Email: "Judiciary defers shark fin bill"
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The House Judiciary Committee last week voted to defer Senate Bill 2169, which prohibits the harvest, possession, sale or distribution of a shark or shark parts unless landed whole and harvested under a commercial marine license. Currently, the practice of shark finning is illegal in the State of Hawai‘i and violators are subject to a $15,000 fine and loss of their vessel, equipment and commercial fishing license. Rep. Jon Riki Karamatsu, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, deferred the bill, citing problems with the current draft. He said that the bill as written contains no exemptions for shark research or recreational fishermen, and a total ban on the possession of shark fins would raise serious economic issues for Hawai‘i’s vital restaurant, retail and commercial fishing industries. “Shark finning is already illegal in Hawai‘i,” said Rep. Karamatsu. “I agreed to hold decision making on Senate Bill 2169 because I want the dialogue to continue and because I have been assured by the concerned parties that they would work together to draft an acceptable version of the bill if it is moved to conference. However… I will not support an amended bill that fails to address the concerns of all parties, including environmentalists, fishermen, small business owners and the scientific community.”

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