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Commission in support.

Thank you.

That's everyone indicating they would be joining us today. Additional testimony and support from the Department of Transportation, six organizations and 25 individuals. Anybody else in the room wishing to testify? Anybody on Zoom? Okay.

Anything? Nope. All right. HB 1985 HD1 related assessables.

Okay. Department of Health with comments on Zoom.

Morning. Chair, Vice Chair, Members of the Committee, John Nagato, Department of Health Wastewater Branch. The Department stands on its written testimony providing comments and will be available for any questions. Thank you.

Thank you. Department of Land And Natural Resources with comments.

DNR will stand on its written comments.

Thank you. Office of Planning and Sustainable Development in support.

OPSD will stand on its written testimony in support, available for questions. Thank you.

Thank you. Office of Hawaiian Affairs in support.

Good morning again. Chair, Vice Chair, Members of the Committee. We had comments flagging concerns with any extension of the deadline. Thank you.

Thank you. Hawaii Reef and Ocean Coalition with comments.

Thank you again. Chair, Vice Chair. Members of the Committee, Ted Bohlen for Hawaii Reef and Ocean Coalition. The Hawaii Reef and Ocean Coalition strongly supports Section 3 for outreach. Very important part of any cesspool conversion program. Program that would be outreach and education for people to understand what their obligations are.

So that part of the Bill is great. I have some concerns about part two, as with the last speaker talking about extensions of the mandate in 2050. That's still 24 years away. And I think it's premature to be talking about extensions of the mandate at this point.

There are issues about how you fairly administer that and there is no recognition of the department's critical role in protecting health and environment in the Bill. So I would propose some amendments if the Bill moves forward. But in essence, I would oppose this part of the Bill. Part two. Thank you for the opportunity to testify. Available for questions.

Thank you. That's everybody who indicated they'd be joining us today. Additional support from one organization and one individual. Anybody else in the room wishing to testify? Anybody on Zoom?

Members, any questions on this measure? You got anything?

No, I have a quick question.

Yeah, go ahead.

For Department of Health, please.

Yes.

Hi. Sorry. I know we've had conversations in this Committee about, you know, like the timeline and the deadline and everything. Right. And how we are likely not going to make it largely without changes. Is five years enough to even get us to the point where we'd be able to do all the cesspools?

I mean, we still, like Ted Bohlen was mentioning, we still have about 24 years before the mandate kicks in. And then the way I understood it was the five years was a maximum extension after that January 1, 2050 date.

So if we don't, I would assume we're just looking at five year increments at this time, if that's even going to pass. But yeah, I mean, five years. I'm not sure if I think the goal is to do it by 2050.

Okay, thank you.

Thank you.

Thanks. Members, Anything else? Okay. If not, we're going to move on to HB2101HD1. I assume there'll be questions on this one relating to commercial aquarium collection.

Department of Land and Natural Resources with comments.

DLNR will stand on its written comments.

Thank you. Office of Hawaiian Affairs in support.

Yes. Good morning, Chair, Vice Chair, Members of the Committee, Lena Alalei on behalf of Office of Hawaiian Affairs. We'll stand largely on our right testimony. But I did want to take the opportunity to highlight the significance of this Bill to the Office of Hawaiian Affairs. This Bill is part of our 2026 legislative package.

It was adopted by the Board of Trustees following repeat calls from our beneficiaries who are in communities most impacted by target aquarium collection practices to have regulation and a ban that would stop this from continuing because of the harm that individuals who are in the water on these systems on a daily basis see again in the communities that are most affected by commercial aquarium collection.

So it's for this reason that the Board of Trustees adopted this measure this past October, shortly after the association of Hawaiian Civics Clubs also adopted a resolution at its yearly convention calling on this legislative body to ban this practice.

And shortly after OHA took its position position, the county of Hawaii also passed a resolution calling on this body to ban the practice statewide. So I'd also like to highlight that in addition to passing the measure is is we are asking that this Committee restore the Bill to a statewide ban.

As originally written in the last committees, it was narrowed just to Hawaii island, which is true, has the most urgent need for a ban because of proposed rules that are out for public comment that would reopen the industry to the seven participants who completed the EIS for that island.

But a long term statewide ban is the fairest and most easy to enforce regulation that can put in place. And it also is responsive to our beneficiaries from the Kaneohe and Windward communities who have also seen the impacts of commercial aquarium collection on the reefs in their area.

So we do feel that this is important to emphasize it as introduced by oha. This should be a statewide ban and it's consistent with the calls of these other representative bodies that I mentioned, as well as the neighborhood boards of Guatemala, Kailua, Kaneohe and Kahalu, who again represent communities that are most affected. Thank you.

Thank you. Hawaii Sustainable Reef Fisheries in opposition on Zoom, not present. The Native Hawaiian Gathering Rights Association and opposition on Zoom.

Aloha Godfrey Akaka Jr Native Hawaiian Gathering Rights association, our organization is in opposition. We are. I am here to validate that fishing is our customary and traditional practice. This is discriminatory. If I was to get thousands of signatures for a petition to make the popolo sit in the back of the bus, that wouldn't be right.

This is the same thing. Fishing rules nowadays is being made off of rumors, not facts. And so as a fisher all my life, I represent fishing families throughout the state and especially on Molokai. We support. We oppose this Bill because we support the commercial fishes. Mahalo.

Thank you we have Moana Ohana in support.

Aloha Mai Kakou. My name is Mike Nakachi. I come to you humbly from Oku o Kawi on the island of Hawaii. I reside in the Kahawai Ole district. I've been a professional diver for over 40 years, going all throughout the Pa'Ina.

And I have seen the cumulative and negative impacts of the aquarium fish trade on many of our wahipana along the west side of Hawaii. And we are ultimately ground zero. We are going to be the first hammer where the fall could happen. And so I am here to in strong support of this HB2101HD1.

And for so many reasons. If we think about the economic benefit, we're talking about an industry that benefits again primarily the pet trade of America and fishermen that would reside within the state. But may I point out that the main reason that these fish are caught can also be done and propagated.

Here in Waimanalo there is biota Hawaii that is a very strong option so that we don't need to have any more wild caught on our reef. It can be done. It has been done. They're producing well over 30,000 yellow tail tang.

I'd encourage every single lawmaker to go and see this beautiful work being done here so that we can protect our reefs, we can protect our resources. And for many of us that come on traditional and customary practices of aloha ina to malama this aina and restore Aina Mamona.

This would be a step in that proper direction of trying to restore the balance and allowing many cultural practitioners that will testify after me as well to allow us to be the proper kono iki to manage our systems in an effective way and hopefully in a co management way in the future.

To do something that is pono for Hawaii. We need lavai a pono that are pono. Breaking the coral and pai pying fish into a net so that you can get a rare potter's angel that is endemic. That can be done at biota. 100,000 yellow tang to be shipped away. That can be done at Biota.

We are here that that building there at Kalanimoku is here to protect, preserve and enhance the resources. We need that body to stand up the resources.

Mr. Nakachi, if you could summarize

Again, strong support. Chair Todd, sorry if I went over, and I appreciate this time to voice our support for this Bill. Thank you. Mahalo for your time.

Thank you. Hui Aloha Kiholo in support.

Aloha Mai Kakou. My name Is Chad Wiggins. I was raised by a forest in Alabama and called to Hawaii 25 years ago to study coral reefs at the University of Hawaii Hilo. In 2001, I became a scientific diver dove with the Division of Aquatic Resources and collected much of the early data in the West Hawaii aquarium project.

In 2008, I translated those scientific diving skills to 15 year career with the Nature Conservancy. And in that time I started as a proponent for this fishery. I thought that this is a very smart fishery, protect 35% of the coastline, more fishermen, more revenue, more of one particular species of fish in some areas.

But what I've learned is that 65% of the coastline got hammered, 65% of the coral got damaged. The science does not demonstrate that this fishery is sustainable. The science does not prove that the coral reef is intact after these corals are broken to catch the fish. I am available for any questions. Thank you.

Thank you. Chamber of Sustainable Commerce in support not present. Friends of Hanauma Bay in support on Zoom.

Yes, good morning Chair Todd, Vice Chair and Committee Members. Can you hear me?

Yes.

Yes, thank you. I'm Lisa Bishop with Friends of Hanauma Bay on Oahu with strong support. Our reef fish and invertebrates do not have a voice.

So the written testimony in support of these voiceless constituents represents that from tens of thousands of OHA beneficiaries, 20,000 Members of the Hawaii Sierra Club, over 6,680 Members of the Environmental Caucus of the Democratic Party of Hawaii, tens of thousands of Members of for the fishes from Hawaii and beyond, over 166 Members of the Ocean Hui Legislative Task Force, 580 Members of the Chamber of Sustainable Commerce, the Hawaii Reef and Ocean Coalition and hundreds of other groups and individuals.

We all speak for our voiceless constituents. The reef fish and invertebrates collected for the needless extractive and cruel aquarium collection industry. And everyone wants this band to be statewide, not just for Hawaii Island. Please support this Bill. Please extend it to its statewide band.

Mahalo for the opportunity to testify today in support of our voiceless concern constituents, the reef fish and invertebrates of our coral reefs. Mahalo.

Thank you Hoʻāla Kealakekua Nui in support.

My name is Shane Akoni Palacat-Nelsen. I'm from Kealakekua Bay, generational resident as well as the Executive Director and CEO of Hoʻāla Kealakekua Nui. We have a contract with the State of Hawaii State Parks in Kealakekua Bay to restore be restorative, not extractive of the marine resources.

This is the money that you guys already approved here at the Legislation to invest in climate adaptation, climate change, restorative, regenerative economies, not extractive ones. We are here today to remind that this is all part of a restorative process that's been going on for decades, more so from the time of the pandemic.

We all remember those times and we're coming out of those times. And right now we really need your help to continue that process so that we can continue becoming more socially responsible, whether it's economically or in our science or in our restorative process.

We need more social responsibility in our industries and we are here to strongly support this. We further also want to remind that although there's an amendment, we do support a more broader expansion. However, West Hawaii is being targeted right now and we don't have anything in place.

This is the reason why we're here at the Ledge because Kalani Moku, that building over there, cannot come up with a determination. They are seeking the Ledge to come up with a process and it's been going on for decades. We need something in place so that our state can be more socially responsible and by doing that support HB 2101. Thank you.

Thank you. We have Kalanihale in support on Zoom.

Aloha Mai Kakou. My name is Kaimi Kaupiko. I am calling in familiarly. I have submitted written testimony on behalf of my organization. We are one of three communities that have code management Kuleana with the state regarding our community based subsistence fishing area. We have also been part of this effort with aquarium fish collection for many, many years and many generations.

And I stand here in support of the efforts of all the kupuna that came before me that are gone, who have traditionally want this type of practice to end. And there is so much changes that have happened in our resources here in our community.

But I just wanted to come on and continue to urge you as lawmakers to put this ban so that we don't have to continue to go into these other areas.

And the Department as well have not been able to do much in helping us here in Kona and we West Hawaii as well as other parts of the state. So I urge you to continue to, to support this and pass this and, and finally make a closure for this fishing industry here in Hawaii.

Thank you For The Fishes in support on Zoom.

Aloha Chair, Vice Chair and Committee Members. I'm Rene Umberger, Executive Director For The Fishes in strong support. We worked on this issue for 19 years. I'd like to highlight some ethical concerns with aquarium collecting. Wild marine fish experience high mortality in captivity, even under expert care.

Working with Dar, we reviewed Maui Ocean Center's permits and reports. In 2022, the center collected 802 fish. Nearly half died within one month. After 12 months, only 200 remained despite professional care in large systems. A study including Hawaii's Yellow Tang found that 80% of deaths in home aquariums were linked to poor treatment from reef to retail.

Hobbyists assume proper care ensures survival. Yet trade experts note that fewer than 1% of wild caught fish live more than a year. When fish are taken for food, their deaths serve the very high purpose of feeding families and communities. When taken for aquariums, they are expected to live. A business model built on predictable mortality

Raises serious efforts concerns. We urge you to restore this Bill to apply statewide and we thank you for the opportunity to testify and I'm available for questions. Mahalo.

Thank you Sierra Club of Hawaii in support on Zoom.

Good morning Chair, Vice Chair, Members of the Committee, you know we are in strong support of this measure. I just want to make sure that everyone understands that aquarium collection, commercial aquarium collection, commercial aquarium collection has been banned in west Hawaii waters and really across Hawaii for essentially a decade already.

Something that the Board of Land and Natural Resources has also supported. So this Bill really just enacts this status quo, this long standing status quo into law. And I did want to highlight that if this Bill is not passed, the Division of Aquatic Resources believes that the Legislature wants them to reopen this fishery.

And so even more so if they move forward the region rules for West Hawaii, we will have less DAR resources to respond to our declining reefs, to respond to our community calls for co management and even less adult care resources to respond to all kinds of poaching and other criminal activity that we need them to be on top of.

Otherwise stand on a written testimony and support of this Bill and thank you so much for your time.

Thank you brother Lohana in support on Zoom.

Aloha Mai Kakou Chair My name is Kawika Rado and I stand on my written testimony that I submitted and I strongly support this Bill to prohibit commercial aquarium fish collection. From a fiscal perspective, continuing the aquarium trade places ongoing costs to the state.

Enforcement through DAR and DOE care requires public funding and even during moratorium periods, poaching has continued. At the same time, removing breeding age fish from our reefs generates limited statewide economic return while risking long term impacts to reef ecosystems. As support tourism, shoreline protection and local fisheries.

Instead of exporting wild fish, Hawaii should be investing in captive breeding and land based aquaculture. Aquaculture creates stable local jobs, supports food security, generates taxable economic activity and reduces pressure on public Trust resources. I, respectively, urge that you pass this measure, HB2101. Mahalo.

Thank you, Earth justice in Support.