MEDIA RELEASE

KAILUA-KONA — The Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) will hold a public hearing in December to amend existing regulations, and adopt new regulations in Hawai‘i Administrative Rules (HAR) for management of aquarium fish collecting in West Hawai‘i.

The hearing will begin at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, December 5, 2012, at the Kealakehe High School cafeteria at 74-5000 Puohulihuli Street in Kailua-Kona. The West Hawai‘i rules would amend HAR chapters 13-54,13-57 and 13-75, repeal 13-60.3 and adopt a new replacement chapter 13-60.4.

The rules propose a SCUBA spearfishing prohibition, closing a 1,500 foot section of Ka‘ohe Bay in South Kona to aquarium collecting, establishment of a list of 40 fish species permitted for aquarium take with size and bag limits on three of these species, prohibition on take or possession of nine species of inshore sharks, rays and two invertebrate crown-of-thorns predators, and several other rule changes to enhance enforcement of aquarium collecting regulations and to clarify existing rule provisions.

Persons unable to attend the West Hawai‘i hearing or wishing to present additional comments may mail written testimony by Wednesday, December 19, 2012, to the Division of Aquatic Resources (DAR Kona office) at 74-380B Kealakehe Parkway, Kailua-Kona, HI 96740.

Draft rules may be reviewed on the Division of Aquatic Resources website at http://hawaii.gov/dlnr/dar in the “What’s New” section, or at the division offices at the above addresses. Additional information or a copy of the proposed rule changes will be mailed at no charge upon receipt of verbal or written request to the DAR addresses above.

All interested persons are urged to attend a public hearing to present relevant information and individual opinion for the DLNR to consider.

Anyone with a hearing impairment who desires to attend the public hearings may request assistance of a sign language interpreter. The request may be made in writing (to the DAR address in the preceding paragraph), or by calling 587-0100 (voice or TDD) in Honolulu. The request will need to be received at least seven days before the hearing is scheduled to start.