Hawaii board hears testimony on rules for foreign fishermen

HONOLULU (AP) — A Hawaii state agency is considering a petition to change rules for commercial fishing licenses given to undocumented foreign fishermen.

In a press release in September, Suzanne Case, Chair the Department of Land and Natural Resources, said "while our jurisdiction only extends to the protection of natural resources, we are certainly very concerned about any human rights violations that are reportedly occurring on the longline fishing fleet, and stand ready to assist in any way possible."

"While we are clearly concerned about recent media reports regarding working conditions on fishing vessels, our responsibilities currently involve enforcing DAR (Division of Aquatics) CML (commercial marine licensing) rules and any violations associated with the Joint Enforcement Agreement with NOAA National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration," Anderson said.

"The Pacific Alliance to Stop Slavery recognizes the importance of a vibrant economy and fully supports Hawaii's fishing industry, but recognizes strongly that significant steps must be made to reform state licensing rules," said Kathryn Xian, one of the petitioners who also runs the nonprofit Pacific Alliance to Stop Slavery, in prepared testimony given to the AP.

Rather, the Petition urges compliance with Hawaii state law, Federal law, and implementation of transparency measures in the fishing license application process.