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Lawmakers split on HEPA changes after aquarium‑trade litigation; committee advances narrower EIS fix
Summary
Senators and dozens of witnesses debated whether to change how the Hawaii Environmental Policy Act applies to fisheries after litigation tied to aquarium‑trade permits; committees deferred a broad exemption and advanced a narrower, technical fix to let ongoing operations continue while agencies determine HEPA requirements.
Senators, agency officials, environmental groups and commercial fishers spent hours on Feb. 12 debating how the Hawaii Environmental Policy Act (HEPA) should apply to fishing permits after litigation that centered on aquarium collectors.
Committee members deferred a broadly worded measure, Senate Bill 22, which would have amended HRS Chapter 343 and exempted an entire industry from environmental review. Supporters, including fishing‑industry advocates, said state fishery management through the Department of Land and Natural Resources and its Division of Aquatic Resources (DAR) already monitors and regulates fisheries and that requiring EAs or EISs for many commercial marine licenses (CMLs) could be disruptive or unaffordable for small operators.
Randy Cates, who said he requested SB22,…
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