Have you ever taken a boat tour along Kauai’s Na Pali Coast, sailed around Waikiki, or seen night manta rays on the Big Island with a private operator?
Hawaii is determined to balance tourism and environmental protection by restricting related permits. If House Bill 2477 passes, marine commercial activity could become as difficult to book and as expensive as the road to Key Beach.
These legislative actions catch boat tour operators by surprise, especially the smaller tour operators who are most likely to be affected. A similar bill was introduced last year but was vetoed by the governor for that very reason. He believes that “Hawaii needs to strategically regulate commercial use across our shared oceans to perpetuate its natural and cultural resources,” adding, “The commercial licensing system needs reform. While he believed that “there is,” he was also concerned about the loss of jobs and the negative impact on small and medium-sized businesses.
What this means for Hawaii travelers:
We hope this will evolve into a sustainable form of marine recreation management that will benefit residents and visitors alike.
For example, DLNR is also targeting night-time manta ray viewing operators in certain ports, including Macaco Bay and Keauhou Bay on the Big Island. DLNR wants to limit the number of operators on these tours from 70 to 24 people.
State: The islands are “loved to death.”
The state of Hawaii has indicated it will seek a drastic reduction in boat tours by more than 60%. It is based on the idea that tourism promotion, including social media, is driving tourists to the islands. DLNR has previously said the islands are “loved to death” and that reducing the number of permits is the only viable solution.
The new bill would curb commercial boating activity the state deems excessive by restricting permits for companies. This could lead to a major overhaul of the operations of boat tours, kayak companies, scuba diving operators, etc.
If passed, the new law would impose limits on commercial permits issued at all 23 ports and boat launches in the state. This includes the transfer of commercial permits due to a change in legal ownership, and the ability to use a public auction process to reduce the number of permits available if the DLNR exceeds its limits.
The likely result is that the permit will go to the highest bidder at auction.
But that means all but the biggest boating activity providers could be weeded out. The bill argues that this is the appropriate way to address the rampant issuance of permits that has led to overcrowding at state ports.
Highlights of bills currently before the Hawaii Legislature.
This legislation is intended to increase fees for marine operators, which will result in increased costs for visitor boating activities, which are a source of funding for the DLNR.
Notably, public auctions are the primary means of restricting permissions for these activities. If more permits are issued than authorized (as is often the case), the state will remove all existing permits and offer new permits to the highest bidder at auction. If that happens, only large businesses will survive, and small and medium-sized businesses will not be able to compete.
Gov. Greene vetoed the effort last year.
Current law builds on the foundation laid in 2023’s vetoed Bill 1090, which created a new permitting process and addressed the overpopulation of boat operators in Hawaii’s ports. We also place emphasis on After all, this year’s bill reflects Hawaii’s continued commitment to the management and management of commercial marine activities.
DLNR wants to regulate permits that exceed determined appropriate limits.
Unfortunately, most permits had already been granted before the limit was set, creating demand that exceeded existing capacity.
Boat harbor infrastructure is inadequate for current demands.
The problem dates back to about a decade, when Hawaii began imposing restrictions on permits as tourist numbers increased without improvements to the boat harbor’s infrastructure. At the time, boat operators anticipated the restrictions and flooded the state with permit applications. Many were subsequently approved, but now appear to have been an oversight. Now, more than a decade later, the situation has developed into a chaotic scenario, with the number of permits far exceeding the newly established limits.
let me know. Do you think it’s a good idea to protect Hawaii’s natural environment from over-tourism in this way, or is this an untourist-friendly idea?