On Monday, July 9, Gov. Neil Abercrombie signed House Bill 2682 into law, authorizing the state Department of Land and Natural Resources to regulate the commercial use of state waters and marine resources. The new law is effectively immediately. The intent of the law is not to add more regulations but to address certain commercial activity in Hawai'i's ocean waters that is currently not regulated.
"The issue is one of fairness," said Rep. Jo Jordan in a press release.
