House committee advances bill to let DLNR set 'ama'ama bag limits after widespread public testimony

The House Committee on Water and Land advanced HB 18-17 on Feb. 17, recommending passage with amendments and directing the Department of Land and Natural Resources to set bag limits by rule for areas that do not already have management plans.

The measure, which would create statutory authority for bag limits on the native 'ama'ama (striped mullet), drew sustained public comment. Crystal Impalato, a sixth-grade teacher from Waiahole Elementary, said her students helped research the decline and “helped to draft this bill” and urged lawmakers to act so future generations can continue traditional uses and food practices.

Department of Land and Natural Resources representative Bridal Nielsen told the committee DLNR “appreciate[s] the intent of this bill” but recommended a place-by-place process developed with fishers and stakeholders. Nielsen said the department’s biologists consider diversion of freshwater flows the “number one stressor” on Ama'ama populations and recommended stakeholder engagement and rulemaking rather than a fixed statewide statutory limit.

Members pressed DLNR on two implementation questions: whether traditional Hawaiian practices would be exempt and whether bag limits should be set in statute or by regulation. DLNR said constitutional protections allow traditional practices and acknowledged that defending those rights in enforcement actions can be legally challenging; the department also said it has authority to implement area-specific limits through the Chapter 91 rulemaking process, which can take months to more than a year if stakeholder outreach spans islands.

Testimony from fishers and community members emphasized sharp historical declines. Witnesses cited past harvests in the hundreds of thousands of pounds and recent catches reduced to a few thousand pounds; one testifier gave figures describing a drop from roughly 700,000 pounds in the 1930s to about 5,500 pounds by 2021. Subsistence fishers asked for limits that preserve family access while distinguishing commercial activity.

Chair Mark Hashem said the committee’s HD1 would defer setting exact bag limits to DLNR and apply only in places without existing management plans; he announced the committee’s recommendation to pass the bill with amendments. The committee recorded multiple 'aye' votes and advanced the bill to the next stage, with an HD1 that extends the department’s rulemaking timeline to allow sufficient stakeholder engagement.

Next steps: HB 18-17 advances with committee amendments; DLNR will be expected to return with rule language and additional implementation details as the bill moves through the legislative process.