URGING THE DEPARTMENT OF LAND AND NATURAL RESOURCES TO ASSESS THE IMPACT OF JUG LINE FISHING AND TO ADOPT RULES PURSUANT TO CHAPTER 91, HAWAII REVISED STATUTES, NECESSARY TO ADDRESS ANY CONCERNS RAISED BY THE ASSESSMENT.

HR198

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.R. NO.

198

THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2026

STATE OF HAWAII

HOUSE RESOLUTION

urging the department of Land and natural resources to
assess the impact of jug line fishing and to adopt rules pursuant to Chapter
91, Hawaii Revised Statutes, necessary to address any concerns raised by the
assessment
.

����
WHEREAS, protecting
Hawaii's marine life is vital to maintaining ocean ecosystems for present and future
generations; and

����
WHEREAS, jug
line fishing typically involves deploying offshore floating jugs, bobbers, or
other buoyant devices to suspend baited hooks in the ocean and often targets
large fish species, requiring the use of thick and strong, or high-test,
fishing lines; and

����
WHEREAS, jug
line fishing is different from hand-pole fishing in that with jug line fishing,
gear can be largely unattended, allowing for passive fishing of large areas
with minimal gear, effort, or follow up to retrieve gear; and

����
WHEREAS, jug
line fishing is a largely non-selective fishing practice that poses major
threats to marine life, frequently resulting in the hooking, entanglement, or
injury of non-target species, including sharks and protected green sea turtles,
and presenting a severe risk to endangered species, such as the Hawaiian monk
seal and hawksbill sea turtle; and

����
WHEREAS, jug
lines often become marine debris when they are lost, cut, or otherwise left in
the ocean; and

WHEREAS, once in the ocean,
this gear can persist for years, continuing to pollute coastal and offshore
areas, damage delicate coral reefs, and pose a serious threat to marine life
through entanglement; and

����
WHEREAS, in
September 2025, the Department of Land and Natural Resources reported the death
of RS34, a two-year-old female Hawaiian monk seal known as Moana, which was
caused by a jug line fishing method; and

WHEREAS, wildlife officials
determined that the use of high-test line and buoyant jugs significantly
increased the risk of gear loss and entanglement, resulting in fatal
consequences for the Hawaiian monk seal; and

WHEREAS, this incident demonstrates
the unsustainable nature of jug line fishing and its impact on non-target
marine life; and

����
WHEREAS, the
continued use of jug lines and jug rig variant fishing methods is incompatible
with responsible resource management and the State's obligation to protect
marine wildlife and the marine environment of Hawaii; now, therefore,

����
BE IT
RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Thirty-third Legislature of the
State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2026, that the Department of Land and Natural
Resources is urged to assess the impact of jug line fishing and to adopt rules
pursuant to Chapter 91, Hawaii Revised Statutes, necessary to address any concerns
raised by the assessment; and

����
BE IT FURTHER
RESOLVED that a certified copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the
Chairperson of the Board of Land and Natural Resources.

OFFERED BY:

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Report Title:
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DLNR;
Jug Line Fishing; Administrative Rules