Hawaii Supreme Court approves commercial aquarium fishing licenses resumption in West Hawaii.

Hawaii's Supreme Court has ruled in favor of commercial aquarium fishing in West Hawaii, allowing the state to resume issuing licenses for the activity. However, the court's approval of the industry's environmental impact statement does not mandate the issuance of permits, leaving the board with discretion to deny permits to uphold their duties under the public trust doctrine and protect traditional and customary Native Hawaiian rights. The ruling ends a ban that was in place since 2017, but opponents vow to continue challenging the EIS.

August 29, 2024
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