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Lawmakers amend Oahu reef bill to be temporary and press DLNR to accelerate Holomua outreach

Senate Joint Committee on Water, Land, Culture & the Arts and Senate Committee on Agriculture and Environment · February 12, 2026

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Summary

Senators advanced a modified SB 2972 to prohibit some spearing practices on Oahu temporarily while DLNR accelerates its Holomua community process; committee removed a commercial‑sale ban and added a sunset/defective date to limit the measure's duration.

SB 2972, aimed at protecting Oahu coral reefs by restricting the spearing and commercial sale of key herbivorous fishes (uhu and kala) until DAR’s Holomua Initiative adopts regulations, was advanced with substantive amendments after testimony from reef advocates and fishermen.

The Department of Land and Natural Resources acknowledged reef declines and said it has already adopted statewide bag and annual catch limits for uhu and kala, and that Holomua community engagement is under way on other islands with Oahu likely later (an estimated best‑case start of 2028 given staffing). Ted Bolen (Hawaii Reef and Ocean Coalition) and CARES representatives urged urgent action, saying Oahu reefs have low herbivore stocks and that immediate steps are needed ahead of another bleaching event. Fisher representatives and some senators worried about sudden impacts to subsistence and commercial fishers; the committee removed a commercial‑sale prohibition from the draft and added temporary status so the measure would apply only until DLNR completes the Holomua process or a sunset date is set.

Committee members asked DAR to prioritize Oahu engagement and to provide island‑level stock assessments and community involvement to avoid disproportionate impacts on subsistence fishers.