HI SR96

Urges the Department of Land and Natural Resources to adopt rules regulating and controlling opihi harvesting to allow natural replenishment and support sustainable harvesting practices

Requires annual reporting on efforts to replenish opihi stocks, effectiveness of those efforts, and recommendations for legislative improvements

Identifies opihi picking as a dangerous activity, with 15 reported deaths between April 1999 and September 2001 from drowning, cliff falls, and wave-related incidents

Finds that opihi populations have been severely depleted and are becoming increasingly difficult to find, risking loss of a unique maritime resource and Hawaiian cultural connection

Received support from The Nature Conservancy and individuals; received comments from the Department of Land and Natural Resources and University of Hawaii