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Joint committees direct Sea Grant to lead fishpond inventory on state land
Summary
A joint hearing of the Senate committees on Higher Education and Water & Land passed HB309 HD1, establishing a University of Hawai‘i Sea Grant working group to inventory and map fishponds on state land and conduct a literature review; the committees requested details on scope, budget and potential consultant use.
The Senate committees on Higher Education and on Water & Land on March 18 passed House Bill 309 HD1 to establish a fishpond inventory working group within the University of Hawai‘i Sea Grant College Program to create an inventory and map of fishponds on state land and to conduct a literature review.
Representatives from DLNR, University of Hawai‘i Sea Grant and community organizations testified in support and said prior mapping efforts undercounted ponds in areas such as Puna and Ka‘ū. Michael Kane of the Department of Land and Natural Resources told the committee DLNR supports the measure and will work with partners to streamline permitting for pond restoration.
Sea Grant’s Katie Hinson said the program could likely perform much of the work using in‑house faculty and graduate research students and that consultant support is an option depending on scope. Committee members asked about cost and timeline; Sea Grant and DLNR participants estimated a consultant‑led inventory would require roughly $250,000 per year for two years to hire a consultant and create a GIS layer, though Sea Grant said internal resources might reduce consultant needs.
The measure passed both committees; the higher‑education committee agreed to note Sea Grant’s expected participation in the committee report. Chair and vice chairs voted aye; a small number of senators were excused.
