State doubles fee for marine licenses
Commercial marine license fees in Hawaii double to $100 from $50, starting today.
The state Department of Land and Natural Resources requires people who sell the fish they catch in Hawaiian waters — whether full-time fishers or weekend warriors — to have a commercial marine license.
The fee increase for the annual license was approved by the Board of Land and Natural Resources at its Dec. 8 meeting. The last time it increased was in September 1999.
“This was something we really needed to do,” said Bruce Anderson, administrator for DLNR’s Division of Aquatic Resources, in a press release. ”We’re experiencing losses in revenues because non-residents can no longer be charged a higher fee, due to a court settlement. But our operational expenses keep going up. The increased revenues will help us with our current needs, including support for new online reporting and licensing options to better serve the public.”