Hawai'i Fisheries Initiative - The Hawaii Institute for Public Affairs

u Leases may not conflict with konohiki
fishing rights, including the right to sublease
private konohiki fishing grounds. 127
u Revenue from state marine waters leases is
deposited into a special land development
fund earmarked for planning, research, and
development of the aquaculture industry,
excluding the portion of revenues subject
to chapter 10, the public land trust fund. 128
u State aquaculture loans (financial assistance
for development of the aquaculture
industry in the state) are administered by
the Department of Agriculture. 129
Environmental Concerns:
Is Aquaculture Simply
an “Open Ocean Feed Lot”?
Environmental concerns – escape of farmed
fish into the wild population and possible
resulting genetic contamination, excess
feed, water pollution – are required by the
Act to be addressed by measures intended
to avoid, minimize, or mitigate impacts.
NOAA is also authorized to take emergency
corrective measures if necessary. 130 Funding
for research and technology is included
in the 2007 bill, but absent is a provision
for royalty or lease payments for private
use of the ocean, a public resource. This is
unlike other federal laws, such as those for
offshore oil and gas leases. 131
Open-ocean aquaculture meets differing
receptions. Calls for action – cooperative
action between fishers and environmental
groups – support strong legislative controls
and enforcement to ensure that aquaculture
operations do not threaten living marine
resources, fishers’ livelihoods, or the
environment. In an opinion article for the
Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s
Associations, fishers called for specific
controls: “[No] aquaculture should be
permitted in coastal waters or the EEZ
unless it can first be demonstrated to:
1) be non-polluting; 2) not spread disease
or parasites into the wild; 3) not allow
escape of fish; 4) use only native stocks,
and no non-natives or genetically
modified fish; 5) not interfere with or
impair fishing or maritime activities; and
6) result in a net increase in usable protein
(not the net loss that now occurs with
shrimp, salmon and most carnivorous
finfish aquaculture operations).” 132
Photo courtesy Aquaculture Development Program
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